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E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 7:02 pm
by BostonCharlie
What do online sellers do right? What drives you nuts? How could they improve? Scribble it here.
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 7:11 pm
by BostonCharlie
I like how Fossil includes everything you need to return a product inside the original package, including an adhesive FedEx shipping label. At least, that was my experience buying straps from them. It makes me less hesitant to purchase from their site.
OTOH, their strap listings should have more photos. They now have one photo that shows just one side of one piece of a two piece strap. Front and back of both pieces, please.
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 7:14 pm
by Robotaz
BostonCharlie wrote:I like how Fossil includes everything you need to return a product inside the original package, including an adhesive FedEx shipping label. At least, that was my experience buying straps from them. It makes me less hesitant to purchase from their site.
OTOH, their strap listings should have more photos. They now have one photo that shows just one side of one piece of a two piece strap. Front and back of both pieces, please.
Yes, vendors who enable returns get a lot more help from customers. Backcountry.com and steepandcheap.com are like this. Incredible, crazy customer service. Blows Amazon away. Blows everybody away.
@robotazky
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 7:18 pm
by BostonCharlie
Jomashop does a good job with watch photos. Creation, not so much, but OTOH they have more photos and include a lume shot. I like Amazon's 360 video loop because I can use it see a number of things: Does the seconds hand smoothly sweep? Is the crystal domed? is it a screwback case? Evine's hosted product videos are just funny.
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 7:51 pm
by sistem_32
I've enjoyed browsing brands' websites and learning about their products on numerous occasions. However, I always find it annoying when they separate their products into myriads of collections and don't give previews of the contents thereof. The worst example of this I've found so far is Louis Moinet's website: they simply list all of their pieces, 56 in all. Seiko is also somewhat guilty for dividing their website into sea, land, air, and street collections, each of which must be opened in its own tab. It can be rather confusing.
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 7:55 pm
by BostonCharlie
On the subject of photos, while I appreciate photos that show the crown, wearing a watch on your left wrist means you'll usually be looking at it from the opposite angle. Ideally sellers would include both angles.
FWIW, I'm beginning to think that G-Shock LCDs are designed for optimal viewing from the left, as though it's on your left wrist.
Another thing: I dig good case backs. Photos should include at least a glimpse of the case back.
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:19 pm
by BostonCharlie
sistem_32 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 20, 2019 7:51 pm
I've enjoyed browsing brands' websites and learning about their products on numerous occasions. However, I always find it annoying when they separate their products into myriads of collections and don't give previews of the contents thereof. The worst example of this I've found so far is Louis Moinet's website: they simply list all of their pieces, 56 in all. Seiko is also somewhat guilty for dividing their website into sea, land, air, and street collections, each of which must be opened in its own tab. It can be rather confusing.
Agreed. There is nothing that stops me in my tracks like hitting one of these signposts. Aragon's site is the example that comes to my mind. It seems I can't see
any of their watches without first having to choose among a long list of product lines (and their subdivisions!). The names of these product lines tell me nothing, so I'm forced to visit every. single. one. When I visit AragonWatch.com (placed in hopes one of their webmasters find this), I want to be able to see large categories of watches at once. Show me your automatics. Show me your divers. Show me your 45mm watches.
Okay, I think I found a bug in Aragon's web site. When I first arrive and hover over
Collections, a long menu opens. I now see that there is a URL under my mouse, but when I click nothing happens (except my cursing at having nothing happen). Clicking again actually takes me to a page showing, I'm guessing, every watch they make.
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:57 pm
by The Sultan of SoWhat
BostonCharlie wrote: ↑Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:19 pm
sistem_32 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 20, 2019 7:51 pm
I've enjoyed browsing brands' websites and learning about their products on numerous occasions. However, I always find it annoying when they separate their products into myriads of collections and don't give previews of the contents thereof. The worst example of this I've found so far is Louis Moinet's website: they simply list all of their pieces, 56 in all. Seiko is also somewhat guilty for dividing their website into sea, land, air, and street collections, each of which must be opened in its own tab. It can be rather confusing.
Agreed. There is nothing that stops me in my tracks like hitting one of these signposts. Aragon's site is the example that comes to my mind. It seems I can't see
any of their watches without first having to choose among a long list of product lines (and their subdivisions!). The names of these product lines tell me nothing, so I'm forced to visit every. single. one. When I visit AragonWatch.com (placed in hopes one of their webmasters find this), I want to be able to see large categories of watches at once. Show me your automatics. Show me your divers. Show me your 45mm watches.
Okay, I think I found a bug in Aragon's web site. When I first arrive and hover over
Collections, a long menu opens. I now see that there is a URL under my mouse, but when I click nothing happens (except my cursing at having nothing happen). Clicking again actually takes me to a page showing, I'm guessing, every watch they make.
I agree that it's frustrating--the real pain is that it's time consuming. Don't just load it on Aragon, though--every watch company seems to just list their collections tab with a drop-down menu of names that are oh-so-nice but indicate nothing of what they are about. You have to click through them all to find what you're looking for.
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 9:07 pm
by BostonCharlie
The Sultan of SoWhat wrote: ↑Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:57 pm
BostonCharlie wrote: ↑Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:19 pm... Aragon's site is the example that comes to my mind. ...
I agree that it's frustrating--the real pain is that it's time consuming. Don't just load it on Aragon, though--every watch company seems to just list their collections tab with a drop-down menu of names that are oh-so-nice but indicate nothing of what they are about. You have to click through them all to find what you're looking for.
Didn't mean to pick on Aragon -- I just happened to have visited their site recently, so it came to mind.
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2019 9:22 pm
by BostonCharlie
Props to OpticsPlanet for helpful feedback from their coupon code form. This is what I got when trying a code I'd found: "This coupon can only be applied to orders containing eligible items totaling at least $150.00. Alternatively, here is a 5% off coupon you can use: WORK7."
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:04 am
by OvrSteer
When I sort by men's watches, I want to see men's watches. I'm not talking unisex stuff that's arguable, I'm talking pink rhinestone encrusted 25mm watches with flowers on the dial type stuff.
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:18 am
by USMChawk
I bought a Zelos Helmsmen from the original Kickstarter campaign . After a year and a half I went swimming with it and it fogged. Despite drying it out the movement was shot. I contacted Elshan to see if he could service it (the warranty was expired) and he just sent me a replacement watch, for no charge.
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:28 am
by The Sultan of SoWhat
OvrSteer wrote: ↑Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:04 am
When I sort by men's watches, I want to see men's watches. I'm not talking unisex stuff that's arguable, I'm talking pink rhinestone encrusted 25mm watches with flowers on the dial type stuff.
------
Amazon puts all sorts of sponsored dreck on the page with the watches.
Drives me nuts!
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2019 9:35 pm
by vta_watch
The Sultan of SoWhat wrote:
Amazon puts all sorts of sponsored dreck on the page with the watches.
Drives me nuts!
And if you have the app on your phone with notifications enabled, they'll spam you with endless suggestions for crap. Just because I bought an Orient Mako and a couple of men's Seikos from them does not mean I'm interested in cheap Chinese junk watches for women.
Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk
Re: E-Commerce Best and Worst Practices
Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2019 7:12 pm
by BostonCharlie
JCPenney.com: I click the red Add To Cart button and nothing happens except for the screen jumping -- they're trying to tell me to choose whether I want the extra warranty option, Yes or No, before clicking Add To Cart, but that isn't clear. Fail, dudes. I'm trying to kick the football and you're getting all Lucy on me.
I do give JCP props for the functional and intuitive FIND BEST COUPON feature in their cart. Okay, you're showing me coupons unrelated to my cart, but hey, maybe I see some sale I missed and decide to buy some shirts. Yes, I buy shirts from JCP. No, I have yet to buy a watch from JCP -- I always look, but their prices do not compete.