CelebrateExpress.com Heuristic Evaluation. December, 2007

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1 CelebrateExpress.com Heuristic Evaluation December, 2007

2 Heuristic Evaluation Forrester Scorecard heuristics were used to score the Celebrate Express web site. 25 heuristics are scored -2, -1, 1, or 2 to give a total possible score of -50 to 50 Forrester sets 25 as the score every site should meet or exceed The heuristics are grouped into 4 categories: Value are essential content and functions available? Will the site allow users to meet their goals? Navigation does the site support the user finding and get to desired content? Presentation is content easily read and understood? Do graphics help user s complete their goals? Trust does the user feel safe, in control, and able to recover from errors? Ranges for industry web sites: Retail: -8 to 25 Media: -7 to 24 Auto: -14 to 16 Travel: -9 to 12 2

3 Heuristic Evaluation Score: 6 CelebrateExpress.com received an overall score of 6, which is around average. All four areas were relatively close in score Navigation and Value are the biggest areas for improvement Presentation and Trust can also be enhanced Currently Successful Great products are offered Powerful filtering aids are provided Currently Adequate Basic functional operation of the purchase process Content on product pages 3

4 Strategic Considerations Celebrate Express has an opportunity to differentiate from competitors like Oriental Trading by improving the online experience. Convey to the customer that Celebrate Express not only has high-quality products, but that it does everything high-quality. Improve the online experience to be on par with Amazon.com, Target.com, and other well-known e-commerce sites, utilizing visual, functional and tonal elements Partner in customer s research process: offer personalization & recall of account/profile preferences; highlight ratings, reviews, and testimonials; create ability to save products for later purchase, e.g. wish lists or favorites function. Boost confidence that Celebrate Express values the customer s best interests. For example, remove items no longer in stock or if an item will return, tell the customer when it will and offer to notify the customer when it is. Create a seamless interaction and smoother flow by re-organizing forms and using technologies like Flash, JavaScript, and AJAX to make a more immersive experience. Implement a program on continuous improvement to increase the customer s loyalty and repeat use. The remainder of this report focuses on short-term improvement opportunities. 4

explicit/implicit declaration of quality) Augm

5 Home Page Issues and Recommendations Visually Overwhelming Reduce visual stimulation, increase focus and scan Introduce a consistent, meaningful iconography to better orient shoppers Lack of Clear Value Proposition (no explicit/implicit declaration of quality) Augment existing tagline (e.g. Create a Lifetime of Memories with High-Quality Party Supplies and Costumes Highlight well-known brands Incorporate products into hero imagery Redesign to imply superior standards 5

Eliminate redundancy of tabs and left navigation categories Integrate search to eliminate wasted space Incorporate house ad content into main

6 Home Page Inefficient use of space hurts perception of quality - products, service, and company. Users may not consciously know what about the design isn t high-quality, but they will notice when it isn t. Eliminate redundancy of tabs and left navigation categories Integrate search to eliminate wasted space Incorporate house ad content into main design Group and re-label non-shopping features (Catalog Request -> Request a Catalog, Sign Up for Fun, Let us know what you think -> Help improve CelebrateExpress.com) Move About Us text so it s not buried or presented as block of words 6

7 Navigation and Labeling Navigation can be improved to help customers find products. Issues Category types are inconsistent: events (Parties and Christmas), products (Costumes), and aspects (Sale) Categorization is not mutually exclusive and not duplicated (e.g. items in Sale are not in other categories) Labeling is non-obvious is Everyday Parties all non-kids, non-1 st? Categories expose gaps in product inventory Christmas, but no other holidays; Kids Birthdays, but not adults Recommendations Re Re-label (use card sort technique) Ensure sale items exist in categories 7

Navigation: Product Pages Redundant navigation is inefficient The main tab and sub-tab can convey the same data the breadcrumb does The sub-tab lacks a visual cue to indicate You are here The

8 Navigation: Product Pages Redundant navigation is inefficient The main tab and sub-tab can convey the same data the breadcrumb does The sub-tab lacks a visual cue to indicate You are here The breadcrumb is split on 2 lines, which lessens its usefulness and appears broken Recommendation Eliminate breadcrumbs on product pages or eliminate sub-tabs Add You are here visual cue to sub-tabs 8

9 Search Results Photo sizes, 72x72, are too small. Amazon uses 160x160, Target 175x150 (approximated to not include text) Increase photo size Change from 3 columns to 2 Featured items can confuse the customer: do they match the search? Why are they featured? Make obvious the search term used Change label (example: Featured Items Matching [search term] Replace house ad space with featured items Clarify in label or in text why featured items are valuable to the customer 9

10 Search Results Helpful decision-making content is missing Add ratings, ability to see a larger photo, and excepts to in stock status Some results have few matches, resulting in an awkward layout Remove the house ad or replace with a promo tile approach 10

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The Client Survey Current Site Reasons for Redesign

The Client Survey Current Site Reasons for Redesign (Note: The following survey is an example. The actual survey is customized for the particular client, eliminating any inappropriate questions and adding when necessary). The Client Survey Client input