User experience expert Josh Levine, chief experience officer of Ai (Alexander Interactive), gave this presentation at the 2009 Internet Retailer Conference and Expo Conference Presentation Description: Closely connected to a great web site design are great navigation and usability. Even the best looking pages will fail to create sales if shoppers can't tell right away how to navigate to the next piece of information they are seeking, how to find alternate products or how to locate the customer service pages. This session will walk retailers through navigation and usability issues, including how to ensure customers find the products they're looking for, how to organize a site so shoppers can move forward and backward easily, how to organize data so customers can compare products, how to streamline checkout to minimize mid-stream dropouts—all implemented within budget constraints.

1. ’Round, ’round get around: Making sure
customers can navigate your site
Presented by:
josh levine
Co-founder, Chief Creative Officer
Ai - Alexander Interactive

2. about ai
e-commerce strategy, design & development
• Independent, full-service boutique • 5.3 million transactions in 2008
• Founded 2002 • Sites generate over $330 million
• Roster of IR 500 clients • 40 hands-on employees
clients
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3. It’s All About the Customer
User-Centric Architecture
agenda Intuitive Browsing
Sealing the Deal
Key Takeaways
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4. it’s all about the customer
Create a seamless shopping experience by understanding
how they think.
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5. Define your various shopper types &
profiles. Who are they? How do they
shop?
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6. Define your various shopper types &
profiles. Who are they? How do they
shop?
I need a gift What is that, You’d better
I want it now!
for my mom... velvet? match this price.
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7. Think through real-life brick & mortar
scenarios.
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8. Don’t skimp on the research
Ask customers what they think
Analyze metrics
Observe behaviors & find patterns
Test like crazy
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9. user-centric architecture
Ensure that your customers find what they’re looking for by
addressing their needs.
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10. Take your product catalog...
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11. Organize into categories that reflect your
customers’ mental models.
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12. Label items clearly with terms familiar to
your shoppers.
football basketball baseball greatness
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13. Think through various shopping paths that
are intuitive to your customer.
Via product type
Via collection
Via customized functionality
Via specialty shops, boutiques
bill buckner & mookie
Via search wilson signed baseball
$129.99
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14. intuitive browsing
Structure your site so all shoppers can browse products
quickly & effectively.
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15. Provide clear browsing paths: Cater to your
customers’ behaviors & needs.
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16. Provide clear browsing paths: Cater to your
customers’ behaviors & needs.
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17. Provide clear browsing paths: Offer customized
product finders to engage shoppers.
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18. Provide clear browsing paths: Reduce page refreshes
with shortcuts.
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19. Provide clear browsing paths: Use breadcrumbs &
“recently viewed items” making it easy to backtrack.
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20. Keep the momentum: Avoid dead-ends on product
pages.
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21. Keep the momentum: Utilize instant “add-to-cart”
confirmations to keep them in browsing mode.
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22. Keep the momentum: Promote relevant upsells
without getting in the way of checkout.
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23. Keep the momentum: Drive shoppers to additional
relevant items.
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24. Keep the momentum: Use clear calls to action
emphasizing trigger words.
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25. Provide control: Allow shoppers to alter display
options to their preferences.
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26. Provide control: Let shoppers compare items
side-by-side.
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27. Provide control: Offer facets for user-defined
browsing.
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28. sealing the deal
Minimize abandonment by focusing on the details.
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29. Offer easy access to help
Provide shipping costs early
Promote trust & security
Make error messages clear & instructive
Don’t require registration
Remove all distractions
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30. key takeaways
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31. It’s all about the customer
Allow them to shop how they want
Keep momentum: avoid dead-ends
Provide tools for comparison & comprehension
Be helpful without being intrusive
Don’t overlook defensive design
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32. thank you.
Contact
josh levine
jl@alexanderinteractive.com
internet retailer conference | june 2009