Common Sense eCommerce

A simple request, I wanted to find out about the 2430N printer. It’s an HP LaserJet printer and that’s a model number. Simple right? So I typed that into HP’s shopping website search box. A bunch of other printers come up - not the 2430N.

I thought Ok, maybe it’s discontinued. So I used the ‘browse through categories’ to find the printers in that series. I noticed that when I browsed a few levels I found the 2430N. Hmm.

Ah but it gets worse. I clicked the product and lo and behold there was my printer with all the specs I could possibly ask for. But as for the price: it said in red letters at the top; ‘See Store for Price’. And the see store for price was not linked to anything. Don’t you think if they wanted to sell printers they would have provided a link to the store entry or at least the store in general?

Instead it left me confused, wondering where to find their “store”, and what to do next. I was already at the site “shopping.hp.com”. Isn’t that the store? So I did what any buyer would do. Noted the model number and went elsewhere to shop around - and found it elsewhere by the way!

It’s always fun to look at large gangly companies and pick on their usability problems. In this way, we smaller ecommerce businesses can avoid those kinds of mistakes.

Two things to note as “don’t let this happen on my site”. First, their search did not work or did not work properly. That alone will drive buyers away. But there was no clear path for the buyer once the item was located or no clear call to action. That will really drive buyers away - it sure drove me away!

So learn from the 800 pound gorillas on the web: Make sure your website is useable from the shopper usability standpoint!

Tags: Web Usability, eCommerce Usability, eCommerce Website, eCommerce Shopping

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