Some
may think that the biggest advantage of online shopping is the ability
to find the lowest price on a given item. While that may be a possible
outcome, I would argue that even better is the ability to tap into
some real expertise and get the sort of advice that we only wish we
could get from live salespeople in local stores.
A
well-designed shopping site should offer such advice, whether by including
online buying tips, content articles, or simply by allowing you to
“drill down” and get detailed product information. Clear
product pictures, full descriptions – including sizes, weights,
colors, and other pertinent details – all help you to make a
decision. How much better if you are also offered some free knowledgeable
advice? For example, when selecting an article of clothing, isn’t
it nice to receive a recommendation of professionally coordinated
accessories? When buying an electronic appliance, wouldn’t you
appreciate being advised of all the available options, and perhaps
some usage tips and ideas?
It’s
the potential for the old “country store” approach that
I believe the Internet can bring back to our shopping experience.
We know how hard it is to find salespeople who are both knowledgeable
and interested in really helping the consumer. But put that expert
information into a web site once – especially in a somewhat
interactive manner – and every shopper from then on can take
advantage of that expertise.
Unfortunately,
more often than not what we find are sites that try to mimic mail
order catalogs. Aside from the faster response, what advantage over
buying from the catalog are they really giving me as a shopper?
Moreover,
how do I know whether I should trust a particular vendor that I find
online? With the anonymity of the Internet, it’s hard to tell
if you’re dealing with a reputable firm or someone selling out
of his garage! I would argue that part of what makes for a good shopping
experience is the knowledge that you will receive great customer support
should you require it.
Allow
me to share with you a few of the criteria that we use to evaluate
shopping sites before we list them in our Best Value Guide to Online
Shopping. To help ensure a good shopping experience you should use
similar checks before purchasing from a site for the first time.
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Look
for a company address and, more importantly, a phone number. You
may be surprised to find how many sites only provide an email
address or an online form for contact. That’s fine if all
goes well, but if there is any problem – either with your
purchase or with the web site, wouldn’t you like to know
that you could reach a live person to discuss it?
-
Look
for a clearly stated return policy. While “your satisfaction
is guaranteed” sounds great, if there is not a clear explanation
of what that means, be wary. Do you have 7 days or 60 days to
return something? Can you get a refund, or only a store credit?
Do you need to call for return authorization, or not? It doesn’t
so much matter what the policy is – you can decide if you’re
happy with the terms or not – but it should be spelled out
so there is no misunderstanding.
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What
are the shipping rates? When buying online or from a catalog,
shipping must be figured into the cost of the item – as
it has already been included in the price of anything you buy
from a physical store. You should be able to look this up before
you place an order, not be surprised by a high shipping cost at
checkout time. Some sites offer free shipping with a specified
minimum value order, others charge a flat rate, while most charge
on a sliding scale based on total sales value. Again, knowledge
is power, and you should not have to dig deep to find this information.
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If
the site offers merchandise that is claimed to be “on sale”
or discounted, the regular price should be shown as well. While
this doesn’t guarantee that you are getting the best deal,
it helps prevent false claims of discount prices and makes it
easier to compare pricing between vendors. I would like to know
if I’m saving 30% or 5% on a sale item!
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Watch
out for what I call “annoyances”. These could be many
animated or flashing ads on a page, any more than one initial
pop-up page, or extreme uses of bold or clashing colors. Doing
business with a site that annoys you is similar to walking into
a store that is overheated, plays extremely loud music, or confronts
you with rude salespeople – you won’t enjoy your shopping
experience. Moreover, these distractions may cause you to accidentally
click on something you don’t intend to, sidetracking your
primary mission.
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Look
for a site that is aesthetically pleasing and is easy to navigate.
I’ve run across sites – even from very reputable vendors
– that have so many different menus, buttons, and links
scattered all over the page that my head spins. Such sites remind
me of stores that decorate with so much chrome, glass, and mirrors
that it’s hard to figure out where it’s safe to walk;
or stores that are plastered with signs showing you three different
places to find the same products.
Sounds
logical, doesn’t it? Yet few people stop to consciously consider
these things. Rather, they may leave a site frustrated that they didn’t
find what they were looking for, and not even sure what happened.
Or, worse, they may purchase something, have a question or problem,
and then find out that customer service is just a sales tool –
hard to come by after the sale has been made.
Online
shopping can be a wonderful experience if the vendor company has planned
its site with the customer in mind. By taking a few moments to “look
around at the décor” and “chat with the salespeople”
you will be better able to decide whether this is the sort of place
you want to do business with.
Hershel
Belkin is the managing editor of the Best
Value Guide, a no-ads directory of shopping sites
that have been carefully evaluated to ensure a pleasant shopping experience
as well as good value. © 2003, Belkinder Marketing. Reprint rights
usually granted, send request to reprint@bestvalueguide.com.
