User-Centered Information Architecture for e-commerce
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The document discusses user-centered information architecture for e-commerce, emphasizing the importance of understanding customer needs to improve online shopping experiences and conversion rates. It outlines different customer personas, search, and browse strategies, and tools for needs assessment, advocating for a design that caters to diverse customer types while maintaining an intuitive interface. Key takeaways include the implementation of filtering and sorting, performing needs analysis, and continuous optimization based on user feedback.
User-Centered Information Architecture for e-commerce
- 1. User-Centered Information Architecture for e-Commerce Søren Engelbrecht – Mobile App Manager, A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S
- 2. 1. Introduction: How We Shop 2. Search and Browse 3. Needs Assessment Tools
- 3. page 3 Commerce, Anno 1962 Source: Købmand A. Engelbrecht Jensen, Fredericia
- 4. page 4 Are We Good Enough at Online Service ?? Only 22% of customers think that the average online retailer ”understands them” 22% For their favourite online retailer, that figure is 37% Source: The Consumer Conversation, IBM, 2015
- 5. page 5 Customer Personas A Focused Customer: Knows exactly which product he wants Search B Knowledgeable Customer: Knows basic facts, but hasn’t decided yet Browse C Clueless Customer: Knows very little – might not even have an interest in the product Needs Assessment
- 6. page 6 Choice – A First World Problem ”A large array of options may discourage consumers, because it forces an increase in the effort that goes into making a decision. So consumers decide not to decide, and don’t buy the product” Barry Schwartz Source: The Paradox of Choice – Why More is Less, Barry Schwartz, 2004
- 7. page 7 Hypothesis Supporting the decision process by applying a customer mindset to your Information Architecture will help increase conversion …and might even help you succeed in a competitive market place without having the lowest price…
- 8. måndag den 22 februari 2016 8 Search and Browse
- 9. page 9 Case: Choosing a Kid’s Football Jersey
- 10. page 10 Case: Choosing a Sofa Patchwork • Yell • Doll • Quant • Alpine • Fashionista • Bronte Contemporary • Itsy • Fling • Idol • Esther Icons • Safari • Soda Jewel Editions • Sparkle • Shimmer
- 11. page 11 Case: Choosing a Wristwatch 180 collection Freedom is expressed by the passion for adventure. Love for nature, effort, preparation and comparison 450 Collection Watches with dynamic, fresh and versatile character, reinterpreted with a unique and Italian style of Sector
- 12. page 12 Case: Choosing a Camera
- 13. page 13 Case: Choosing a Camera Sorting parameters: • Camera name • Resolution • Optical zoom • Card type • Special features • Price
- 14. page 14 Case: Choosing a Pair of Trousers
- 15. page 15 Case: Choosing a Pair of Trousers
- 16. page 16 Case: Choosing a Pair of Trousers
- 17. page 17 Case: Choosing a Pair of Trousers
- 18. page 18 Summary of Search and Browse 1. Give products and categories meaningful names – cater for all three types of customer: Focused, Knowledgeable, and Clueless 2. Make sure that your Search Engine works like Google 3. Filters and sorting only make sense for large numbers of products 4. If you use filters or sorting, make sure that: • Parameters are understandable to the customer • Parameters correspond to the mind/needs of the customer • Filter data are available across all products – and comparable 5. Use filtering for discrete values (e.g., Product type, Clothes size or Colour), and sorting for continuous values (e.g., Price or Product dimensions)
- 20. page 20 The Challenge How can we design an online tool to facilitate the decision process – especially for complex products ?? Definition: A needs assessment is a systematic process for determining and addressing needs, or "gaps" between current conditions and desired conditions or "wants". Source: Wikipedia.org, 2016
- 21. page 21 Case: Choosing a Camera …talks to the friendly guy behind the counter… …and is recommended to take a closer look at three cameras. She goes for pink :-) … goes to the Camera Store… A customer, Eva...
- 22. page 22 NeAT: The Needs Assessment Tool Needs Assessment Tool Proposed solution for the customer to review and adjust Category Options Item Product Structure and Logic Category Category Category Category Item Item Item Item Option Option Option Option Knowledge about the customer Needs and data stated explicitly by the customer Needs and data that can be assumed from experience A key issue is that the customer should not feel limited, but instead perceive being positively assisted in delimiting the solution space
- 23. page 23 Case: NeAT for an Insurance Engagement Data and Associated Rules Data on Eva (Individual level) Ex Ex+New Data on similar customers (Group level) Ex+New Ex+New Internal External Identification What can we tell about Eva and similar people ?? NeAT Level 1: Which product types match her Customer profile ?? NeAT Level 2: Which covers, sums, and services do we recommend ?? Recommended Engagement Data, Rules Data, Rules Data, Rules Data, Rules Data, Rules Data, Rules Login or other ID Existing customer New customer 3-6 basic questions Relevant Products Home Content Car Accident Travel Dog
- 24. page 24 NeAT Implementation for Nordea • Nordea sells insurances on behalf of Tryg in their branches • Before, a classic ”Green-screen” interface was used • Since March, 2014, Nordea uses a browser-based NeAT
- 25. page 25 NeAT Concept for Volvo CE • Sales today is face-to-face • Customers are typically quite knowledgeable (Type A/B) • Product configuration is very complicated – for both users and sales staff • The Volvo CE website is focused entirely on PDF download Vision: A NeAT designed to facilitate both self-serviced information foraging and face-to-face sales
- 26. page 26 NeAT Process Customer page NeAT Level 1 NeAT Level 2 A B C What are the basic needs of the customer ?? 1. Purpose/application 2. Type of machine 3. Weight-class Which solutions can Volvo offer ?? Show 1-3 machines that fulfill the intended use, and the relevant Volvo USPs. The user picks one How should the machine be configured ?? Detailed configuration and choice of accessories focused on the intended use PurchaseD Self-service: Generate a lead to the sales office Manned: Transfer the configured machine and accessories to the sales system
- 27. page 27 Benefits from a Volvo NeAT 1. Convince the customer that Volvo have the right machines for the job and offer great support 2. Guide the customer the first steps down the sales funnel 3. Generate more – and better qualified – leads for the sales organization 4. Strengthening the Volvo brand Increased likelihood of a sale
- 28. page 28 Poor Man’s NeAT: Komplett.dk • Komplett.dk/.no/.se have implemented ”Buying guides” for laptops and TVs on their website • Especially the laptop guide is interesting, since it addresses only the intended use – not technology Behind the scenes, this NeAT simply assists the non-expert user in applying suitable values for the existing product filters
- 29. page 29 Summary of Needs Assessment 1. Aim to perform the same service online as a well-trained human could do in a physical store 2. Analyze to find the most important questions for your NeAT – the customer might be aware of some, but not all of them 3. Make sure that you ”give something back along the way” in the process (The law of reciprocity) 4. Keep the customer focused on needs, rather than price, for as long as possible 5. Make sure that you save all submitted information as cookies for later targeting
- 30. Takeaways
- 31. page 31 Five Key Take-Aways If you have a “regular” web shop, implement sorting/filtering on these parameters. Choose carefully between fixed filters, flexible filters, and sorting – and make sure that your data quality is OK Start by finding the decisive parameters in the decision process. Ask both customers and customer-facing employees 1 2 Consider building a ”Poor man’s NeAT” on top of your filters to assist the customer 3 If you go for a full-scale NeAT, find a balance between ”enough data for meaningful recommendations” and ”customer interrogation” 4 As always: Test early in the design phase and prepare for optimization after release (e.g., tracking, A/B testing) 5
- 32. page 32 Thank You !! e-mail: Soren.Engelbrecht@maersk.com Mobile: +45 21 84 00 00 Social: #WIAD16 #Maersk This presentation: slideshare.net/imagepro