Retail sites lead and auto manufacturer sites trailed in a recent evaluation of the design 20 top sites, five in each of four categories, by Forrester Research Inc. In Forrester’s review, which also included media and travel sites, only two sites, those of retailers LL Bean and Lands’ End, received a overall “passing” grade on 25 site feature tests applied, with Llbean.com receiving a score of 28 and Landsend.com receiving the review’s top score of 30.
By contrast, the highest-ranking overall score among the auto sites reviewed was 12 for Mini-USA. The web site of automaker Toyota scored only a –10 overall. Possible scores on each of the 25 tests ranged from a high of +2 to a low of –2, making the highest possible overall score a +50. The tests rated the sites on criteria focusing on value, navigation, presentation and trust/reliability.
A surprising 18 out of the 20 sites reviewed didn’t make the passing grade of 25, Forrester found. Even the sites with the highest scores showed some design flaws. Lands’ End, for example, while achieving the highest scores of any site in several of the tests, didn’t get a passing score in tests involving keyword search, error recovery and accessibility.
Forrester’s analysis is that the low scores result mainly from flawed design features that inadvertently hide value or content, make navigation difficult for users. Fail to show users they way out of dead-ends, and other complications. In view of the results, Forrester says its time for site managers and designers to master the basics of web design. “These immature design tactics aren’t surprising in a medium that just turned 10,” says the research firm. “But naiveté won’t work as an excuse much longer.”
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