Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Things Every Online Retailer Should Have

I have been on a lot of shopping sites lately, since that's what I do when I'm "studying". However, not all sites are created equal. I've decided that the items below are something that every site should have:

  • A "find at store" option. And the inventory should be updated at least every 24 hours (if not even more frequently).
  • Free shipping and returns. I know that this is built into the price of the merchandise for the stores that do offer this service, but honestly, is you restocking fee really $9.95? That's ridiculous. Also, include a free return label. I am willing to buy more stuff if I know I can try it out in the comfort of my own home and return it for free. 
  • Include the model's measurements. This is especially important for things like bags (they can overwhelm a petite frame) or for coats (the hemline is important, since coats are difficult to get tailored). Also, including the weight and height for each size is very helpful. (Who actually measures themselves?)
  • Restock dates. At the very least, tell me if an item is *not* going to be restocked, so I can give up on it forever. 
  • Number of items left. Sometimes I like to mull a decision over before I purchase. Not knowing how many of an item/size is left makes me feel harried and grouchy. 
  • Pan-over zoom. And it should be a good one. The enlarged image should not be on top of the original image, because then it's difficult to tell where your cursor is. Also, there should be no pop-ups. Ever. And, you should have this feature available for all the images of the item. Yes, sometimes I would like a close zoom of back.
  • Click and drag. Similarly, I like the virtual closet feel of clicking and dragging the image so you can see it from 360 degrees. I always feel like retailers are trying to hide something when they only show the front and back and not the sides.
  • White clothes should not be photographed on a white background. 'Nuff said.
  • Reviews. They really help. 
  • No music. Some of us are in class and forget to turn our speakers off, yo.


I don't think I'm asking for too much here. A bad website really makes me not want to frequent your online store or your real store. Also, for those of you who are disappointed that this was just a wall of text . . .


TA Cat

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