Product Information
Product Information
Offer a range of products that meets users' expectations
Offer
the same variety of products on your Web site as you carry in brick-and-mortar
stores or paper catalogs. Customers value Web shopping partly because of the
vast variety and selection of products. They are disappointed if companies do
not offer their complete catalog of products online (Jarvenpaa &
Todd, 1996, 1997).
Provide pictures of all physical merchandise
Provide
pictures to attract users' attention, help them identify products, help them
understand a product's features, and help them feel more knowledgeable and
comfortable when making purchase decisions. For sites that sell thousands of
products, providing pictures of all of them requires a significant investment.
But pictures are vital to e-commerce because the Web is largely a visual medium
in which customers cannot feel, touch, or hold products. Pictures must provide
the marketing appeal that packaging and product displays provide in
brick-and-mortar stores.
Because large pictures cause slower downloading, consider presenting "thumbnail" photos initially and linking to larger views of the same items. In both thumbnail and larger pictures, make the product features as distinguishable as possible. Provide pictures from different angles, and enable users to click for a larger view if these additional views assist users in understanding the product and its features.
Provide information about availability
Provide
information on your product description pages about the availability of each
product, and immediately update the information when the inventory changes. If
possible, indicate exactly when you can ship the product. For instance, you may
want to say something like "Ships within 24 hours of receiving your order" or
"Orders received by 1:00 pm Eastern time ship the same day" (but be sure you
keep your promises). Link to information about shipping options so that the user
can estimate a delivery date.
Fast, reliable service is an important selling point. The more specific and accurate your shipping times, and the more rapidly you fulfill orders, the more likely you are to please your customers.
Tip: Avoid using the term "shipping time" because it's unclear. Business typically use it to refer to processing time, but customers sometimes think it means they will receive the product in that time.
Display prices prominently
Include
prices on your product description pages and, in most cases, in your product
lists. Price is one of the most important product attributes affecting the
purchase decision, so do not require users to "dig" for prices.
Note: Use the three-letter international currency symbol (e.g. USD for US dollars) and a descriptive phrase (e.g. "All amounts are in US dollars.") to explicitly indicate the currency base.
Provide detailed product information
Provide
detailed specifications and/or descriptions of the physical characteristics,
features, and functions of products. This detailed information is essential to
Web shoppers because they do not have the assistance of sales clerks, and cannot
touch products as they might in brick-and-mortar stores.
To provide effective product information, develop a thorough understanding of your customers and their interests and needs. Once you have a clear understanding of your users' needs, design your product information to address those needs.
Note: If you are selling to an international audience, use both the metric system and the imperial system to specify product dimensions.
Disclose the most important product information first
Whenever
products and product categories are introduced, begin each product description
with information that distinguishes that product from others and enables
customers to recognize quickly which products do and don't meet their needs. The
product descriptions, whether they appear on the store front, on product
category navigation pages, or on product description pages, should answer the
following questions:
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What is the product for?
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Who is the product for?
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What are the product's distinguishing characteristics?
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What are the reasons for buying the product?
If users can discern this information immediately, they can quickly navigate to products that closely match their needs or interests.
Display unintrusive promotions on key pages
Display
promotions, such as price reductions, rebate offers, interest-free financing,
and special new offerings, on your store front and product category navigation
pages. The promotions should briefly describe each offer and link to more
information and/or the specific product being promoted.
Promotions are effective when they inform users of special opportunities without interrupting an enjoyable shopping experience. Information on a "good deal" or a new product may be the extra incentive that some users need to complete a purchase. To avoid distracting and annoying users with promotions,
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Reserve primary screen real estate to main product categories and the search engine
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Locate promotions in a consistent place on each page
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Display promotions that are relevant to the product category that the user is currently viewing (i.e., vary promotions according to the category the user is viewing)
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Avoid displaying promotions where they would distract the user from a task that requires a high level of concentration, such as a comparison page with detailed product information
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Do not display an overwhelming number of promotions on the store front or product category navigation pages; rather, display one or two and enable users to click for more promotions
Also specify when and where promotions are valid, and immediately remove them when they have expired.
Tip: You may also want to provide "appetizers," such as free downloads and contests to win free products. Appetizers induce people to visit your site and whet their desire to buy products. Be sure to link to shopping pages from the appetizers. For instance, a page where users register to enter a contest should link to the product that the winner will receive, to that category of products, and to the store front.
Facilitate cross-selling and up-selling without annoying or distracting users
Use
cross-selling and up-selling techniques to provide customers easy access to
products they may want or need. Cross-selling consists of displaying or linking
to products related to the one(s) the user is currently viewing. Up-selling
consists of displaying or linking to a more expensive alternative to the one the
customer has chosen.
Before trying either strategy, ensure that cross-selling and up-selling will benefit your customers. Cross-selling is beneficial when it provides your users an easy way to buy additional products that they need or want. For instance, if users have added a notebook computer to their order list, they may welcome a link that allows them to shop for a carrying case and other accessories. Up-selling can help users understand what is available at the next price level, and how much the additional function or quality would cost.
When designing a page that uses cross-selling or up-selling, devote primary screen real estate to the product the customer is viewing, or the user's primary task. Ensure that cross-selling and up-selling options do not interfere with users' ability to complete their current purchase.