Volume 01 - General User Behavior and Executive Summary For The Series 3rd Edition

E-Commerce User Experience
Vol. 1: User Behavior, Key Findings

and Executive Summary for the Series
Research findings based on eyetracking, user testing, and diary studies
3rd Edition
By: Amy Schade and Jakob Nielsen
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Report Authors: Amy Schade, Jakob Nielsen
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary .......................................................................................6
Usability Metrics Show Nice Improvements .................................................................................... 6
Old Study Findings Stand ............................................................................................................ 7
Latest User Research .................................................................................................................. 7
Supporting Different Types of Shoppers ......................................................................................... 8
Bad Content Kills Sales ............................................................................................................... 8
Loyalty = Business ..................................................................................................................... 9
Summary of Research Studies and the E-Commerce Report Series .............10

E-Commerce Report Series ........................................................................................................ 10
Research Studies ...................................................................................................................... 10
Study One............................................................................................................................ 11
Study Two ............................................................................................................................ 11
About the Third Edition ............................................................................................................. 12
Whats Most Important ...............................................................................13

Back to Basics .......................................................................................................................... 13
Whats Improved ...................................................................................................................... 13
In this Report........................................................................................................................... 13
Pros and Cons of Online Shopping ...............................................................14

Why Shop Online ...................................................................................................................... 14
Access and Selection ............................................................................................................. 14
Price ................................................................................................................................... 14
Convenience......................................................................................................................... 15
Whats Missing Online ............................................................................................................... 17
Shopping Is Social ................................................................................................................ 17
Delayed Gratification and Additional Cost ................................................................................. 17
Willingness to Shop Online ..........................................................................18

What People Will and Wont Buy Online ....................................................................................... 18
Tactile Products .................................................................................................................... 18
Expensive Items ................................................................................................................... 20
Perishable Items ................................................................................................................... 21
Designing for Different Types of Shoppers ..................................................24

Reasons for E-commerce Visits................................................................................................... 24
Supporting All Types of Shoppers ............................................................................................... 25
Product-focused .................................................................................................................... 26
Browsing.............................................................................................................................. 27
Researching ......................................................................................................................... 30
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Bargain-Hunting ................................................................................................................... 32
One-Time Shoppers ............................................................................................................... 35
How Users Shop ..........................................................................................37

In-Store And Online, Rather than In-Store Or Online..................................................................... 37
Shipping: Delayed Gratification and Additional Cost ...................................................................... 38
Local Differences: Patience and Priorities ..................................................................................... 38
Building Loyalty ........................................................................................................................ 40
Deciding Where to Purchase ...................................................................................................... 41
Key Findings ................................................................................................46

Homepages and Category Pages ................................................................................................. 46
A Welcoming Homepage ........................................................................................................ 46
A Clear Structure .................................................................................................................. 46
Cross-Referencing ................................................................................................................. 47
Featured or Full Inventory? .................................................................................................... 47
Providing Product Information ................................................................................................ 48
Product Comparisons ............................................................................................................. 48
Sorting through Options......................................................................................................... 48
Product Pages .......................................................................................................................... 49
Full Product Details ............................................................................................................... 49
Consistency between Products ................................................................................................ 51
The Value of Reviews ............................................................................................................. 51
Adding Items to the Cart........................................................................................................ 53
Shopping Carts, Checkout and Registration .................................................................................. 55
Shopping Cart as Dressing Room ............................................................................................ 55
A Clear Path through Checkout ............................................................................................... 55
Optional Registration ............................................................................................................. 56
Money Matters ...................................................................................................................... 57
Shipping Options .................................................................................................................. 57
Search .................................................................................................................................... 58
Search Behavior ................................................................................................................... 58
Search as Feedback............................................................................................................... 59
Scoped Search...................................................................................................................... 59
Narrowing the Choices: Faceted Search ................................................................................... 59
Customer Service ..................................................................................................................... 61
Easy to Find ......................................................................................................................... 61
A Good Site Experience.......................................................................................................... 61
Getting in Touch ................................................................................................................... 61
Clear, and Customer Friendly, Policies ...................................................................................... 62
Selling Strategies ..................................................................................................................... 63
Clear Pricing ......................................................................................................................... 63
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Executive Summary
When Will It Arrive ................................................................................................................ 63

Free Shipping ....................................................................................................................... 63
Welcome Back ...................................................................................................................... 63
You Might Also Like... ............................................................................................................ 63
Trust and Credibility .................................................................................................................. 64
Appearance is Everything ....................................................................................................... 64
Privacy and Security .............................................................................................................. 64
Performance and Errors ......................................................................................................... 64
Availability ........................................................................................................................... 65
International Purchasers............................................................................................................ 66
Forms and Data .................................................................................................................... 66
No Local Support .................................................................................................................. 66
International Usability Testing................................................................................................. 66
Success Rates, Task Failures and Task Times ..............................................67

Success by Type of Task ............................................................................................................ 67
Specific Product .................................................................................................................... 68
Customer Service.................................................................................................................. 69
Criteria Tasks ....................................................................................................................... 69
Purchase Tasks ..................................................................................................................... 70
Known Sites ......................................................................................................................... 71
Open-ended Tasks................................................................................................................. 72
What Went Wrong .................................................................................................................... 73
About the Authors .......................................................................................75

Acknowledgments .......................................................................................76
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Executive Summary
(Yes, this is a summary of the summary. Considering that the full E-Commerce User
Experience report series clocks in at more than 2000 pages with more than 1700
screenshots, the more summaries the merrier :-)
To give away the bottom line, the number of usability guidelines for e-commerce
sites has increased from 207 in the first edition of this report to about 880 in the
current edition. Using this rough metric, we now know 4.2 times as much about ecommerce user experience as we did during the dot-com bubble.
USABILITY METRICS SHOW NICE IMPROVEMENTS

In our first e-commerce studies, in 2000, we recorded a success rate of 56% across
496 task attempts on the e-commerce sites of the day. In our latest research, we
observed 507 e-commerce task attempts and measured a success rate of 72%.
In other words, during the dot-com bubble, user failed almost half the time when
they tried to shop on e-commerce sites. No wonder the bubble burst, with sites that
bad. Now, users fail slightly more than a quarter of the time. Sites are still leaving
plenty of money on the table, but not as much.
Today, our main reason to recommend usability improvements for e-commerce sites
is the competitive pressure from other sites that keep getting better. Yes, theres
also an argument for improving design purely to reduce user failures, but this is not
as critical as it was in the past. Todays consumers are not satisfied with sites that
simply make it possible to shop. The experience must also be pleasant, so we should
look beyond success rates, much as the ability to complete tasks remains the first
line of requirements.
Search remains a sore point, even though it has improved somewhat. In our first
study, users succeeded in their first search attempt on an e-commerce site 51% of
the time. In the new study, users first within-site query was successful 64% of the
time.
Users expectations for search quality are far beyond whats actually delivered by
todays websites. As with most other aspects of web usability, user expectations are
set by their aggregated user experience1 from around the web. In the case of search,
this mainly means Google and the other major search engines. While not perfect,
these sites do work pretty well. When users search an e-commerce site and dont
find what they want, they often assume that the site doesnt have the desired
product. Users have poor search skills and will leave more often than they will figure
out how to reformulate their queries.
As Jakobs Law of the Internet User Experience states: users spend the majority of their time on
other sites than yours.
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Executive Summary
OLD STUDY FINDINGS STAND

The first edition of this report series was based on lab-based usability testing of 20
websites across 7 product categories: clothing, department stores, entertainment,
flowers, food, furniture, and toys. Testing was conducted in 2 countries: the US and
Denmark.
This was a relatively limited amount of research, though more than anybody else had
done in 2000. Of the 207 early design guidelines, 206 were confirmed in our recent
much more elaborate research. All of these guidelines still applied in our latest
round of expert reviews of e-commerce sites as well; the old findings are still
relevant.
One guideline has been retracted: to offer a special welcome page for new shoppers.
Today, its relatively safe to assume that by the time a user arrives at your site, that
person has already shopped at several other sites. E-commerce is no longer new,
and users no longer need to be told what it is. As long as the site is easy to use,
people will use it.
The fact that 99.5% of these old guidelines were confirmed is an indication of the
longevity of usability findings. Our design recommendations are based on the
characteristics of the human mind which change much more slowly than the
technology that seems to fascinate so many people in the field.
LATEST USER RESEARCH

Our latest research encompassed 3 usability methods: traditional user testing (as
was done in the original study), eyetracking, and field research in the form of a diary
study. Studies were conducted in 3 countries: most sessions were in the United
States (in Georgia, Indiana, and New York) with a smaller number of users in China
and the UK.
In total, users tested 206 sites more than 10 times as many as were tested in our
original research. As noted above, we only identified 4.2 times as many usability
guidelines, indicating some degree of diminishing returns from enlarging the
research study.
The sites covered an incredibly wide range of industries: from high to low culture
(Paris Museum Pass and NASCAR), from cheap to expensive (Walmart and Tiffanys),
from virtual to physical products (TicketMaster and The Container Store), and from
general-interest to highly specialized products (Zappos and Lightbulbs.com).
Except for the diary studies, all our studies were in the form of direct empirical
observation of users actual behavior as they engaged in online shopping. We sat
next to users on a one-on-one basis and asked them to think out loud as they
performed specific tasks. This research approach provides deep insights into why
users behave the way they do and results in findings that are not available from
other methods.
Some of the test tasks were highly directed and assessed the degree to which the
design supported users who arrive at a site with a pre-determined goal in mind. For
example: Buy an air conditioner to put in the window of a room that is 10 feet by 20
feet (200 square feet). Get one that is energy-efficient and that has a remote. Buy it
from www.homedepot.com.
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Other tasks were broader and assessed the degree to which the site could inspire
users who dont have a particular need in mind. For example: You just got a
promotion and a bonus and you want to treat yourself. Buy yourself something.
Spend no more than 200 at Links of London.
We also tested web-wide tasks where we didnt specify what site the user should
use. For example: The light bulb in your desk lamp just burned out. Get a
replacement for it. (With this task, we gave users the burned out bulb.)
Finally, we tested a range of customer service tasks. For example: Can you get a
refund for tickets you buy from cinema.com.hk if there is a typhoon signal?
SUPPORTING DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHOPPERS

Our diary study looked at why and how people shop on their own, when we dont
give them test tasks to perform. In total, diary-writers recorded 263 visits to ecommerce sites.
2/3 of the time, users visited a site with a pre-determined goal: 35% of visits were
to look for a particular type of product (without having a specific product in mind),
and 27% of visits were to look for a specific product.
1/3 of the time, users visited a site to see what the site had to offer. Many of these
visits were prompted by the receipt of an email newsletter or otherwise learning
about sales or special offers.
Sites must support all these forms of use:
Known-item purchase
Category research, leading users to identify and buy the best match with
their needs
Bargain-hunting
Browsing for inspiration
Finally, some users are one-time shoppers. They dont know the site, and they dont
intend to return, but they may want to shop there once. (Maybe they received a gift
card, or maybe a relative wished for a gift carried by that site.)
BAD CONTENT KILLS SALES

The first rule of e-commerce design remains: if the customer cannot find the
product, the customer cannot buy the product.
But in our new studies, the main problem was not so much finding the product as it
was finding out about the product. 55% of the 143 user failures we observed were
caused by bad content: incomplete or unclear information, uninformative error
messages, or simply users stating that they would have to call or email the site. (The
latter clearly indicating that the company had neglected the opportunity to answer
the users questions on the site.)
Content can be verbal or visual in either case it needs to provide the information
users need to decide on products and to be convinced to trust the site with their
money.
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Executive Summary
The key downside of e-commerce is that one cannot touch, feel, see, taste, or smell
the offerings. Nor do customers benefit from the essential credibility boost of having
the purchase in hand before paying the price. No tactile experience. Online shopping
is purely an information experience. (Or user experience, as we like to say.) This
again places a huge premium on good content. One many sites fail.
LOYALTY = BUSINESS
One of our study participant said, If I have a good experience with something, Ill
stick with it forever. Not all users are that loyal, but our research does indicate the
tremendous benefits from fostering customer loyalty in e-commerce.
In the web-wide tasks, we didnt specify what site users should visit for their
purchase. No surprise, half of the users went straight to a search engine. But it was
a bit of surprise that the other half of users went directly to some site they already
knew. Bypassing the search engines tollbooth on the information highway is the first
benefit of user loyalty. But the advantages reach much further.
Of users who started by searching the web, only 39% completed their task on the
first site they selected from the SERP (search engine results page). Almost 2/3 of
search users abandoned their first love and proceeded to do business elsewhere. This
outcome demonstrates that SEO and good search engine ranking are necessary but
not sufficient for Internet business success. Its actually more important to satisfy
users once they arrive at your site. Search users exhibit little loyalty to the sites they
happen to click on.
In contrast, those users who bypassed search in order to go directly to a preferred
site overwhelmingly ended up giving their money to that site: 71% did so and only
29% completed their task on another site. (Of course, this is a sufficiently big
amount of lost business to point out that you cant take e-commerce users for
granted, even when theyre loyal to your site.)
The benefits of loyalty might make you push aggressive registration requirements,
but that would be a mistake. You must convert first-time shoppers before they can
become long-time shoppers, and users strongly resent up-front registration. On the
other hand, users frequently complained about the drudgingly large amount of data
entry they were forced to perform to complete their purchase. So by reminding
repeat users of the time savings, you can nudge them to register eventually.
In general, a longer-term perspective on the full sales cycle and total user
experience would benefit sites. A transmedia design strategy should reach beyond
the main website to encompass a mobile site, an email newsletter strategy, and
good customer service (including good confirmation messages). Yes, e-commerce
user experience has come far, but it has even further to go to truly meet customers
needs.
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Summary of Research Studies and the E-Commerce

Report Series
E-COMMERCE REPORT SERIES
This report is one of 13 reports about the E-Commerce user experience. Ten of the
reports in the series were generated from the findings of two rounds of e-commerce
research studies. The first editions of these reports were published as a book, with
each chapter also available as a downloadable report. The second and third editions
include an additional report, based on the same series of studies, about customer
service.
This series also includes three additional volumes which are a result of additional
research studies, separate from the main e-commerce research. These reports are
included in the series due to their direct relationship to the e-commerce user
experience and cover the topics of wishlists and gift certificates, store locators, and
confirmation and transactional email messages. Each of these reports includes a
section about methodology, covering the details of each research project.
The entire E-Commerce User Experience series is available for download at
http://www.nngroup.com/reports/ecommerce-user-experience/ and includes the
following titles:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
General User Behavior & Executive Summary [this report]

Homepages and Category Pages (including Product Listing Pages and
Product Comparisons)
Product Pages (including Reviews)
Shopping Cart, Checkout & Registration
Search (including Faceted Search)
Customer Service
Selling Strategies
Wishlists, Gift Certificates and Gift Giving
Trust and Credibility
International Users
Store Finders and Locators
Transactional Email and Confirmation Messages
Methodology
RESEARCH STUDIES
The information in these reports is a result of two separate rounds of e-commerce
studies conducted by Nielsen Norman Group as well as a round of design reviews of
a set of e-commerce websites. The studies took place in the United States, United
Kingdom, Denmark and China (Hong Kong), and involved user testing, a diary-based
longitudinal study and an eye tracking component.
The Methodology report in the E-Commerce Report Series includes the full details of
each study, the list of sites tested, and information about participants.
The Wishlists and Gift Certificates, Transactional Email and Confirmation Messages
and Locator Usability reports are based on additional research studies. Each of these
three reports includes its own methodology section.
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Summary of Research Studies and the E-Commerce Report

Series
Study One
The first research study was conducted by a team of five usability experts. They
conducted usability tests of 20 business-to-consumer e-commerce websites. A total
of 64 people participated: 39 from the United States and 25 from Denmark. Nineteen
of the twenty sites tested were American websites, which were tested by users in
both countries.
Users ranged in age from twenty to sixty. All users had previously shopped online
and most had made purchases; however, we screened out people who had extensive
technical knowledge of the Web.
Usability testing sessions lasted two hours, and users typically tested three of the 20
selected sites in that time. Each site was tested by a minimum of nine users: six
from the U.S. and three from Denmark. Sites were selected in seven different
industries, such as clothing and toys, so that within each industry we had two or
three sites for comparison.
Tasks were modeled on common goals of online shoppers. Most tasks asked users to
find a specific item or were open-ended, allowing freedom to shop according to their
own preferences. In most cases, we stopped users before they entered a credit card
number, so they did not complete the purchase. We also included tasks involving
customer service information.
For each test session, a facilitator sat next to the user, providing instructions to the
user and taking notes. Users were asked to think aloud as they worked, describing
their decision processes and any positive or negative reactions to the sites.
Study Two
The second study included a diary-based longitudinal study and user testing,
including an eyetracking component.
Research began with the diary-based study. Ten participants from around the United
States were asked to record information in a notebook about their online shopping
experiences for a period of six weeks during the winter holiday shopping season. The
goal was to understand how users shopped online.
Users answered questions including the goal of visiting the site, why they visited that
particular site, and if they achieved their goal. Users were also asked about what
they liked and disliked about the site. Information from this round of research was
used in part to develop tasks for the user testing portions of the study.
The study also included user testing with participants in London, United Kingdom;
Hong Kong, China; Munster, Indiana; Kennesaw, Georgia; and New York, New York.
The New York City component, which was the largest, included eyetracking.
Eyetracking allowed the facilitator to observe and record where the user was looking
on the screen.
Ninety-eight users participated in user testing. Participants included an almost even
split between men and women who ranged in age from 18 to 64. All participants had
purchased online previously, with varied amounts of online shopping experience. The
least experienced user had purchased online once in the past year and 10
participants had made more than 30 online purchases in the past year. Users were
recruited across a range of household income levels and general online experience.
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11
More than 100 sites were included in the user testing component of the study. Sites
selected for testing included sites big and small, from various industries with varied
product offerings and different design approaches. In addition, users completed tasks
on sites they had previously visited. Participants provided a list of sites during the
recruiting process and were asked to visit one of them during the study. This
expanded the number as well as the types of sites tested.
Tasks were modeled after those in the first study, including directed tasks asking
users to find specific items, open-ended tasks allowing for site exploration, and
customer service related tasks. Users proceeded as far as possible through the
purchase process with fake user information.
Users completed three additional types of tasks in the second study. Users visited
sites they had visited before, which allowed us to observe users returning to a site as
a repeat visitor. Users also completed open-ended tasks where they were given a
goal of something to purchase, but were not directed to any particular website to
make the purchase.
The New York component of the study also included a task where users completed a
purchase. Users selected one of five sites on which to shop and were given a budget.
They could purchase any item or items they wanted from the site within their
budget, send the purchase to themselves, and be reimbursed for the purchase price.
The same facilitator ran all sessions in the second study, except for the Georgia
tests. In all sessions, the facilitator sat next to the user, providing instructions,
observing and taking notes. Users thought aloud as they worked.
ABOUT THE THIRD EDITION

The third edition includes guidelines derived from both research studies as well as
revisions, clarifications and further examples of guidelines from the previous editions
of this report. For the third edition of this report, we used the existing guidelines
from our research studies to complete heuristic reviews on additional e-commerce
sites and updated examples as appropriate.
Some screenshots remain from earlier rounds of research. Older screenshots are
retained when necessary to reflect the appearance of the site at the time it was
tested. Some sites designs may have changed since the sites were tested.
For instructional purposes, all examples are valuable. They reflect actual designs and
real user behaviors, which in turn create best practices that stand the test of time.
Lessons learned from these designs are valid, even when designs have changed.
Including examples helps illustrate good and bad usability examples, which can help
designers learn from previous mistakes and successes.
Participants personal information has been blurred on screenshots.
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Summary of Research Studies and the E-Commerce Report

Series
Whats Most Important

BACK TO BASICS
We ran our original ecommerce studies in 2000, when e-commerce was relatively
new. We ran our second set of studies years later, when users were more
accustomed to online shopping, and when it was more difficult to find inexperienced
online shoppers than experienced online shoppers.
However, many of the problems our users ran into were the same problems users
faced years ago. The basics of buying still confused users. Though e-commerce
designs have changed, the new designs dont always fix old problems. In our latest
update for the third edition, we found the same problems remained in many designs.
Users had difficulty finding products, getting adequate product information, adding
products to the shopping cart, and successfully navigating the checkout process.
Online shopping is filled with choices. The range of options available to online
shoppers is almost endless. If your site does not do its job well, there are plenty of
other sites that offer similar selection.
WHATS IMPROVED
We did see improvement in several areas. More sites offered user reviews of
products, which helped answer users questions and gave them confidence in their
purchases. This can help minimize the number of users who end up returning goods
purchased online. When expectations are adequately set, shoppers dont have much
chance to be disappointed.
Additional product images, with close-up images of features and characteristics, as
well as zooming and panning tools, also helped users on many sites, giving them a
much more complete sense of the product than could be given through one static
picture taken from a distance.
Site recommendations of associated, related, or accessory products have also
improved, helping guide users to the products that meet their needs or accompany
those theyve already expressed interest in. Users were interested in these
suggestions and often used them to navigate product inventory, but were more likely
to rely on them if they were highly and clearly related to the products they were
viewing.
IN THIS REPORT
This report starts with behavioral information about why shoppers go online in the
first place, and what users say they are willing to buy online. This is followed by a
discussion of supporting different types of shoppers, information which could be used
to develop personas for site development. We then discuss broader topics of how
users shop.
The Key Findings section summarizes the most important information from the entire
report series. The report ends with numbers success scores and task times from
our latest research, as well as a list of the most common problems users
encountered.
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Pros and Cons of Online Shopping

WHY SHOP ONLINE
Users key reasons for shopping online were:
Access to products and selection of products
Price
Convenience
These may seem like obvious reasons, but it behooves websites to have their
design emphasize how they meet these basic consumer needs and wants.
Access and Selection

E-commerce sites allow users access to products they might not otherwise have.
One shopper living in Montana in the United States wanted to shop at The Childrens
Place for her daughter, but the closest store was 5 hours away. The website allowed
her to shop without driving 10 hours round trip.
Another user explained, My husband buys flour online. Its for some whole grain
bread he makes, freshly ground, a certain kind. I just got 10 pounds delivered the
other day.
Some shoppers looked for goods internationally. For instance, shoppers in Hong
Kong mentioned buying quality goods from other countries. While many of our Hong
Kong participants did not shop online frequently due to the variety and ease of
shopping in Hong Kong, several mentioned using international websites to find items
they could not find in Hong Kong. One user said, I buy books there that I cant find
in Hong Kongs bookstores.
Several female shoppers in Hong Kong mentioned buying lingerie and underwear
from Victorias Secret because it was difficult to find attractive, fashionable items
locally. A male shopper said he ordered shoes from London because he used to live
there and knew the shoes fit well and were well-made. He also bought golf
equipment from a US site because he preferred the brand and could save money
over buying locally, even factoring in international shipping charges.
Users appreciated the access to products and the selection of products available
online, which widely broadened the product selection available in local stores,
regardless of their location. They enjoyed the selection, whether within one site or
available across several sites.
Price
Users were often looking for a bargain online. Some users assumed online prices
would be lower than local prices. One said, Things are generally cheaper when you
buy them online. Another said, Most of the time, items are a lot cheaper than in
the stores.
Shoppers appreciated that they could look around for the best price online more
easily than they could by going store to store. Traveling between stores is much
quicker online than it is in the physical world.
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Many users favorable comments about online stores were about pricing. One user
said of oddballshoe.com: The prices are good and they have a clearance section
with even better deals.
Our diary study participants echoed these ideas when explaining why they were
visiting a particular site over another. Many responses mentioned prices, such as, I
went to this site because of their great prices on brand name products.
A good price could even trump a previous bad experience, though that was rare. One
user visited a site with reluctance because of past problems with shipping. He
purchased a TV stand, cables, and a DVD player because of the huge discounts on
the product prices. He said, The prices were exceptional on these items. I didnt
have any negative experiences this time, but well see how long it takes for these
items to actually be delivered and what shape theyre in when they arrive.
Convenience
Convenience is a huge incentive to shop online. One convenience was delivery
users didnt have to go anywhere to get the items. One user said, The best thing is
its delivered to your door so you can stay there and do nothing.
Time savings was also a benefit. One user said, You dont have to spend time
running around to a lot of stores. Another user said he shopped for movie tickets
online so, I dont have to queue up for movie tickets or waste time walking to the
theater if its sold out.
Another user liked shopping for limited edition prints online. He said, We couldnt go
around to the shops: wed have to spend a year looking. But you go online and find
it.
Further, shoppers could shop as quickly or as slowly as they wanted online. In a
store, some shoppers said they felt rushed. One user said while shed never be
comfortable shopping in the same store for hours, she could spend as much time as
she liked online. She said, I shop quite slowly. I spend my time. I can spend hours
online at the end of the day, hours going through lingerie and clothes.
We saw this leisurely approach to shopping in our studies. Some users enjoyed
browsing the full inventory on a website before making a purchase decision. In
purchase tasks in the study, when users had a set amount of money to spend on a
site, some leisurely perused every possible option before making a decision.
Other users want to shop online to get through the shopping process as quickly as
possible, and we witnessed this behavior in our studies as well. They appreciated
sites that helped them locate products quickly, concisely presented product
information, and led them through a fast and simple checkout process.
Another benefit of online shopping for some users was the lack of salespeople and
other shoppers there was no one to bother you. One user said, You dont get
plagued by the people in the store, who invariably know nothing about the product
anyway. Another said, I buy clothes online. I dont like crowded shops. And I hate
going in changing rooms.
Another explained his process for researching and buying electronics. He said, I
have to spend time to compare. Its better to compare at home because I can spend
more time. A shop may be busy and I dont like to spend so much time.
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Many users preferred finding their own answers on websites, rather than having to
contact the company. One of the benefits of shopping online that users mentioned
was not having to deal with people whether it was cashiers, other customers, or
pushy or uninformed salespeople. These users wanted to be able to find and buy
products without having to interact with anyone.
For example, a user who was shopping for a custom fruit basket searched and ended
up on the Gift Baskets of Pleasanton site, where such baskets were offered.
However, the site did not allow users to customize baskets online a phone call or
email was required. The user said, Ah, you have to email them. I just cant order it.
Lets go back. Having to contact the company was a hurdle in the users shopping
experience.
Sites that required users to call to place an order sometimes made users choose to
shop elsewhere. Many users preferred to place the full order online, as was possible
on Rodnick.com.
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WHATS MISSING ONLINE
Shopping Is Social
The solitary nature of most online shopping was a detriment for some shoppers.
Some wanted input from friends and family, and a handful even called friends or
family or asked the facilitator for input while shopping during our study. One user
made a phone call during a task, explaining, Shes been looking for a flannel
blanket, too. I needed to know what color she wanted.
Users can always pick up the phone and call someone for input. Its also a good idea
to let shoppers email products to themselves or their friends, either to remind
themselves about a product or to solicit feedback from a friend. It is also important
to save users shopping carts, as they may want to show the items theyre
considering to others and may use the shopping cart as a holding area.
Some users lamented that there was no one to help them when they were shopping
online. One user shopping for a microwave on the Comet site was frustrated because
he didnt understand the terminology used on the site. He said, A situation like that
makes me want to go to the old school style of shopping. Just walking around the
shop.
Users missed the ability to view, hold, or try on items or to ask questions. Sites with
robust product information helped alleviate some of these concerns, and we did see
a handful of shoppers interact with live chat offerings to get assistance at key points
in the shopping process.
Delayed Gratification and Additional Cost

Another concern about online shopping was the lack of instant gratification. For
some, part of the fun of shopping is coming home with a new item. Delivery times,
even short ones, frustrated some users. (Others thought the idea of delayed
gratification eagerly awaiting their new purchase was a good thing.)
Users also frequently complained about shipping charges, and fees if they returned
items. Free shipping was a good incentive for users to make a purchase online.
Eliminating the extra cost can make users more comfortable buying something
online. As one user said, The price was right, the shipping was free, so I made the
purchase.
Users were also worried about returns. Simple returns with prepaid labels or in-store
returns were also attractive to shoppers. One user said, If my wife doesnt end up
liking some of the merchandise or it doesnt fit, it can be returned to our local store.
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Willingness to Shop Online

WHAT PEOPLE WILL AND WONT BUY ONLINE
Users were most comfortable buying a known product, such as a book, DVD or CD
online. They were more comfortable buying known brands, or from stores whose
products they knew well. They were most comfortable when what they were buying
online was in no way going to be a surprise.
Of course, shopping preferences vary by shopper. Some of our participants were
willing to buy almost anything online for the convenience and price. Others stuck to
only what was known. One user said, A washing machine is a washing machine. You
dont need to go into a shop to see that its a washing machine.
Some liked to get items that would be awkward or difficult to get home by
themselves delivered to them instead. One user said she would buy toilet roll
because its bulky. It would be handy having that delivered.
Users commonly listed three types of products as those theyd be less likely to buy
online:
tactile products
expensive products
perishable products
Tactile Products
The tactile nature of shopping in a store versus shopping online was a big
consideration for many users. Users mentioned reluctance to buy clothing, bedding,
pillows, and upholstered furniture things they would like to see, touch, wear or
use before buying. For instance, while a shopper may have been comfortable buying
a sweater like one hed seen in a store, he was more hesitant to buy another one
sight unseen and even more importantly, untouched. As one user said, Anything
like a bed, mattress, sofa: you need to lie on it and get the feeling of it before you
make a decision.
One main concern for shoppers was fit, for items that they would normally try on in
the store. A user said of buying pants from Lands End online, I just dont trust fits
until I try them on. I know Lee fits, so I buy it. But if I went into a store and tried it
on and knew it fit, then I would buy it online. Now that I know about these pants, I
would go and try them on and then get them online. I think Sears carries them.
Another said, Clothes, I never buy online. I like to try them on before I make a
decision.
There is no tactile nature to the Web. Stores will always have that advantage. But
consider what can be done to assuage users concerns about buying items without
having touched or experienced them. Excellent product descriptions can answer
users questions. High quality images, from a variety of angles and showing various
features, can emphasize and clarify product details.
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AnnTaylor.com allowed users to zoom in to see product details, showing fabric and
craftsmanship clearly. The top image shows the default product picture, and the
second shows the highest level of zoom available on the site.
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For items such as clothing, bedding or rugs, a high zoom on product images, or close
up images of details, can help users assess the quality and craftsmanship of the
product. A close zoom can allow the user to inspect a seam or a button. Fabric or
color samples free or low cost can help alleviate users concerns. Such samples
makes sense for more expensive items, such as upholstered furniture, where color
and feel may make the difference to a shopper. This is particularly helpful since it is
difficult to accurately judge color online.
SilestoneUSA.com offered low cost samples of countertop materials.
Expensive Items
Some users were hesitant to buy expensive items online. Users couldnt necessarily
assess the value of an item from an online description and picture. One user said,
Its hard to tell the quality of jewelry online. Another said, I wouldnt buy a car
online I couldnt commit to buying it without a test drive. A third said, I would
never buy a big ticket item, like a car or quality jewelry.
In these cases, outside authentication of products was helpful, such as a gem report
for high-end jewelry or an accident and maintenance report for a used vehicle. In
addition, high-end sites require even better customer service, ready to answer a
users question at any point of the shopping or purchase process.
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The added red ovals above show Blue Nile offered a customer service phone
number in the upper corner of the page as well as below product information,
together with information about asking an expert.
Perishable Items
Some users hesitated to buy perishable items because delivery time was key. One
user said, Id worry about something susceptible to temperature in the
summertime. Another said, You cant order fresh items from a website!
Providing clear information about shipping and delivery is essential for perishable
items. Users wanted to know how items would be packaged, how to dispose of
packaging (such as dry ice) or how quickly they needed to open, water, or
refrigerate perishable items.
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Godivas website included information about climate control packaging and

reassured users the items would arrive in perfect condition, no matter how warm
the climate.
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User Hesitations about Buying Online

Product Type
Tactile:
Clothing
Bedding
Upholstered furniture
Solutions
Quality and variety of product images

Deep zoom
Fabric or color samples
Expensive:
Jewelry
Cars
Outside authentication
Good customer services with friendly and knowledgeable
customer support
Perishable:
Food
Detailed information about packaging and delivery
Plants
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Designing for Different Types of Shoppers

REASONS FOR E-COMMERCE VISITS
We started our research with a notebook study, where we asked users to write down
information about all of their e-commerce related activities over a six-week period.
The goal was to get a sense of what activities users were completing on e-commerce
sites, their reasons for visiting, and their likes and dislikes about the experience.
Respondents, all located in the United States, participated between the Thanksgiving
holiday in late November until New Years Eve on December 31. This is traditionally a
heavy shopping time in the United States. However, this also meant users might be
more focused on gift-purchases than at other times of the year.
We asked users to note, What was your main reason for visiting the site? What did
you hope to accomplish? Ten users participated in the research, and recorded 263
site visits.
We wanted to collect information about what shoppers were already doing online, in
order to create realistic tasks for user testing. We categorized the respondents
answers to the open-ended question. The most commonly given reason for visiting a
site was to look for a particular type of product. By that, we mean users were looking
for a vacuum, a book or an HDTV, but without any one vacuum, book or HDTV in
mind. Thirty-five percent of site visits were inspired by looking for a product type,
but not a particular product.
Twenty-seven percent of visits were aimed at finding a specific product, such as an
Adidas gold-foil shirt, Six Feet Under DVD set, a taillight for a car, or a Cleveland
Browns football jersey.
Nine percent of visits were inspired by knowledge of a sale, or hopes that there
might be a sale, and six percent of the holiday-time visits were looking for gifts.
(Note that the product type and specific product categories likely included gift-buying
activities: we only counted shopping activities as gifts when participants explicitly
stated they were looking for gifts without a particular item in mind.)
Additional reasons for e-commerce visits were: because they received an email
(5%), to browse offerings (4%), for customer service or account-related reasons
such as checking order status (3%), to check prices (3%), to spend a gift card (2%),
because they had seen a catalog or a print advertisement (2%), and looking for a
coupon (1%).
Other reasons accounted for 4% of visits. These reasons included gift card buy-back,
to see if an item was from a store, to find movie times or make dinner reservations,
to enter a contest, to check on product information for a product already owned, and
to sign up for an email newsletter.
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The chart above shows the 10 diary study participants stated reasons for visiting ecommerce sites during the 6-week study. They reported 263 site visits. Looking for
a product type accounted for 35% of site visits (91). Looking for a specific item
added another 27% (71 visits). 9% (23) of visits were inspired by a sale or looking
for a sale, and 6% were looking for gifts (15). Users visited sites because of an
email message 5% of the time (14 visits), and for general browsing 4% of the time
(11 visits). Customer service or account related activities caused 3% (9) of visits,
and 3% of visits were to check prices (8 visits). Two percent of users were looking
to spend a gift card (4) or because theyd seen a catalog or print ad (4), and 1%
were looking for coupons (2).
SUPPORTING ALL TYPES OF SHOPPERS

There are many different types of shoppers, and varied approaches to shopping.
However, there were five that arose repeatedly in our research:
Product-focused
Browsing
Researching
Bargain-hunting
One-time shoppers
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Although a good site experience is crucial to all types of shoppers, different elements
of the shopping experience take on more significance depending on the users goal
and approach. Designing with these user types in mind will help the overall user
experience on the site.
Product-focused
Many shoppers go online knowing exactly what they want. They may need a
replacement for something they already have. They may have already researched an
item and know exactly what they want. They may have been to a store and seen the
product they want, but waited to buy it online. Regardless of the reason, these
shoppers are goal-oriented. They know what they need, and they want the site to
give it to them quickly.
In our study, our goal-oriented shoppers needed a James Bond DVD set, a
replacement laptop battery, a Cleveland Browns jersey, a taillight for a car, and
printer ink, among other things. These users werent looking to spend time leisurely
browsing a site, to analyze product information, or to carefully consider a purchase.
They wanted to find what they needed, get in and get out.
These shoppers may know where to get the item in question they may go to an
online store they know that carries it, or the online presence of a store where they
saw the product. They may have purchased the item in the past, or bought
something similar.
They may use search engines to find the product, typing in the exact product they
want and picking a search result. They may even use meta-shopping engines or
review sites, such as CNET, Google Shopping, or Kelkoo to determine who has the
product for the best price.
Once at the site, all these users need to do is locate the right product, confirm that
its the right one, and buy it. Some wont look at product descriptions at all. A quick
look at the name and product picture confirms the product is correct, and theyll buy
it.
The goal here is speed. Get the user to the right product, let them know its the right
product, and let them check out. The user may not be in a hurry, but he isnt in the
mindset to linger and spend quality time with the site. He may notice an upsell
opportunity, but hes more likely to continue on with his intended purchase without
distraction.
One user in our study had a product in mind when she visited FYE.com to spend a
gift card. She immediately searched for the name of the movie Heartburn and
was thrilled to see results. Shed had trouble locating the product previously and was
excited to see it was offered and available. She even ended up buying two copies
one for herself and one for a friend.
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A user was happy when FYE.com carried an item she had trouble finding elsewhere.
The site allowed her to quickly search for, locate, and buy the movie she wanted.
Keys to success for product-focused shoppers are:
Clearly identifying each product offering
Offering an effective search that makes it easy to locate items of

interest
Letting return users easily see items previously purchased for reorders
or accessory purchases
Streamlining the checkout process to get users in and out as quickly as

possible
Browsing
Browsers have a much more leisurely approach to shopping online. They may look to
their favorite sites or new sites, for inspiration or to kill time.
One user said, When I dont have time to go shopping, I go online to check out
whats new or on sale. Another said of a visit to iTunes, I didnt buy any music, but
I enjoyed looking for potential songs to download.
Several users in Hong Kong said they looked at websites that they knew did not ship
to Hong Kong, but browsed the sites anyway. They checked the fashions on the sites
and then looked locally for items that were comparable.
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It may seem counter-intuitive, but having browsers on your site is a good thing.
These are people who are choosing to spend time on your site, with your company,
with your brand. They are using the site as entertainment and inspiration, and
theres a great opportunity there to turn these browsers into buyers. If users have a
consistently good experience on your site finding things they like and seeing the
latest products, theyll be more likely to think of your site or even your physical
stores when they are ready to buy.
Browsers are not necessarily looking to make a purchase, but if they see something
they really like, they may turn into buyers.
Browsers may also be looking at the site because they are planning a trip to a store.
One user explained she looked at Banana Republics site: When I dont have time to
go shopping, I check out whats new or on sale. I check it before I go to the store.
Another said of Costcos site: I did not buy a gift. They had a bunch of good stuff,
but I know Ill go in person in a few days and see the items up close.
Make it easy for your customers to see whats new, whats popular and whats on
sale. When shoppers come to the site on a regular basis, its not to see the same
information they saw the week before; its to see whats changed. Browsers are
interested in the latest items, the latest deals, what other people are buying. Related
items and suggested products can help them navigate through the site, leading them
to new areas and new products. Top-selling products, most popular products, and
top-ranked products can all do well for browsers.
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Sasa.com highlighted new products and bestsellers on the homepage.
Another opportunity here is word-of-mouth marketing. Let users share information

or finds on the site with their friends, and gain more site visitors and customers.
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Keys for success for browsers are:
Highlighting new or popular products, or items on sale
Leading shoppers to new inventory through relevant related links and

recommended products
Letting users share information about products they like
Researching
Researchers are goal-driven browsers. They plan to purchase, but the purchase may
happen today, tomorrow, next week or in six months. Theyre looking online to
collect information about products and prices, and may be in any stage of research.
Researchers may be educating themselves about unknown product types, either for
a first time purchase or to purchase a gift. Or they may be well-educated about the
products theyre looking for, and trying to find the best price for the best
combination of features.
Shoppers may have a product category in mind and be looking for the best deal or
best product to meet their needs. Research may take place in several in-depth visits
or be a one-time quick decision between options on one site.
Researchers may visit multiple sites to gather information before committing to a
purchase. (And keep in mind that purchase may occur online or in a store.) Users
may also visit your site or others multiple times before making a purchase decision.
They may use one site for researching and another for the eventual purchase.
The goal is to turn these researchers into buyers. Trust is important in online
transactions. If users have seen that your site offers detailed product information,
excellent support, and clear navigation as theyve been researching, theyre more
likely to buy from your site. If your site offers limited or unclear product information,
they wont spend much time researching on it, nor will they think of it when it is time
to buy. The opportunity is to convert researchers to buyers, to become a
knowledgeable and trustworthy source of information and products.
The biggest key to a successful experience for researchers is to allow easy product
comparison. This does not mean creating large, elaborate comparison engines
(though some comparison engines work quite nicely). Facilitating comparisons can
be as simple as providing consistent information about products, so users can easily
determine what the differences are among them.
When sites do not offer comparison tools, users sometimes create their own. A user
on BuyDig.com opened two browser windows to compare product specifications side
by side. He said, When you get close, you want to compare side by side. Id also
open a new window to go to CNET.com to get reviews. That will tell me even more.
Researchers are looking for a high degree of detail in product descriptions and
images. This means these additional sources of information should be available, but
dont offer so much information up front that you scare your product-focused or
browsing shoppers away. Layer the information, but provide sufficient details to
answer the questions researchers have.
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Circuit Citys site provided well-structured layers of product information. The page
started with key features, then had a summary of highlights, followed by tabs for
customer reviews, specifications and accessories.
Provide assistance for unfamiliar terms, or explanatory text to describe what

different features or characteristics are. User reviews are also incredibly helpful to
researchers, who can gather even more information by reading what others think of
the product. Reviews can offer more practical details than any product description,
as they are descriptions written by people who have used the product.
Researchers also needed a way to flag items they were considering, so they could
narrow options and return to compare them. Many used the shopping cart for this
purpose, using it to collect items they were considering. Users were more
comfortable doing this when they saw it was easy to remove an item from the
shopping cart. They also appreciated sites that remembered the items theyd put in
the cart on previous visits. Researchers may leave a site to visit another, or think
about a purchase for a few days, and like to be able to pick up where they left off.
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Keys for success for researchers are:
Providing clear and detailed product descriptions
Offering assistance around unfamiliar terminology or product features
Listing user reviews
Allowing easy comparison between products
Saving users shopping carts to allow shopping to continue on a

subsequent visit
Bargain-Hunting
A key reason that users shop on the Web is that they think they can get a better
deal online. Some shopping behavior is motivated by this intention to find the best
deal possible.
Bargain-hunters may or may not have a particular item in mind when they start
shopping. And bargain-hunting behavior may impact any type of online shopper
the product-focused shopper, browser or researcher.
One user admitted she tended to buy things solely because they were a bargain.
When hunting for other items, if she came across a good deal, she found it hard to
pass up.
The most important thing for a bargain hunter is to be able to locate deals. Prices
must be clearly listed. Sale items must not be hidden on the site, but listed alongside
full-price items, with savings highlighted. Available discounts must be easy to use,
such as coupon codes for money off or free shipping.
Some users immediately looked for deals and discounts on sites, checking Sale
sections first. We saw much of this behavior in purchase tasks, where users were
looking to get the most for the amount of money we gave them to spend.
The opportunity with bargain hunters is to turn them into repeat customers. Several
users in our notebook study referred to returning to a site specifically because of
knowledge of a sale, information they learned through catalogs, advertising, or email
messages. Sites should take advantage of bargain hunting behavior by sending
coupons, offering discounts for more expensive purchases, and offering free shipping
with minimum purchases.
Many shoppers may offer their email address if they know they will receive special
discounts or offers in return. One participant in our study who was spending a gift
card on a site signed up for the email newsletter 2 in order to receive a discount, and
used the discount for her purchase. A diary participant advised his nephew to sign up
for an email newsletter because, The site is usually expensive and they dont offer
good discounts unless one has a coupon.
One user said, They often offer $10 coupons that make the prices even better.
Another said, I just went back because they sent me a coupon.
For much more about the design and usability of email newsletters, please see our separate report
on this topic, available at http://www.nngroup.com/reports/email-newsletter-design
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When discounts are available, make them easy to use. One user went through a
saga on the BabyStyle.com site, trying to get free shipping. The site informed users
of free shipping with $50 purchase in the shopping cart, telling them how much more
they needed to spend to quality for free shipping. However, when users reached the
qualifying total, the message, including the coupon code necessary to take
advantage of the offer, disappeared.
One user hunted for more than 10 minutes for an item that was just expensive
enough to push his total over the free shipping threshold. When the free shipping
information disappeared, he assumed it would be automatically applied to his order.
This was not the case. When he reached the order summary page in the checkout
process, he was so outraged at the shipping charge that he canceled the order.
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Shoppers were frustrated when information about discounts that was advertised
throughout the site suddenly disappeared on screens where users had to enter
discount or promo codes, like on Gap.com. The discount code promoted on the
shopping cart page (seen in the first screenshot above) and throughout the site
disappeared on the page where users needed to enter the code.
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Many shoppers tried to take advantage of free shipping offers. One of users
complaints about shopping online is paying an additional shipping charge. When sites
offered free shipping, even when a minimum purchase was involved, users often
tried to take advantage of such deals.
A handful of users in our study looked for coupon codes when making purchases,
leaving the site to do a quick search for any available discounts they could find on
the Web. Many others mentioned doing so when they were shopping on their own at
home or at work.
Keys for success for bargain-hunters are:
Listing sale items alongside full priced inventory and providing an

obvious section for discounted products
Clearly listing product prices and associated discounts and savings
Allowing easy coupon redemption or applying discounts automatically

when criteria are met
One-Time Shoppers
One-time shoppers may be product-focused, browsing, bargain-hunting or
researching. They are often gift card recipients, gift card buyers, or gift buyers. They
may come with a goal in mind, such as a list of products the gift recipient is
interested in. They may simply be browsing to find the best product. Or they may be
researching and comparing across the sites inventory to buy the best item. They
may be looking to spend a gift card or aiming for a certain budget, so may want to
get the most for their money.
These shoppers are not familiar with the site or, possibly, the products it carries.
They have no interest in engaging with the site or learning more about it. They need
clear site navigation to get to products of interest and get a sense of site inventory
and selection. Clear product descriptions help them determine which items best fit
their needs. Company information can help them feel more confident giving an
unknown site their personal and financial information.
A main complaint of one-time shoppers was site registration. When users were
doubtful they would ever return to a site, they did not want to create an account or
have the site remember their personal data. They appreciated sites that allowed
them to make a purchase without requiring them to create an account.
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One-time shoppers didnt want to have to register for sites in order to checkout.
Office Depots site allowed users to checkout as guests.
Keys to success for one-time shoppers are:
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Having clear site navigation
Offering complete product descriptions
Providing clear - and trustworthy - company information
Allowing checkout without requiring registration
INFO@NNGROUP.COM
How Users Shop

IN-STORE AND ONLINE, RATHER THAN IN-STORE OR ONLINE
Shoppers didnt distinguish between online shopping and in-store shopping. To them,
it was all shopping. Their shopping experiences might be fully online, fully in-store,
or a combination of the two. They expected consistency between online storefronts
and physical storefronts. Users are already combining the in-store and online
shopping experiences, so companies that are doing this well can reap the benefits.
Shoppers looked to websites to direct them to local stores. Users pre-shopped,
collecting information to make their in-store experience go more smoothly. One user
said, My water softener overflowed in the middle of the night and flooded my
basement. I wanted to look up dehumidifiers online so Id know where to purchase
locally. Another said, Im looking for a vacuum. We have a local Hoover retailer. I
just wanted to pre-shop without running all over. Another user looking for saw
blades checked prices online to decide where to go to make the purchase. Another
looked at a website to browse their selection and said, They had a bunch of good
stuff, but I know Ill go in person in a few days from now and see the items up
close.
Users were confused when inventory online and off differed. One user said of
Sears.com, It doesnt seem like they show everything [they have in stores] online.
There was not a big selection of items to choose from. Another said, I only found
two results. There werent enough choices. I wanted to look at several. It was not a
very good range or selection or price. Limited online inventory made some users
reluctant to pursue the purchase at their local store.
Stores could act as a back-up to online shopping and vice versa. If users couldnt
find what they needed in one location, they tried the other. One shopper explained,
I was looking for a specific item jeans my daughter likes from Arizona, a brand
found at Penneys. Ive purchased these items before in a store. I did not find what I
wanted online, but we did go to a store and find the jeans.
Others started in a store, but completed purchases online. Sometimes this was for
convenience or for better inventory selection. (This can be a good reason to have a
terminal in-store, to allow users to order right then and there, when theyre ready to
spend their money.)
The website can show users more options and combinations than any showroom or
shop. For instance, one user was shopping for furniture at a local store, and went to
the showroom to sit in the various chairs and decide which one she wanted.
However, after making the decision, she returned home to look online at the various
color and style options available for the chair. The showroom only had one or two
examples, and had color and fabric swatches, but she couldnt see what the chair
would look like. Online, there were images to show her what the different options
looked like. She said, I wanted to see different style and fabric options for the
furniture all in one place. Another looked to VictoriasSecret.com because they have
a lot more available online than in stores.
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Other users blurred the lines between online and in-store shopping with in-store
pickup of items ordered online or shipping to a local store for free. These options
helped address the online shopping problem of delayed gratification, as well as the
in-store problem of pushy salespeople or crowds. Buying online let the user avoid the
store experience, while picking up at a store avoided delivery concerns or delays.
This also allowed users to save on delivery costs and to get the item at their
convenience.
Another intersection of online and offline commerce is through returns or exchanges.
Users are starting to expect that they will be able to return or exchange at a store if
they buy online. Allowing users to do so eliminates another concern some users have
about online shopping: that they will have to pay return shipping if the item isnt to
their liking.
SHIPPING: DELAYED GRATIFICATION AND ADDITIONAL COST

Even standard shipping charges which were relatively low drew complaints from
users, depending on what they were buying. For instance, one user said on
LaneBryant.com, Their shipping would have been high [$4.95] for an inexpensive
item.
Another user said on Campmor.com, Shipping is OK at $6.95, but I wish they had it
at a slightly better price. It is good that any order is that price for standard
shipping. His discomfort with the shipping charges caused him to reconsider his
purchase. Though he found the sunglasses he wanted for a third of the price of
retail, he said, I still want to look around.
Another user said she found great prices on EyesLipsFace.com, but I found what I
wanted, but did not buy. Shipping was very high, despite low prices on items. I
would have liked to know that before I filled my cart.
Users looked for other ways to get around shipping charges. One user on
Symantec.com said, I could download the product directly instead of getting it
shipped. Another said of Buemo.com, They offer the option to ship or pick up. If
you choose pickup, you can select one of about 30 stores and they have it ready in
one hour. Another said of BestBuy.com: You can order on the Internet and then
pick it up at the store closest to you.
Users were motivated by offers to get free shipping if they spent a certain total on
the site. If the total was close to the amount the user otherwise intended to spend,
they often spent additional time on the site looking for items that would qualify them
for the offer. For instance, one user on PetSmart.com spent an additional 11 minutes
and 23 seconds looking for a product to add to his cart to qualify for free shipping.
High international shipping charges were a deterrent for some shoppers. A user in
Hong Kong explained, I introduced the Victorias Secret site to my friends and we all
order in one lot and share the delivery cost.
LOCAL DIFFERENCES: PATIENCE AND PRIORITIES

While our study was not large enough to declare regional or international differences
in e-commerce shopping behavior, we did note differences across our participants in
New York, Indiana and Georgia in the United States and in Hong Kong and London.
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How Users Shop
Our user base was small in both London and Hong Kong, but we noted some
differences between our participants. One key difference was in patience. Our users
in London were the most patient, waiting for what seemed to be interminable lengths
for pages or content to load, without complaint.
Our participants in the United States were somewhat less patient, waiting for pages
to load while complaining about the delay, or sometimes refreshing pages in an
attempt to speed up the process. Our users in Hong Kong were the least patient,
immediately refreshing pages, opening new browser windows or tabs, or even
visiting other sites to fill the time while slow pages opened.
Users also had regional concerns about shopping, depending on their location. In
Hong Kong, shoppers were concerned that delivery had to be more convenient than
shopping locally. They were particularly concerned that packages would not be left at
their homes if they were not present, and they would have to retrieve the package at
a local post office or from a local carrier. One said, Its quite idiotic: You pay for
delivery cost, but in the end you are the one going to the post office to pick up the
large parcel. Considering how convenient it was for many of our participants to shop
locally, with the wealth of shopping opportunities available in Hong Kong, they had to
have a good reason to want to buy online.
In London, our users voiced concern about convenience would waiting for a
delivery be more convenient or less than driving to a local store. A user said, This is
still quicker than getting in your car and driving to the shop. Another compared
shipping costs to train fare or the cost of petrol. Another said, Things can be quite
traumatic with congestion charges. Better to sit at home and do it on your own
time. Another user complained, however, when she was on a site for an extended
period of time, I could have driven down to the store quicker.
Similarly, users in Georgia and Indiana in the United States sometimes contemplated
the cost, in terms of gas and time, to drive to a mall or a store versus buying an
item online and paying shipping charges. One said, With gas prices high, I dont
mind paying for shipping.
Users in New York, though surrounded with shopping opportunities like shoppers in
Hong Kong, were still likely to want to shop online for the convenience of not having
to carry items home. Many had methods for receiving packages, even when not at
home, through doormen, neighbors, or local stores who would accept deliveries for
them. However, we found our New Yorkers to be much more concerned with who
would be delivering the item which carrier or delivery service. Several of our New
York participants had preferred carriers and would select specific delivery options to
ensure those carriers were used. Many wanted to know which carrier would deliver a
package, and not just when the package would arrive. A handful went so far as to
refuse to shop at sites that didnt use particular carriers or that only offered a
despised carrier.
The only other local difference we noted was specific to New York. We found many of
our New York participants entered NY or NYC as their city name, rather than typing,
New York. Very few sites accepted this as a valid entry.
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These differences led to some guidelines in the report series, as well as some
detailed examples within the guidelines. While we didnt see huge regional or
international differences in behavior, we did note these smaller differences. This
emphasizes the importance of testing with users in your own key markets, allowing
you to identify smaller issues as well as larger ones.
BUILDING LOYALTY
A big part of your business should be building loyalty with customers. A great user
experience is the best way to keep people coming back. When we asked users in our
studies about sites they had good experiences with, they often remembered times
when sites exceeded their expectations. As one user said, I went to Beumo because
their prices are unbeatable, selection tremendously vast, and they often offer $10
coupons that make prices even better. When I lived in California, I shopped there in
person, which has helped to build me into a loyal customer.
Another user said, If I have a good experience with something, Ill stick with it
forever. My in-laws probably get sick of 1800Flowers, Sheryl and Company, Caribou
Coffee. But I stick to the known. I like 1800FLowers because I get points. I joined
their club, so I get points added and get discounts.
Some users even noted instances where the resolution of a problem was so good
that they remembered the good response rather than the initial problem. One user
complained of difficultly using a coupon code on Kohls.com. She had to ask a
customer service representative how to use it, but in the end said, Great store! I
still shop the site!
Many of our diary study participants reported going to sites because of past
purchases or past experiences with the site. Many of these repeat interactions
revolved around discounts, coupons, deals or promotions.
Users visited sites because of email messages about specials, or because they had
loyalty points or discounts due to a credit card associated with the site. For instance,
a user said she went to LLBean because, I received an email that they had new sale
items and I wanted to check it out. I went because of the sale and I have coupons
and free shipping for the site because I have a rewards credit card.
A user on DisneyStore.com said, They send me sale updates and special discount
codes. I usually buy something when I get the discount and then I save what I
bought to give as gifts later.
Good prices and promotions drove users to sites. One user mentioned visiting
BassPro.com because a friend sent me a link for 5 fishing lures for $5 from the site.
I got a great deal on the lures 5 for $5 and free shipping! A user on Ulta.com
said, They sent me a coupon code for $5 off any $10 order, so I went to check out
what they had. I received $5 off my order and also had free shipping, so I really got
a bargain!
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How Users Shop
DECIDING WHERE TO PURCHASE

Our study focused mainly on tasks where we asked users to visit specified ecommerce sites. We also included 52 tasks where we gave users a goal, but did not
specify what site to visit to make the purchase. We wanted to see what users did to
pick a site, how or if they shopped around on several sites, how they evaluated
unknown sites, and how they made a purchase decision.
Though we encouraged users to act as though they were truly making a purchase,
we saw several users who said they would make purchases on sites that they also
expressed skepticism about, whether about the trustworthiness or the company,
quality of the product, pricing, or security of the site. Others seemed happy to
purchase on the first site they found, trying to complete our task quickly.
On average, users visited 4.8 sites per task to accomplish their goals. This number
includes repeat visits to the same site and visits to search engines. For instance, if a
user visited AcmeProducts.com, checked another site, did a Web search, and
returned to AcmeProducts.com, that was counted as visiting 4 sites.
The median number of visits per task was 2. In the 52 tasks attempted, users visited
only one site 29% of the time (15), and 2 sites 27% of the time (14). The highest
number of sites viewed during a task was 27.
The chart above shows the number of sites users visited during open-ended tasks.
In 52 tasks, users visited only one site 29% of the time, and visited two sites 27%
of the time. The maximum number of sites visited in one task was 27.
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Users visted an average of 3.2 unique sites while completing open-ended tasks. The
lowest number of sites was 1 and the highest was 12, with a median of 2 sites
visited. Twenty nine percent of users visited only one site (15), and an additional
29% of users visited just 2 sites (14) to complete their tasks, accounting for 58% of
users.
Fifty-eight percent of users visited only 1 or 2 sites to complete an open-ended task

where a site was not specified (52 tasks total). Fifteen users visited one site, and 14
visited two. Four users visited three unique sites, and 7 visited 4 unique sites. 4
users visited 5, and 2 visited 6. Two more visited seven unique sites, and one user
visited 8, 9, 10 and 12 unique sites.
Users were approximately evenly split between those who went directly to a known
site to begin the task and those who started the task with a Web search. Users
started with search 24 times, or 48% of the time, and started by typing in the URL of
a known site 28 times, or 52% of the time.
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How Users Shop
Users started open ended tasks by typing the URL of a known site 54% of the time
(28), and with a search engine 46% of the time (24).
Of those users who went directly to a known site by typing in a URL (28 users), 15
bought from the first site without visiting any other sites. Five additional users
bought from the first site after visiting other sites as well in other words, they
returned to the first site they visited to complete the task. Eight users, or 29% of
users who went to a site first, ended up completing the task at a site other than their
first choice.
Seventy-one percent of users who started at a known site ended up completing the
task on that site.
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Of the 28 users who went directly to a site when completing open-ended tasks
(rather than to a search engine first), 53% (15) of users completed the task on that
site, without ever leaving it. Another 18% (5) returned to the first site to complete
the task, and 8 users (29%) completed the task on another site.
This is interesting to contrast with users who started with a Web search. Twentyfour users started with search, with 15 of them going directly to Google, 3 going to
Yahoo, 1 going to MSN, three typing inquiries into the browser address bar (resulting
in Live Search results), and 2 using the browsers Search option, which was set to
AOL Search.
Of the 24, eight users bought from the first search result followed without visiting
any other sites. Only one user bought from the first site after visiting another site.
Fourteen ended up completing the task at a site other than the first result visited.
One user did not complete a purchase.
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How Users Shop
Of the 24 users who started the open-ended task by going to a search engine, 35%
(8) completed the task on the first search result they visited. Another 4% (1 user)
returned to the first result visited to make a purchase. All other users, 61%,
completed the task on a site other than the first search result visited.
When they started with a search, rather than a known site, it indicated less
familiarity with the product in many cases, so it is not surprising that it took more
research to make a decision.
71% of users who navigated directly to a site stuck with that site, ultimately
purchasing from it. But when users started with a search, they bought from the first
search result visited only 39% of the time.
Of those users who searched first, half clicked on a natural search result first, and
half clicked on a paid search result first.
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Key Findings
The full E-Commerce Report Series includes more than 500 guidelines about making
your e-commerce site easier to use. Here, we summarize the most important key
findings, guidelines and concepts from the report series.
HOMEPAGES AND CATEGORY PAGES

Further information about each of the following topics and additional topics can be
found in the Homepage and Category Pages report in the E-Commerce Report Series.
A Welcoming Homepage
The homepage is a crucial page on the site, as it acts as a users introduction to the
company, its products, and the site itself. The page needs to look trustworthy, make
clear what type of products are sold on the site, and invite users to make a
purchase.
A Clear Structure
A clear site structure is important for the obvious reason of letting users navigate to
products of interest. But it is also essential for shoppers who arrive at your site via a
link to an interior page, such as through a search engine, blog, email from a friend,
or other source. Remember that many shoppers will enter the site without seeing the
homepage. For these users, the site structure and navigational options become the
way they are introduced to the site and all it has to offer.
When users dont know what navigational categories mean, or the differences
between them, they are unable to navigate to the right products on the site. Users
cant buy what they cant find.
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Key Findings
A user wasnt sure where to go to find blenders on Cooking.com. She wanted to see
a category called Blenders, but only saw Bar Blenders. She never clicked the
category, and thought her only choices were blenders featured on the first page, a
$500 bar blender or a hand blender. I just want a $50 regular blender.
Cross-Referencing
Products should be cross-referenced as appropriate, so shoppers can find items in
multiple related categories. When users dont find what they want in one category,
they dont necessarily look to another related category. They assume if no item is
shown, no item exists.
Featured or Full Inventory?

We saw users erroneously think site inventory was limited because of the
presentation of category pages and product listing pages. When such pages showed
featured items rather than full inventory, users sometimes misinterpreted the pages.
They thought the items shown represented the sites full collection, rather than a
limited view of featured items.
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Providing Product Information

Product listing pages should offer enough information that shoppers can get a sense
of the product before clicking through to a full product page. Such pages are often
users first interaction with product information on a site. If shoppers dont see what
they want on a product listing page, they wont look to product detail pages for more
information. Clear images, cropped and scaled so as to give a sense of the product,
are essential as well as price information and product name. When users recognized
a product on the product listing page, they sometimes added the item to the cart
without even viewing the full product detail page.
An unexpected problem we witnessed was users failing to understand they could
click on an item on a listing page to see more product information. Only a small
number of users had this problem, but we expected shoppers would know they could
click an item to see more information. An explicit link to see details or get more
information was helpful to these users. This seemed to happen more commonly if a
Buy button was presented on the page. A small number of users seemed to assume
if they could buy from that page, there was nothing more to be seen about the
product.
Product Comparisons
Users had their own ways of comparing products. Some took notes on paper. Others
opened multiple windows or tabs. And some used the comparison tools provided by
sites.
The most important thing sites can do to allow product comparison is to provide
comparable product information and equivalent levels of detail about similar items on
the site. If offering a full comparison tool, users must be able to quickly identify the
tool, easily select items to compare, make comparisons of helpful information across
products, and quickly remove items, add items to the cart, or view product detail
pages. Comparison tables should highlight differences. Unclear or incomplete
comparison tables leave users wondering if features exist in a product or not.
Sorting through Options

Getting users to the products that best fit their needs includes a combination of
navigation, search, and filtering. Faceted search, or narrowing options according to
attributes, is discussed on page 59 of this report and in the Search report. Sorting is
also crucial to move users to the right set of products. Users in the study expected to
be able to sort products by price, at a minimum, and by popularity, brand, customer
rating or length of time on the site when appropriate.
Sorting by price was particularly popular with users. We saw this featured used
frequently when shoppers were trying to find an item on the site that would add just
enough to their purchase total to qualify them for a discount or free shipping.
Looking for a low-cost item to add was simpler when sites allowed sorting by price.
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Key Findings
PRODUCT PAGES
found in the Product Pages report in the E-Commerce Report Series.
Full Product Details

The most important element of a product page is, of course, providing product
details. The product page is the only way a user can gather information about the
product he is considering. Descriptions need to be complete and comprehensive,
anticipating and answering users questions.
A user didnt find the product information he wanted on Flight001.com, so went to
Google to search for more product information. This is a sure way to lose a sale. He
said, What I would do is look up that item on Google or something to find out more
about it. He searched for the product name, following the result that led to a
manufacturers site and found more details there.
In the course of searching for more information, he also saw other sites that sold the
same item for $11 less. In our study, he returned to the original site to make the
purchase, as that is what we had asked him to do. In reality, leaving the site to
search for product information will likely result in a lost sale as users find another
site with better information or a better price.
When a shopper couldnt find the product information he wanted on Flight 001s
site, he looked to Google to find the answers he needed. Search results steered the
user to other sites offering the product at a lower price.
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Users can easily become overwhelmed with too much product information at once.
Layer product information so those who want minimal details or distinguishing
features can find them easily, but so those wanting specifics have access to them as
well.
Product images are incredibly important. Users cant see, touch or hold the item they
are purchasing online. Pictures have to show users as much as possible about a
product. Images from different angles or showing items in context help users
understand more about a product. In our latest round of expert reviews, we noted an
increase in the size of product images, which helps users see product details more
clearly.
The picture of a toaster with a bagel in it reassured a user on HSN.com that the
slots were big enough to toast bagels.
Product prices and product availability are also crucial. Some sites hid product prices
due to manufacturer restrictions. This was incredibly frustrating to users. Some
understood the practice, but it bothered them. Others didnt understand why they
needed to take another step just to see a price. Others didnt realize a discounted
price was available; they just skipped items without a clearly listed price. One user
said, A lot of products need to be put in the cart to see the discounted price. This
drives me nuts, because this is a needless extra step.
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Key Findings
Hidden prices, such as this one on NewEgg.com, frustrated users. They did not want
to have to add an item to the cart to see the price.
Consistency between Products

Users expected, and appreciated, when product descriptions about related items
offered equivalent information. It was extremely difficult for users to compare
product information when one item had a 3 sentence description and another had 3
paragraphs. Both the presentation of information and the information itself needs to
be consistent between related products.
Users looked to product descriptions to answer their questions and explain why one
item was better or different than another. Simply providing equivalent information
about comparable products goes a long way to help users make purchase decisions.
The Value of Reviews

Product reviews were incredibly helpful to users when making purchase decisions.
Providing customer reviews gave shoppers additional insight into products, often
answering questions shoppers had. Product reviews give information about the use
of a product, not just its features. As one user said of reviews on Macys site, It had
reviews and I needed that. There was no opportunity to experience the product,
other than other peoples experience.
Reviews have the potential to provide more detail than any product description,
increase trust of the site and the products for sale, and help cut down on returns by
setting more accurate expectations.
Some users looked only at summary review information, seeing what the overall
rating for a product was. Others had specific questions left unanswered by the
product description that they looked to the reviews to answer. Others checked the
reviews to see if the product description was accurate according to customers.
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Reviews had to be presented well to be helpful. Users wanted to be able to get a

quick sense of the number of reviews, and how many reviews were favorable or
unfavorable. They wanted quick access to the best and the worst reviews. They also
sometimes found it useful to know a little about the person posting the review, such
as age, gender or other pertinent details.
Information in reviews seemed reliable to users, even though the information was
from strangers. Users did evaluate the quality of reviews, dismissing those they felt
were too positive or too negative, such as one negative review among six positive
reviews.
However, if an outlying review, which was overly positive or negative or which
focused on one product detail, matched the users questions or concerns about that
product, it could be highly influential.
Users were quick to doubt the credibility of reviews if they were hand-picked by the
site. They were also less trusting of reviews on a manufacturers own site versus a
site that sold products by many different manufacturers. For instance, a user
questioned the reviews of elliptical trainers offered on NordicTrack.com. She said, I
read reviews all the time for things, but I dont necessarily trust them when theyre
on the website of the manufacturer who is selling the product. Id probably to go
Consumer Reports or something like that to get another opinion. The manufacturer
who is selling the product, theyre not going to put bad reviews of their own product
on the site.
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Key Findings
A user was skeptical of favorable reviews on the Nordic Track website because she
doubted manufacturers would publish poor reviews of their own products.
They also sometimes doubted the trustworthiness of the site itself if the site offered
reviews, but only some products actually had them. If too many items had no
reviews, users sometimes worried that meant the products were not good.
Adding Items to the Cart

Users ran into a surprising amount of trouble adding items to shopping carts. Many
sites provided inadequate feedback when an item was added to the cart, showing a
momentary animation, adding a single line of text to a product page, or changing a
minor design element on the page.
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Subtle page changes, such as the line of text above the product information on
JanieAndJack.coms product page, shown above, were often overlooked by
shoppers.
When sites didnt provide adequate feedback, some users thought they had added an
item to the cart when they had not, and others added items multiple times. While
subtle page changes may be designed to keep the shopper in the shopping
environment, they actually often resulted in the user leaving the product page to
investigate the shopping cart and try to determine what, if anything, had been added
to the cart.
Shoppers didnt necessarily need to see the entire cart on each page of the site. But
including an indication of the number of items in the cart or a subtotal for the items
in the cart was helpful to users. This prevented them from having to check the cart,
particularly if they were shopping within a budget.
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Key Findings
SHOPPING CARTS, CHECKOUT AND REGISTRATION

found in the Shopping Carts, Checkout and Registration report in the E-Commerce
Report Series.
Shopping Cart as Dressing Room

Many of our users saw the shopping cart as an area to hold items they were
considering purchasing. An item in the cart did not necessarily mean the user wanted
to purchase the item; it meant users were considering an item or wanted to
remember it.
Many sites offer wishlists or favorite lists for this purpose, intending users to create a
list of items they are interested in. However, our users did not want to go through
the trouble of setting up a list. They simply wanted a quick and easy way to access
items they were interested in. They wanted to bookmark items, essentially, for quick
access.
Users wanted to be able to see product images, product names, product details like
size and color, and price in the shopping cart. This helped them remember each
product as well as compare between products. They also expected products in the
cart to have links back to full product pages, so they could check or review product
details when deciding what to ultimately purchase.
Because shoppers were often adding items to the cart, only to remove them later, it
was essential that the site made it easy to remove items from the cart.
A Clear Path through Checkout

Each site designed the checkout flow in a slightly different way. There was no one
path that was more successful than others. So long as users understood where they
were in the process and what the next step would be, they were successful
proceeding through checkout.
Shopping carts began the process. Users wanted to see full product details, as
mentioned above, as well as price information. They appreciated an indication of
shipping, tax or other additional costs early in the process.
The most important element for many users was the option to indicate the users
billing and shipping address was the same. Our users complained often and loudly
about the amount of data entry necessary to make an online purchase. Any shortcut
that allowed them to skip a step was welcome.
Along the same lines, they wanted to provide only that information which was
essential for purchase or delivery. They complained about extra questions during the
checkout process or when asked for information that wasnt directly related to the
purchase.
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Optional Registration
Shoppers dont want to register. They are tired of usernames and passwords. They
dont want to join sites they dont intend to visit frequently. They worry registration
will cause unwanted email or physical mail. They often see registration as a benefit
to the site (keeping their personal information) rather than for them (making future
purchases or package tracking easier.)
One user said, I dont like having to register on every single website for every single
purchase that I make. Id rather do it as a guest and then Im not subject to their
constant emails. I just prefer to get my item and go.
Users appreciated optional registration that was part of the checkout flow.
Registration can be as simple as adding optional password fields to the existing
purchase process. Listing the benefits of registration from the shoppers point of
view, rather than the sites point of view, helped. Users liked to know they could
save time or track orders.
Registration was optional on OfficeMax.com. Users could checkout as a guest, with

the option to register for the site in the checkout process.
Emphasizing the ability to save information for quicker future purchases is important.
In our first study, users often complained about providing personal information
because of security concerns. In our second study, shoppers were tired of entering
the same information repeatedly on each site they visited. Remind users that
registration means quicker checkout and less data entry.
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Key Findings
Money Matters
Users didnt want to be surprised with additional charges or fees at the end of a
checkout process. They appreciated knowing the full price early.
They also wanted easy ways to save money. They wanted specials that were
advertised on the site to be automatically applied to an order, rather than having to
remember a coupon code. They wanted to see how discounts or savings were applied
before entering payment information. And they wanted to see the full breakdown of
their costs before entering that payment information.
Shipping Options
One of the changes in recent years has been the ability to go to a store to pick up an
item purchased online. Such options bypassed many of users complaints about
shopping online: shipping charges, waiting for delivery, and being home to accept a
package.
Regardless what the shipping options were, users wanted to know associated costs,
estimated delivery timeframe, and, in some cases, which carrier would deliver the
items. Some users, particularly in our New York City research, had a strong
preference for certain carriers over others.
Shipping costs needed to be easy to find. Some users comparison shopped for the
best deals on shipping, to get the most for their money. Others looked for free
shipping offers. Users complained about shipping charges as one of the big
downsides of online shopping, so free shipping offers were enticing and appreciated.
One user assumed her $150 purchase on Cooking.com would qualify for free
shipping (though the site did not mention any such special.)
When she saw a shipping charge of $21, she said, If its $150, it should be free
shipping. That would be a plus. When Im shopping online, I particularly look for free
shipping. And because theres a shipping cost, I probably wont buy it. What I would
do is take the name and the maker and check Amazon and Overstock prices. And
different sites, like Target and Walmart, and do a price comparison to see if I could
get free shipping. I would not purchase it if shipping is not free. I do my best to find
free shipping. I can go out my door and drive to Target. The purpose of shopping
online is convenience or cost. If the price point is cheaper with shipping, I might
purchase it, but with a shipping charge, I definitely have to shop around.
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When a shopper saw a $21 shipping charge on Cooking.com, she decided to shop
around.
SEARCH
found in the Search report in the E-Commerce Report Series.
Search Behavior
Eighty-three percent of users in the eyetracking portion of our second study
searched on at least one site. Users searched to see the variety of products on a site,
to locate a product category quickly, after site navigation failed, to locate a specific
product, to locate products with a specific attribute, or when product descriptions
didnt answer their questions. Users searched if guided navigation failed, or to
narrow product options on sites with expansive inventory. Some searched to return
to an item they had seen previously, and others to find a piece of information on the
site, such as a return policy.
Sometimes search was an alternate way to get to products when navigation failed.
One user said on Targets site, Some sites dont list an item, but you can search for
it and find it. So sometimes its helpful to search, even if it looks like the site doesnt
have the item youre looking for.
Within a website, the most common type of query at 34% was a combination of a
product category and at least one product criterion, such as women ski pant.
Twenty-two percent of queries were for criteria alone (such as peanut) and 20%
were for categories (such as shredders). Within a website, the average search
query was 14.5 characters long, with 2.3 words. Two-word queries were most
popular, accounting for 41% of searches.
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Key Findings
Searches need to accommodate all sorts of queries, including category names,

product names, and product attributes as well as customer service related
information.
Search as Feedback
All sites can benefit from regularly reviewing search logs. The search box is the
easiest way for users to talk to the site. Searches can reveal problem areas in the
navigation, gaps in selection and, most importantly, the language visitors use to
describe your products and their needs.
Scoped Search
It is generally better to let users narrow results rather than ask them to scope the
search, or set the scope yourself, when they submit the query. When users
accidentally or unknowingly run searches with a category, rather than across the
site, they often think selection on the site is limited.
Narrowing the Choices: Faceted Search

Sites can help users find the right products by helping them narrow their choices.
Many e-commerce sites offer faceted search or guided navigation. Users are
presented with products and then given a list of product characteristics by which to
narrow their choices. Rather than displaying 200 digital cameras and only allowing
users to sort by price and popularity, more sites are allowing users to pick the
criteria most relevant to them.
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When done well, faceted search helped guide users to the most relevant product
choices.
Such options can be great when they work. But there are many instances that are
poorly implemented. A key problem is categories that dont match shoppers
interests or needs for that particular product. Sites also suffered when they
incorrectly categorized items, so users searches didnt return all products that met
their requirements or returned items that didnt match users needs. Users needed to
be able to easily notice and use options, combining criteria when relevant and easily
removing criteria.
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Key Findings
CUSTOMER SERVICE
found in the Customer Service report in the E-Commerce Report Series.
Easy to Find
The most important aspect of providing customer service information is making the
information easy to find. Users often looked to the top or bottom of the page when
looking for information. They looked for links to a customer service section, or
directly to the policy of interest. Common information requests, such as shipping or
returns, can be separate links to lead users directly to the information of interest.
Users expected support information to be included throughout the site, in relevant
areas. They expected to see information about shipping or returns as they were
shopping and adding items to the shopping cart.
Users also looked at and responded to mentions of customer-friendly policies on
sites. Information about free shipping, free returns, and satisfaction or price
guarantees were worth advertising throughout the site.
A Good Site Experience

The best customer service is providing the information users want, when they want
it. This extends throughout the site, to providing full and complete product
information, clear product images, a detailed shopping cart and a logical checkout
process.
Getting in Touch
When shoppers needed an answer to their question, some wanted to help
themselves through the website and others wanted a way to contact the company
directly.
Even users who did not need to contact the company appreciated seeing an easilylocated toll-free phone number. This indicated to users that the company was easy
to contact if they encountered a problem.
Some shoppers preferred calling for service, because they would have an immediate
response rather than having to wait for a follow-up email. Others preferred email, so
they wouldnt have to wait on hold.
Live help, via chat, was also used by a handful of users in the study. Users had high
expectations for these interactions, expecting the representatives to provide more
details or insight than they could find on the site on their own. However, many users
found live chat to be a hindrance because popup windows promoted assistance at
inappropriate times or too frequently, disrupting their shopping.
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Clear, and Customer Friendly, Policies

Once users found policies, their job was not finished. They had to read and
understand the policies, and any exceptions to them. This was difficult on several
sites, where policies and exclusions were not clear. Unclear policies did not help
users.
The policies themselves had to be customer-friendly, as well. Users were bothered by
return policies with short timeframes, complex exceptions or which offered only store
credit. Incomplete information about returns or price guarantees left users
wondering how to make a return or get a refund.
Consider the customer when creating policies and their associated procedures. Help
users whenever possible, in ways like providing return mailing labels or allowing local
returns.
Users appreciated clear policies with customer-friendly options.
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Key Findings
SELLING STRATEGIES
found in the Selling Strategies report in the E-Commerce Report Series.
Clear Pricing
Online shoppers are often price-conscious. The value of items must be clearly
communicated, so users know what they are getting for their money. Product prices
need to be clear, and savings and discounts need to be reflected. All additional
charges should be listed and explained as early as possible in the process.
Shoppers also wanted easy ways to see sale items. A Sale section was helpful, but
shoppers frequently also wanted to see sale items interwoven with the main site
inventory, seeing full-price and sale items side by side.
When Will It Arrive

Shoppers wanted to know how quickly an item would arrive. This was often a
combination of availability, packaging and shipping. Users appreciated sites with
clear timeframes, even if it was a window of a few days. This set user expectations
for delivery.
Free Shipping
As mentioned previously, free shipping was a good incentive for many shoppers.
Shoppers often complained about paying for shipping, especially when many users
shopped online in order to get a better price on a product. They often compared the
online price to the cost and effort involved in buying the same item from a local
store. Whether offers were constant on the site, or available for a limited time or
with a minimum purchase, many shoppers found such offers enticing. We watched
many users change their orders or find additional items on a site so they could reach
the minimum total to receive free shipping. They wanted to spend their money on
products, not on shipping.
Welcome Back
Sites need to accommodate both new and returning customers. Sites can support
returning shoppers not just through personal information saved via registration. The
site can highlight new or discounted products, letting shoppers know whats changed
since a previous visit. Information from previous visits can be used to promote
products, and shopping carts can be remembered.
One user said of United.com: I like United because I have used it before and when I
log in, they remember the airports I use most often.
You Might Also Like...

When we first studied e-commerce sites, users werent thrilled with the idea of the
upsell. They didnt appreciate when sites offered them something related or directed
them to other products they might like. In our latest research, users counted on,
expected, and used these recommendations, in some cases using related products as
a primary method of navigating through a sites inventory.
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Users appreciated product listings that explained why a product was recommended.
Labels explaining that items were related, recommended accessories, or products
other customers purchased helped shoppers know why an item was being shown.
One user said as he viewed a list of popular products, Im sure other people buy
good things. Ill look at these.
They were open to such offers on product pages, but did not appreciate offers that
interfered with the shopping or checkout process.
TRUST AND CREDIBILITY

found in the Trust and Credibility report in the E-Commerce Report Series.
Appearance is Everything
Users tended to put more trust into sites that looked clean or professional, rather
than sites that looked haphazard or dated. Adequate white space, consistent fonts,
professional quality images and clearly designed logos all contributed to creating a
good first impression.
Shoppers also occasionally checked information about a company when assessing
whether to purchase from a site. A reliable About Us section, with information about
the companys history and physical location, as well as contact information, helped
reassure shoppers that sites were legitimate.
Privacy and Security

Users in our second study were less overtly concerned about the security of their
personal information and credit card numbers online. They complained about having
to register for sites and worried about what sites might do with their personal
information, but were less concerned than in the previous study about the security of
the transaction itself. One user explained, Im uncomfortable putting my
information on the Web. Theres information everywhere now. Why add to it and put
it on a stores site?
Performance and Errors

Any technical issues on a site hurt users trust of that site. Slow-loading pages,
broken site features, and lost data all left users with unfavorable impressions of
sites.
Users often navigate via the Back button, yet several users ran into problems on
sites due to their use of that button. Users expected to be able to visit a previously
viewed page without trouble, but instead sometimes encountered lost data, broken
pages or unexpected results.
One user spent 10 minutes on FineStationery.com customizing an invitation to a
housewarming party. She wanted to add a monogram, and remembered seeing that
option on a previous page. She clicked Back to try to add it. When she did so, she
received a message that the page had expired. She said, Uh oh! I cant go back!
OK, I dont like this site. I lost my stationery because I went back? Should I start
over? That sucks! I lost all my work. Im done. That pissed me off. That was
terrible!
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Key Findings
Added features can enhance the users experience, but they have to work perfectly.
Users expected features to work instantly and as promised. In-page changes could
help users when they worked well, but in other instances, they caused long delays or
errors that disrupted, rather than streamlined, users experiences. If an in-page
change takes as long to load as taking the user to another page, it is not an
enhancement to the user experience. On some sites, such interactions slowed
performance and impeded users progress. In other instances, such as when moving
the mouse over a product image resulted in a zoomed view or made buttons appear,
users moved the mouse carefully to avoid such unintended actions.
Even when users quickly realized what the site was doing and what action was
causing it, they frequently retriggered the action unintentionally.
Availability
Users were frustrated when sites did not make it clear if items were backordered or
out of stock. They spent time picking the exact products they wanted, only to
discover an item could not be purchased. Availability needed to be indicated as early
as possible in the process, on product listing as well as product pages, and not only
as users added items to the cart. Similarly, if limited inventory is available, warn
users of the potential for items to be gone.
One user said, I didnt know about the item being out of stock until I added it to my
cart. Which made me frustrated. It should have come up right away and said This
item is backordered but can be purchased and delivered in 8 to 9 weeks right on the
page where theyre selling stuff. Thats a frustrating thing when you want to buy
something and now you cant, and you have to start all over.
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There was no indication of availability information on the product page on

Cabelas.com.
Only when an item was added to the users cart did the site indicate the item was
backordered for 8 to 9 weeks.
INTERNATIONAL PURCHASERS
found in the International Purchasers report in the E-Commerce Report Series.
Forms and Data

Some forms simply did not accommodate international shoppers. The most
commonly problematic fields were state for users without a state, and zip or postal
code fields for users with one or the other. Phone number fields that didnt support
the length of international phone numbers and name fields that didnt accommodate
long names or international variations on names were also problems for some users.
No Local Support
Some sites would ship items internationally, but provided little support for
international shoppers. The lack of free methods of contact deterred some shoppers,
and others worried about the hassle of dealing with international returns or
exchanges, particularly on sites with strict policies. Other users complained when
they did not qualify for discounts or special offers based on their location.
International Usability Testing

We recommend testing in international markets that are key to the business. Run
testing locally in target countries, preferably in the local language.
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Key Findings
Success Rates, Task Failures and Task Times

SUCCESS BY TYPE OF TASK
In both studies, we noted whether users were successful in completing tasks. Across
496 tasks in our first study, users were fully successful 56% of the time. Evaluating
success in the same way, without giving credit for partial success, users in our
second study were 72% successful across 507 tasks.
While this is a notable improvement, it still means in 28% of cases users could not
complete a purchase or find a customer service-related answer.
Total Success Rate

(Across all tasks, no partial successes credited)
Number of tasks
Success Rate
Study One
496
56%
Study Two
507
72%
For each task we gave users in the second study, we measured success, task time,
and users subjective satisfaction. For this study, we gauged success on a 0 to 4
scale, with partial credit given for partial success in completing a task. Zero meant
the user didnt achieve any part of the task and 4 indicated complete success. One,
two or three indicated part of the task was completed, such as finding an appropriate
item and adding it to the cart, but being unable to complete the checkout process.
Subjective satisfaction scores for confidence in completing the task, satisfaction
completing the task, and frustration completing the task were judged on a 1 to 7
Likert scale, with 7 always being the most positive response. 3 Users filled out their
subjective satisfaction ratings on a paper questionnaire following each task.
A complete description of the tasks used in the study, as well as the tasks
themselves, are included in the E-Commerce User Experience Methodology report.
The table below shows a comparison of task times, success rates, and subjective
satisfaction ratings by task type. Each task type is discussed further in the following
pages.
That is, a user rating of 7 would indicate the highest level of satisfaction or confidence, but the
lowest level of frustration.
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Comparison Across Task Types

(Study 2, 507 tasks)
Specific
Product
Customer
Service
Criteria
Purchase
Known
Site
OpenEnded
Task Time
9:27
3:23
11:36
23:08
9:28
10:13
Success
78%
85%
88%
98%
94%
87%
Confidence
5.6
5.9
5.9
6.8
6.7
6.1
Satisfaction
4.7
5.4
5.1
6.1
6.4
5.4
Frustration
4.8
5.3
5.0
5.7
6.2
5.3
Average
Subjective
Score
5.0
5.5
5.3
6.2
6.4
5.6
(Confidence,
Satisfaction and
Frustration)
Specific Product
We asked users to find a specific item on a particular website. The intent was to see
if users could find the item we described, or an item meeting particular criteria. For
this task, there was a correct answer (or a small set of correct answers).
Find a Specific Product

Task Averages
122 tasks on 36 sites
Task Time
9:27
Success
78%
Confidence
5.6
Satisfaction
4.7
Frustration
4.8
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Although shoppers were fairly fast when they needed to find a specific product,
completing their tasks in 9:27, they were successful only 78% of the time. This was
the lowest success rate in the study. That left 22% of users without the desired
product, when they went to a specific site looking for a particular item. Subjective
scores were the lowest for this task type, as users were annoyed on sites where they
knew an item was available, but either could not locate or could not purchase it.
When we looked at what went wrong for this task type, most problems were caused
by users purchasing the wrong product. Users had trouble with incomplete product
information, and some never found the product. Unclear or easy-to-overlook error
messages accounted for additional problems, and four users ran into problems with
the item they wanted was out of stock.
Customer Service
We asked users to find customer-service related information on sites. We also
observed their use of customer service information in other tasks, but the numbers
below are specific to tasks where the end goal was finding the answer to a customerservice related question.
Find Customer Service Information

Task Averages
Task Time
3:23
Success
85%
Confidence
5.9
Satisfaction
5.4
Frustration
5.3
Customer service tasks were quick, taking users only 3:23 on average. However,
users were only 85% successful finding the answers they needed. In 20 instances, or
16% of the time, users said they would call or email the company because they
couldnt find or understand the information available online. Nine users didnt
understand policy information and six more guessed about policies based on related
information. Three users read the wrong information and three didnt find policy
information at all and left the site.
Criteria Tasks
We gave users tasks looking for items that met particular criteria on a specific site.
In most cases, we provided users with general product characteristics to consider
without steering them toward any one product. The goal was to see how users make
purchase decisions between products, giving us insight into product descriptions and
product comparisons.
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Find Products Meeting Criteria

Task Averages
Task Time
Success
11:36
88%
Confidence
5.9
Satisfaction
5.1
Frustration
5.0
Criteria tasks took users about 2 minutes longer than specific product tasks, as they
needed additional time to review several products and make the best selection. They
succeeded 88% of the time. Subjective satisfaction scores were the second-lowest of
the bunch, as users were frustrated trying to compare and select items.
Twelve users were stymied by unclear or hard to notice error messages. Four didnt
like their product choices. Three ran into issues with site registration and two
stopped their purchase when a special offer was not applied.
Purchase Tasks
Only users in the New York eyetracking portion of the study completed purchase
tasks. For these tasks, we gave the user a list of five sites with brief descriptions of
the type of items the sites sold. Users selected one site and made a purchase for
themselves on the site within a specified budget.
Users shopped with their own credit cards and were reimbursed immediately after
the purchase. We asked users during the screening process if they were willing to
use their own information. If not, they used a gift card for the purchase instead.
Users had increased motivation to pay attention to product details because they
were buying items for themselves.
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Make a Purchase
Task Averages
Task Time
Success
23:08
98%
Confidence
6.8
Satisfaction
6.1
Frustration
5.7
The purchase task was the longest and most successful of the tasks. It is important
to note that task times may not mean much on e-commerce related tasks. Long task
times can indicate problems with the site, or engagement with the site.
The purchase task was by far the longest task in the study, as users pored over site
inventory trying to find items they really wanted. Seven users spent more than 40
minutes on the task, with three of those spending more than 50 minutes. When
evaluating task time in your own studies, it is important to note how much time is
spent finding products and how much is spent in the checkout process. A long
checkout time is not indicative of engagement it is indicative of a problematic
checkout process.
Users were 98% successful on the task, as they had a good incentive to keep trying
to use sites, even if those sites were difficult to use. They wanted to complete the
purchase and be reimbursed. We wanted them to succeed as well for the 2% of
users who did not receive complete success for the task, we watched them as far as
they could go and noted the failure, and then assisted to help them complete the
purchase and receive their selected item or items. Users rated this task second
highest in terms of subjective satisfaction, second only to known sites.
Of the 2% of users who werent successful on the task, two users ran into errors
they didnt know how to fix in the checkout process, and one had a site error where
the site unexpectedly emptied the shopping cart.
Known Sites
During the recruiting process, we asked users about sites where they regularly
shopped or had previously shopped. During the study, we asked users to complete
tasks on those sites, looking for items that fit particular criteria or needs.
The purpose was to see user behavior on sites they were already familiar with. It
also expanded the types, number and variety of site used in the study. For instance,
a task about coin collecting or knitting might have been too difficult for users
unfamiliar with or uninterested in those activities, but we could include these types
of specific-interest sites when users were already familiar with the topic.
Not all users completed this task.
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Use a Known Site

Task Averages
Task Time
9:28
Success
94%
Confidence
6.7
Satisfaction
6.4
Frustration
6.2
On known sites, users shopped as quickly as they did for specific products, taking an
average of 9:28. They were 94% successful on sites they were already familiar with.
Two users ran into unclear error messages, one bought the wrong quantity of items,
one ran into registration problems, and one wouldnt move past an Internet Explorer
security alert.
Users were most satisfied on this task. This is not surprising the relatively quick
task time, high success rates and high subjective scores all make sense. Users told
us these sites were some of their favorites or most frequently visited. They were
familiar with the inventory and design, and many had information saved in user
accounts on the sites making checkout processes more streamlined.
Open-ended Tasks
Some users completed an open-ended task, where we gave them a goal or a need
and let them approach the task however they wanted. We told them a product or
type of product to buy, but let them go to any site to purchase or research it. This
helped us see how users decided where to go when they had a product in mind, as
well as how they evaluated sites they reached via search engines.
Open-Ended Tasks
Task Averages
52 tasks
Task Time
Success
10:13
87%
Confidence
6.1
Satisfaction
5.4
Frustration
5.3
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Open-ended tasks took users an average of 10:13 to complete. This was not very
long, considering users had to decide on both a site on which to complete the
purchase as well as find the desired product. Users were 87% successful on these
tasks, locating the wrong product or in some cases, being unable to locate it. Two
users didnt understand the shipping charge on sites, and others shipped to the
wrong address, had the wrong product quantity in the cart, or saw an unclear error
message.
In this task, 56% of users completed the task on the first or second site visited. In
some cases this was because they knew and trusted a site that sold the product, but
in other cases it was because they wanted to finish the task quickly in a study
setting, rather than take the time they would on their own to truly evaluate site and
product quality. (See more about their decision making processes on page 41 of this
report.)
WHAT WENT WRONG

For all tasks where users did not receive a score of 100% success in our second
study, we looked at what went wrong. There were 143 tasks where a problem
prevented a purchase from being made or an answer from being found (for customer
service tasks.)
The most common problem was incomplete or unclear information, accounting for
20% of unsuccessful tasks. Unclear or difficult to locate error messages caused 18%
of errors. In 16% of the task failures, participants said they would call or email the
company because they could not find the information they needed or had another
issue with the site. This accounted for 23 task failures, 20 of which were users
looking for customer service related information on sites.
In 13% of failures, shoppers found the wrong product. This was the case if they
found a product other than the one specified in our specific product tasks, or found
one that did not meet the task criteria. In 10% of cases, users could not find the
products or information they were looking for.
Six percent of issues were related to selection in half the cases, users didnt like
the site selection and the other half could not make purchases because products
were out of stock.
In 5% of failures, shoppers had problems adding the product to the cart. Of those
seven instances, four had the wrong quantity in the cart, two could not determine
how to add items to the cart, and one added to the wishlist, not the cart, and then
abandoned the purchase.
Site registration accounted for 4% of problems, with four users running into
registration errors, one user forgetting a password, and one refusing to register
when registration was required.
Technical problems caused 2% of failures, and two users abandoned purchases when
browser security alerts appeared (1%). Other problems run into by two users each
were shipping the item to the wrong address, special offers that werent applied to
the order, and international issues. For the international issues, one users country
was not supported and another abandoned a purchase when he realized prices were
in a foreign currency.
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Problem
Number of
Instances
Percentage
Incomplete or unclear information
29
20%
Error message
26
18%
Would email or call
23
16%
Wrong product
18
13%
Could not find products or information
15
10%
Selection
6%
Adding to cart
5%
Registration
4%
Technical problem
2%
Browser security alert
1%
Shipped to wrong address
1%
Special offer not applied
1%
International issues
1%
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About the Authors

Amy Schade is a Director at Nielsen Norman Group. She has led research and coauthored NN/g reports on the usability of intranets, email newsletters, and site maps
as well as the e-commerce report series.
Schade works with clients large and small in industries including e-commerce, music,
publishing, banking, government, telecommunications, non-profit and education,
including extensive work on corporate intranets. She has conducted worldwide user
research, including longitudinal studies, remote studies and eyetracking research,
running studies in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia. She
regularly presents tutorials on user testing, intranet usability, mobile user
experience, writing for the Web and email newsletters.
Before joining NN/g, Schade worked as an information architect at arc eConsultancy. She previously held a variety of positions in advertising and Web
production. She holds a Masters degree from the Interactive Telecommunications
Program at New York University and a BA in Communications from the University of
Pennsylvania.
Dr. Jakob Nielsen is a principal of Nielsen Norman Group. He is the founder of the
discount usability engineering movement, which emphasizes fast and efficient
methods for improving the quality of user interfaces. Nielsen, noted as the worlds
leading expert on Web usability by U.S. News and World Report and the next best
thing to a true time machine by USA Today, is the author of the bestselling book
Designing Web Usability: The Practice of Simplicity (2000), which has sold more than
a quarter of a million copies in 22 languages. His other books include Hypertext and
Hypermedia (1990), Usability Engineering (1993), Usability Inspection Methods
(1994), International User Interfaces (1996), Homepage Usability: 50 Websites
Deconstructed (2001), Prioritizing Web Usability (2006), Eyetracking Web Usability
(2009), and Mobile Usability (2012). In 2013 Nielsen received the SIGCHI Lifetime
Achievement Award for HumanComputer Interaction Practice. Nielsens Alertbox
column on Web usability has been published on the Internet since 1995 and
currently has about 200,000 readers. From 1994 to 1998, Nielsen was a Sun
Microsystems Distinguished Engineer. His previous affiliations include Bell
Communications Research, the Technical University of Denmark, and the IBM User
Interface Institute. He holds 79 US patents, mainly on ways of making the Internet
easier to use.
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Acknowledgments
The first edition of this report was researched and written by Jakob Nielsen, Rolf
Molich, Carolyn Snyder and Susan Farrell.
We would like to thank all the individuals who participated in each round of user
testing for their time and feedback.
Also, thank you to Celeste Buckhalter for her assistance with the Georgia studies, to
Susan Pernice for her help with recruiting for and coordinating the studies, and to
Luice Hwang for her work coordinating the international studies.
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Acknowledgments
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Volume 01 - General User Behavior and Executive Summary For The Series 3rd Edition

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Volume 01 - General User Behavior and Executive Summary For The Series 3rd Edition

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E-Commerce User Experience

Vol. 1: User Behavior, Key Findings

48105 WARM SPRINGS BLVD., FREMONT CA 945397498 USA

Copyright Nielsen Norman Group, All Rights Reserved.

Report Authors: Amy Schade, Jakob Nielsen

Summary of Research Studies and the E-Commerce Report Series .............10

Whats Most Important ...............................................................................13

Pros and Cons of Online Shopping ...............................................................14

Willingness to Shop Online ..........................................................................18

Designing for Different Types of Shoppers ..................................................24

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

How Users Shop ..........................................................................................37

Key Findings ................................................................................................46

When Will It Arrive ................................................................................................................ 63

Success Rates, Task Failures and Task Times ..............................................67

About the Authors .......................................................................................75

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

USABILITY METRICS SHOW NICE IMPROVEMENTS

OLD STUDY FINDINGS STAND

LATEST USER RESEARCH

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

SUPPORTING DIFFERENT TYPES OF SHOPPERS

BAD CONTENT KILLS SALES

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

Summary of Research Studies and the E-Commerce

General User Behavior & Executive Summary [this report]

Summary of Research Studies and the E-Commerce Report

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

ABOUT THE THIRD EDITION

Summary of Research Studies and the E-Commerce Report

Whats Most Important

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

Pros and Cons of Online Shopping

Access to products and selection of products

Access and Selection

Pros and Cons of Online Shopping

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

Pros and Cons of Online Shopping

WHATS MISSING ONLINE

Delayed Gratification and Additional Cost

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Willingness to Shop Online

Willingness to Shop Online

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

SilestoneUSA.com offered low cost samples of countertop materials.

Willingness to Shop Online

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

Godivas website included information about climate control packaging and

Willingness to Shop Online

User Hesitations about Buying Online

Quality and variety of product images

Detailed information about packaging and delivery

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

Designing for Different Types of Shoppers

Designing for Different Types of Shoppers

SUPPORTING ALL TYPES OF SHOPPERS

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP

Designing for Different Types of Shoppers

Keys to success for product-focused shoppers are:

Clearly identifying each product offering

Offering an effective search that makes it easy to locate items of

Streamlining the checkout process to get users in and out as quickly as

NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP