The new 2014 Website Design Guide from Internet Retailer is out today, and Fast Pivot is in it. Again and again and again.
When the editorial staff of the largest ecommerce media publisher comes to you, asking what you think of websites operated by some of the most successful names in online retailing, it’s a great opportunity to demonstrate your expertise. We jumped at the chance.
We reviewed 10 desktop sites and 9 mobile sites for design and functionality. All the sites are on the Internet Retailer Top 500 list so they’re usually the products of a lof of money, planning and analytics. There were a number of sites that are veritable best practice case studies. Here are the sites we reviewed.
Websites
1. Roots Canada (Apparel/Accessories)
2. Heels.com (Apparel/Accessories)
3. RealTruck.com (Automotive parts/Accessories)
4. 4Wheel Drive Hardware (Automotive parts/Accessories)
5. FYE.com(Books/Music/Video) 6. Tauton Press (Books/Music/Video)
7. ShopJimmy.com (Computers/Electronics)
8. CableOrganizer.com (Computers/Electronics)
9. GourmetGiftbaskets.com (Flowers/Gifts)
10. 123Greetings.com (Flowers/Gifts)
Mobile Sites
1. Victoria’s Secret Direct – VictoriasSecret.com
2. BarnesandNoble.com Inc. – BN.com
3. J.C. Penney Co. Inc. – JCP.com
4. Karmaloop – Karamaloop.com
5. Systemax Inc. – TigerDirect.com
6. Williams-Sonoma Inc. – Williams-Sonoma.com
7. Kohl’s Corp. – Kohls.com
8. One Kings Lane – OneKingslane.com
9. ShopNBC.com – ShopNBC.com
There were also more than a few with important deficiencies, whether in navigation, buying flow, searchability, or merchandising. It may be comforting to smaller retailers that even the big guys struggle to do things well. Succeeding in ecommerce is hard no matter how much money you can throw at problems.
In the coming weeks, we’ll expand on the short critiques Internet Retailer printed, elaborating on what we would do differently if we were running the sites. Notwithstanding our editorial contribution to the 2014 Website Design Guide, it is an excellent resource for any ecommerce site to read and study. After all, it contains a lot of brainpower, including that of a team of ecommerce experts in Western North Carolina.
