InformationWeek
Defining The Business Value Of Technology
February 14, 2000
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The Art Of E-Biz
The Good--And Not Good Enough--Of Web-site Design
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arsDirect.com, an online auto store, recently saw the number of visitors to its Web site double. The jump in traffic wasn't the result of advertising during the Super Bowl or even heavy investments in an arsenal of IT equipment.CarsDirect.com simply redesigned its Web site.
The newly styled site, which debuted at the end of January, features a sleeker, easier-on-the-eye look and new tools--such as single-click connectivity to a live service rep--to help customers through the complex process of finding the right car, securing a loan, and sealing the deal.
CarsDirect.com and hundreds of other E-commerce sites have learned a simple lesson: Design matters. Good design can make a Web site stand out among dozens of competing sites selling similar products. A well-thought-out presentation can boost traffic and sales. The best-designed sites keep customers coming back.
To highlight specific aspects of effective Web-site design, we asked some experts to study and analyze six popular E-commerce sites--Alaskaair.com, Amazon.com, CDNow.com, E-Loan.com, Gifts.com, and KBkids.com--and point out design elements that, in their opinion, work well--or don't. Some of the sites have been around for years and have gone through several design revisions; others are brand new. All, according to research and experts, are examples of well-designed sites.
On the Web, good looks count. Web commerce is expected to produce billions of dollars in sales this year, and site design plays a key role in attracting the customers necessary to grab a piece of that. "We've been pretty surprised at the increase in traffic," says CarsDirect.com CIO Debra Domeyer. The fact that CarsDirect.com hasn't done a lot of advertising proves the success of its efforts, she says. "If customers get on a Web site and things aren't easily understood or easy to find, they'll get frustrated and go to a competitor," Domeyer says.
That's why most expert advice on Web design can be summed up in a single word: simplicity. "The advice sounds almost trite, but it's really what I've found brings site design to the sharpest perspective," says David Strom, a consultant in Port Washington, N.Y.
E-commerce managers and Web-design staff must ensure that it's easy for users to download a page, find an item, make a purchase, and navigate through page after page without losing track of the starting point. "The more complicated, the fancier the graphics, the more obscure the page design--all of these things get in the way of buying," Strom says.
Customers and sales are what Web sites are all about, whether you're an E-commerce heavy-hitter such as Amazon.com or a business-to-business newcomer like Bizee.com Inc. "Our whole goal is to get as many people to use our site as possible," says Chris Seker, executive VP and chief technology officer at Bizee.com, a Web business portal that lets companies communicate with branch offices, partners, vendors, and affiliates over a secure server. Bizee.com studied successful consumer portals and and copied their design techniques so users would feel comfortable when visiting its site. "If they don't like the site," Seker says, "they don't visit us again."
Web designers have a host of tools to tweak and test site designs. Adobe Systems Inc. has PageMill and GoLive, Microsoft offers FrontPage 2000, and there are tools such as Flash from Macromedia Inc. that let designers add subtle, more-streamlined animation to a site.
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There are products that can enhance the overall Web-site experience, including Excite Inc.'s search engine and advanced search tools from companies such as Ask Jeeves Inc. and Google Inc. Particularly hot right now are personalization systems from Blue Martini Software Inc., BroadVision Inc., and others that offer a more individualized online experience. Also, there are performance-measurement and monitoring services from companies such as Keynote Systems Inc. and Net.Genesis Inc.
New on the market is software that lets companies build into their sites links to customer-service representatives. Gifts.com is using technology from LivePerson.com Inc. so its online customers can, at any time, click a button and instantly communicate via E-mail with a live rep.
CarsDirect.com has always analyzed visitor data. But as part of its redesign, it added software from WebTrends Corp. so it can better understand the behavior of potential customers. "That's absolutely critical, because we can track what's happening on the site," Domeyer says. "We can see where users are going, and where they're dropping off."
The new tools help, but can't ensure smart Web-site design. "The most important tool any designer needs is a brain," says Dave Fletcher, creative director at Methodfive, a New York consulting firm that helps companies develop Web strategies and sites. "It's sort of like a painter painting a picture and thinking about how people are going to look at and experience the painting," he says. "You have to think in three dimensions instead of two."
Amy James, VP of product management at CDNow.com, says design decisions at the online music store aim to make things easier for visitors. "Form follows function," James says. "Design affects everything, from how long it takes to download a page to how long it takes to find something on the page."
Good design takes into account every aspect of a Web site--even intangibles such as the impact of certain colors. Experts suggest limiting the use of color, and to keep in mind that colors have connotations. Tim Harshbarger praises E-Loan.com for its use of green--the color of money.
KBkids.com decided to tone down one of its predominant colors, red, because it was too dark. "Through user focus groups, it was clear that the red was hard on their eyes--and, you know, red means stop," says Scott Wilder, the company's VP of product development and online marketing. "Now it's a softer red."
Experts say the first step to building a simple yet effective E-commerce site is navigation. The top of the home page is the likeliest place for a navigation bar, which takes the visitor to the most-important sections of the site.
They also advise avoiding gimmicky splash pages (animation that moves across the home page) and intro pages that have little more than a company name and a "click here to enter" button. "These take time and alienate customers," Vincent Flanders says.
Sites also should steer clear of forcing potential customers to download software. And once visitors leave the home page to go elsewhere within the site, make sure they can easily return. Experts recommend that each page have a link back to the home page.
Search engines should be near the top of the home page. The search engine should be able to return applicable results even if the words entered by the user are misspelled.
Industry experts say no Web site is perfect. Even the best sites have problems, such as hidden shipping and pricing information, inconsistent graphics, and outdated information. But the six companies profiled are doing most things right, our experts say. And with smart design, a less-is-more attitude, and some well-placed functionality, you, too, may be able to drive up your Web traffic--and your revenue.
| Six Web-sites | |
| Alaskaair.com | Amazon.com |
| CDNow.com | E-Loan.com |
| Gifts.com | KBkids.com |
Illustrations by Susan Sanford
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