Web shopping is becoming standardized with certain practices showing up on 85% or more of the sites shopped by Chicago-based consultants The E-Tailing Group Inc.
"Just as there are norms for catalog and store presentation, web-selling has evolved to the point where customers have expectations that must be met in order to deliver a comprehensive shopping experience," says Lauren Freedman, president of The E-Tailing Group. "Standardization makes customers more comfortable shopping online as they know what to expect. These consumers have learned where to look for key information, promotions and cross-channel conveniences.
The E-Tailing Group’s categories, with practices and percent of sites among the group’s 100 surveyed sites that include that practice are:
Customer service information
Toll-free customer service number: 96%
Privacy Policy link on the home page: 91%
FAQs: 89%
Contact Information: 98%
Merchandising tools
Keyword Search: 96%
Sales & Specials: 85%
Targeted email post-order: 95%
Multi-channel tools
Store Locator: 97%
Free Catalog: 98%
Request a Catalog: 90%
Order process
Online shipping status: 91%
Immediate order confirmation number in the shopping cart: 89%
Post-order email confirmation: 98%
"As e-tailers conduct post-holiday site audits and plan 2004 enhancements, they should understand that the following metrics are now essential,” Freedman says. “In addition to improving customers' shopping experiences, their presence contributes to site efficiency and productivity."
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