user-centered information architecture for e-commerce

User-Centered Information Architecture for e-Commerce

Søren Engelbrecht – Mobile App Manager, A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S

1. Introduction: How We Shop

2. Search and Browse

3. Needs Assessment Tools

Commerce, Anno 1962

Source: Købmand A. Engelbrecht Jensen, Fredericia

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

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

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

Hypothesis

Supporting the decision process by applyinga 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…

måndag den 22 februari 2016

8

Search and Browse

Case: Choosing a Kid’s Football Jersey

Case: Choosing a Sofa

Patchwork

• Yell

• Doll

• Quant

• Alpine

• Fashionista

• Bronte

Contemporary

• Itsy

• Fling

• Idol

• Esther

Icons

• Safari

• Soda

Jewel Editions

• Sparkle

• Shimmer

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

Case: Choosing a Camera


Sorting parameters:

• Camera name

• Resolution

• Optical zoom

• Card type

• Special features

• Price

Case: Choosing a Pair of Trousers

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)

Needs Assessment Tools

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


…talks to the friendly guybehind 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...

NeAT: The Needs Assessment Tool

NeedsAssessment

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

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

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

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

NeAT Process

Customer page

NeAT Level 1

NeAT Level 2

A

B

C

What are the basic needs of the customer ?? 1. Purpose/application2. Type of machine3. 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 officeManned: Transfer the configured machine and accessories to the sales system

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

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 NeATsimply assists the non-expert user in applying suitable values for the existing product filters

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

Takeaways

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

Thank You !!

e-mail: [email protected]

Mobile: +45 21 84 00 00

Social: #WIAD16 #Maersk

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user-centered information architecture for e-commerce

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