Techniques to Engage, Retain and Entice Customers.

Techniques to Engage, Retain and Entice Customers.

For all transactional websites, they need to have good advertisement methods on their web pages, especially the home page as this is the first page the customer views. Topshop have many advertising links on their home page. At the moment there are a lot of adverts for christmas offers and delivery prices so it is appropriate for the season. TOPSHOP do this for all of the seasons, for example when it is summer they have animated slide shows on their home page showing some of their most popular products for summer. They need to display some of their products on the home page so that customers can see some immeadiate items that topshop have to offer. This technique is another form of advertising their products. Here is an example of this technique that topshop use called a 'Gift Fix':



This 'Fix' is shown on the right hand side of the home page and automatically scrolls down through many different items from topshop. You can click on them to look at the item on a separate product information page. Also on the homepage there is a link to show the 'Christmas offers' as you can see from the screen shot below:



This is very appealing for the customer as it provides a quick route for those who are christmas shopping. This also keeps the customers browsing different parts of the website as this link leads to the display of many of their products. There is also another link used on the homepage to entice customers to look at some recommended ideas for christmas. Below is a picture of this:

When looking at these two 'advertisements', they are very well presented and keep to the theme of the website, however they do stand out. The main background colour of the homepage is white, with black features, therefore the advertisements and links stand out, but all fit in. Here is another link that is displayed for the sales at topshop:


Another way in which topshop tries to keep their customers coming back to their online service is shown at the end of the home page:

The first one is a link to podcasts about topshop, there is a picture of kate moss, which is an attraction for the customers as she has recently brought out a personal range for topshop.

Here is an example of a podcast that is available:

There are many others like this one available to the customers. They get people interested further into the products they may be purchasing so they visit the site more. Videos and podcast are a very good capturing technique as the customer has to visit the website to have access to them. When visiting the website all the other advertisements and pictures of the products capture them and encourage browsing the website.

The second link gives the customer the option to download a topshop feature onto their computer/mac/laptop. This feature is called a Daily Fix Widget. It allows you to recieve fashion ideas straight to your desktop that have been recommended by topshop. If you download this widget, topshop will send you a fashion fix every day as they hit TOPSHOP.COM
If you see something you like, simply click to buy it. This enticing feature is a permnant way for customers to view topshops products without even looking at the website. Below is an example of a widget that would pop up on a customers desktop:

The third link shows students that they can save 10% simply by proving that they are a student. This entices a key target audience as they will want to save as much money as they can as students. This privilege from topshop encourages more customers. Here is another advertisement for this on the website:

This use of repetition reminds customers of what is available to them via topshop. The fact that the website is easy to use and browse entices the customers to continue using it as there is no confusion or frustration involved. All of the techniques used by topshop are very affective for getting customers online, which is their key aim.

Data Capture Methods

Capturing Customer Information:

With transactional websites there are many methods for capturing information from their customers. Topshop uses ‘overt’ methods, which means open methods of data collection so that the customer is aware that their personal information is being captured and saved. When way in which Topshop captures customers information overtly, is by asking them to register. The customer has to fill in an online form so that they can have an online account with Topshop. Here are some screen shots which show how a customer would register and the personal information they would have to give at that stage.

This page gives the customer the option to sign in with their account or register to create a new one.

At this stage all the information the website needs to capture is the full name, login name and password decision of the customer

Overt data capture is a good way of reassuring the customer that the only personal information Topshop will be capturing is the information they give themselves. This makes the customer trust the transactional website. There is some information that is taken with the customer being unaware, also known as ‘covert’ methods. However it is all for good reason, Topshop can log the customers computers IP address whenever they make a transaction. A reason for this type of data capture is to catch out people who may be using other peoples identity to pay for items on the website. The website can recognise unusual transactions which have taken place with an IP address very far away from the recognised registered one. The IP address cant be recognised if the user is not on the internet so this type of captured data cannot be accessed by Topshop at all times.

Topshop.com also overtly captures customer information when it comes to making a transaction. The customer needs to register their address and telephone information along with their method of payment details. This again is all collected via a protected online form, so the customer knows exactly what information they are giving to the company online.

Cookies:
Cookies are another way of collecting customer information. They put an individual code for that computer on the website which leaves a ‘cookie’ on the customers computer. This code creates statistics for the website to keep, with facts such as:
-The frequency of the customer visiting the website
-What pages within the website the customer looks at.
-The length of time the customer stays on the website for.
-What internet browser the customer uses.
-The search engine used to find Topshop.com.
-The words used in the search.

Here are the exact words of Topshop.com’s terms and conditions. This section of the terms and conditions explains the exact information they collect off the customer : “We ask for your name, telephone number, home address, email address and age for competitions, prize draws or newsletter sign ups. When a purchase is made on our site, in addition to the above, we also ask for delivery address, and payment method details. We may obtain information about your usage of our Web site to help us develop and improve it further.”

First Half of ecommerce

An Introduction to E-Commerce

E - commerce is the selling and buying of services and goods on the internet. It can be said that anything can be purchased online, from a pair of socks to life insurance. Its a way of doing 'Real - time' transactions online, which can be convenient for many people across the world. You can be anywhere in the world, providing you have access to the internet, you are able to purchase what you like from another place in the world. E-commerce became well known to the general public in 1994, however wasn't put into full use between 1998 and 2000. There are no time or place barriers with ecommerce, which inforces its convenience for anyone, anywhere. Today there are many successful, ecommerce companies online such as Amazon and Sainsburys. They both offer different goods and services, yet they are both very successful. There is something for everyone in the world of e-commerce. The company I shall be looking at as a transactional website is http://www.topshop.com/. I am looking into topshop as it is a good example of a normal high street shop, that has decided to become involved in e-commerce to boost their success in their industry. To the left hand side are links to the factors of topshop.com I have covered, use them to navigate your way through they way top.
Advantages of e-commerce:
Access to potential customers world wide. A website on the Internet can be viewed from anywhere in the world.

Less costs - there is no need to pay for rental or purchase of buildings and other costs like electricity bills etc. Set-up costs are cheap as a computer linked to the Internet is all that is needed.

Accessible 24/7. There are no restrictions on opening hours.

Customers do not need to travel and get fast response times to their ordersand some sites give expected delivery times.

Sales information is always up-to-date. The website may be directly linked to a central stock database. It is often possible to see how many of an item are currently in stock.

Drawbacks:
Computer crash or network problems may mean trading stops.

Breaches of security may cause problems.

Customers may have difficulty contacting a business if there are problems - lacks the personal touch.

Customers can only read about and see the goods for sale. They are unable to smell or touch them.


Below are some examples of e-commerce companies, the screen shots shown are their home pages:

What is the purpose of topshop online and how well does it meet its objectives?
The purpose of topshop online is for the company to sell their products to the public through the internet. Their transactional website offers all the products that are available in their high street stores and more, from dresses to baby clothes. If we take a look at the home page shown below, it is clear that the site is easy to use as the arrowed annotations show:

First impressions are very important for transactional websites, and topshop.com has a very sophisticated and appealing look. Its easy navigation is appealing to the customer which encourages them to continue using it. I believe that this transactional website has successfully met its objective of selling its products as the layout is very presentable and modern. Their clothing is clearly shown and the search bar sets good first impressions as it shows the website is advanced and easy to use.
Here are some comments the press have made about topshop, they all show the reputation of the company:

How is it structured?
The structure of a website is a very important factor. If a website is well structures, it is easier to use as the layout it clear. Topshop.com is a very well stuctured transactional website, as soon as you open up the home page it is clear how to find what you are looking for. Below is a screen shot of the home page:

As you can see, to the left hand side of the page there are product category links in a frame. This makes them stand out to a customer, so they know where to begin their shopping. Another good structure method of this page is that when you click on a category, a list will drop down providing you with a more advanced search in that category:

At the top toolbar there is a search facility, if you look at the picture below, you can see that it gives you a quick guideline on what to type in. This helps the customer to find exactly what they want if they have something specific they want to buy. Below is an example of a search i did:

Step One - Type in specific product:

Here i have type in a specific dress i would like to look at. Then i clicked on go.

Step Two - The Search Results:

The Search had been successful, it has given me three items related to my search and the first dress is the one i was looking for. Now if i wanted I could see if it is available in my size and make a purchase.There are links throughout the website, so that you can always make you way back to the homepage, or parts that you have previously visited. If we take a look at the second half of the home page, there are lots of advertisements shown for topshop, each are linked up to relevant parts of the website, which is a good structure technique, making the website still easy to use. Below is a picture of the second half of the home page:

Here is a part of the website which shows all the shoes that are available online with topshop:

Here I have selected to look at high heels, as you can see each item is shown with a picture, a short description and a price. They are displayed in a table format which makes each of them stand out. The left hand frame and top toolbar remain the same throughout the website, so that at any time you can go back to a different part of the website. Topshop make sure that every link made is relevant to the subject so that the customer doesnt get frustrated when it comes to finding what they want. The customers want a pleasant shopping experience, so if the site is well layed out then they can shop with ease.

What is the product information provided?
As you browse through the websites products, you are provided with a table of items in a category. All that's shown is a small picture of the item, the name and the price. But when you want to know more about the product, you can click on it for further information. When you click on an item of interest, you are linked to a product information page where it shows you the item in more detail. There are many fields of information. Below are some boots I selected:

(picture)

As you can see there are many fields of information on the product shown. This is the same for every other item for sale on the website below are a few examples:

Also on the product information pages the same toolbars and navigation bars are kept on each page so that the customer can continue viewing all the pages available.

Goods and Services.
You can tell that the products topshop offer online are clothes and accessories, simply from lookig at the homepage. There are pictures throughout the website to inforce this, along with navigation bars telling the products that are available. Below is a diagram to show the goods available:

Topshop also has different collections to offer online they are:
- Kate Moss
- Iris
- Jetset
- Pandora's Box
- Sno
- The Boutique
- Tall
- Petite
- Maternity

Below is a range of pictures which represent an item from each of the product categories available online, they are actually featured on the website, so you can see how well topshop show their products:

It could be said that there is a particular target audience for teenagers and young adults with topshop.com, however its products are purchased by people from all walks of life.

Services:
There is a style advisor available as you can see from the link below:

THE TRANSACTION:

How do you buy items online, and what types of transactions are involved?
With topshop, you need to be registered with an account before you make a purchase. It is recommended that you login before shopping, or it gives you the option when you checkout. The pictures on the left shows the different methods of payment that topshop accept for online transactions. To buy online the following steps need to be taken:

Step One : Adding to the shopping bag

Above I have selected the size and quantity of the product i want to add to my shopping bag. After this I then clicked on the 'Add to shopping bag' link. The website then told me that it had been successfully added with the below notification:

The notification has given me the option to checkout, this is very useful as it provides a shortcut that is easy to use, and pops up every time you add an item to the 'bag'.
You can view your shopping bag at any time buy clicking on the link on the top toolbar:

Being able to view the bag at any point ifs very useful as you can remove things from it if you desire. This link also tells me how many items I have in my bag, which is a very useful feature as it keeps you informed and on track with your shopping. Once you are satisfied with the items in your bag you can then checkout. Below is a picture of the shopping bag i created:

This is the top half of the shopping bag summary, and as you can see along the top of the page, you are given two options:

These are very convienient as they are at the top, so if you actually didnt want to see the summary of your shopping you can easily go back.
At the bottom of the summary page there are further details on the purchases you are going to make:

There is a complimentary gift from topshop for using their service for more than 3 items. The summary page shows the total amount i will be spending. It gives the option to empty the basket, along with removing individual items. All these features are very convienient and provide an easy to use service. At this point, one can now checkout by clicking on ' Continue to check out'.

Step Two : Checking Out
Once clicking to check out, the customer is asked to sign in so that the process can continue:

Now all that is needed is the customers billing information:

Step Three: Confirm and Pay

This confirmation page is provided. It shows you the final costs and allows you to choose delivery information. It also provides an opportunity for students to save money and people with promotional cards to also save money.

At the bottom, it shows the address the items will be sent to and also gives the option to change it if neccessary.

Also on this 'Confirm and Pay' page you have to put in your method of payment details so the transaction can go forward as shown below:

Now the transaction is nearly complete and once you click on 'Confirm and Pay' All of your details will be processed and your items will be sent to you through the post.



Now the transaction is complete and the customer will receive an email to helpfully reassure them that their order is being processed. This email is very good for the customer as they will know for definate that their purchase was safe and legitimate.

ANOTHER METHOD OF PAYMENT: THE GIFT CARD

To pay with a giftcard online, you need to register the details of the card. To do this the customer can clcik on 'Gift Cards and Sprees' at the very top of each page. Then this will be displayed:

Structure of topshop.com

The structure of a website is a very important factor. If a website is well structures, it is easier to use as the layout it clear. Topshop.com is a very well stuctured transactional website, as soon as you open up the home page it is clear how to find what you are looking for. Below is a screen shot of the home page:

As you can see, to the left hand side of the page there are product category links in a frame. This makes them stand out to a customer, so they know where to begin their shopping. Another good structure method of this page is that when you click on a category, a list will drop down providing you with a more advanced search in that category:

At the top toolbar there is a search facility, if you look at the picture below, you can see that it gives you a quick guideline on what to type in:

This helps the customer to find exactly what they want if they have something specific they want to buy. Below is an example of a search i did:

Step One - Type in specific product:

Here i have type in a specific dress i would like to look at. Then i clicked on go.

Step Two - The Search Results:

The Search had been successful, it has given me three items related to my search and the first dress is the one i was looking for. Now if i wanted I could see if it is available in my size and make a purchase.
There are links throughout the website, so that you can always make you way back to the homepage, or parts that you have previously visited. If we take a look at the second half of the home page, there are lots of advertisements shown for topshop, each are linked up to relevant parts of the website, which is a good structure technique, making the website still easy to use. Below is a picture of the second half of the home page:

Here is a part of the website which shows all the shoes that are available online with topshop:

Here I have selected to look at high heels, as you can see each item is shown with a picture, a short description and a price. They are displayed in a table format which makes each of them stand out. The left hand frame and top toolbar remain the same throughout the website, so that at any time you can go back to a different part of the website. Topshop make sure that every link made is relevant to the subject so that the customer doesnt get frustrated when it comes to finding what they want. The customers want a pleasant shopping experience, so if the site is well layed out then they can shop with ease.

Accessibilty of Topshop.com:

This site has been designed and constructed to the W3C's WAI accessibility AA rating. This means that the site can be navigated using the tab button and by pre-defined access keys.
The site can also be read by screen readers, Braille displays and other access devices. There is a list of access devices available for people with different impairments further down the page.
You can also find more information on by following the web accessibilty links shown at the bottom of the page.

Access Keys
You can access the key features of topshop.com without the need for a mouse using the following access keys:
C - Jump to main Content
N - Jump to primary Navigation
S - Skip navigation
1 - Home page
4 - Search

To activate the acces keys, just press Alt+ Access key.

Images
All content images on this site are provided with descriptive ALT attributes.
Where images contain important information, such as graphs and charts, alternative information is provided in the form of inline descriptions of tabular data.

Navigation
All pages contain a link to the home page (access key 1) and search box (access key 4).
Jump to main content (access key C) is available to users of screen readers and speech browsers, to bypass graphical and navigational elements - such as the logo and header components - and jump directly to the main navigation.
Jump to primary Navigation (access key S) is available to users of screen readers and speech browsers, to bypass graphical elements - such as the logo and header components - and jump directly to the main navigation.
Skip navigation (access key S) is available to users of screen readers and speech browsers, to bypass repeated page elements - such as the top and side navigation links - and jump directly to the page content.

Accessibility Devices :
Screen Readers:
VoiceOver (Mac)
Jaws (Win)
Window-Eyes (Win)
Emacspeak (Linux)
Braille Displays:
Focus (Win)
Brailliant (Mac)
BrailleNote (Linux)

The fact that topshop.com is easy to use for all kinds of people is a strong advantage. The devices listed above are used by people with certain disabilites, and topshop.com is user friendly for all of them. The website is very easy to use especially with the navigation aids and access keys.

If you dont know the URL for topshop, then you can easily seach for it through the search engine 'GOOGLE.COM' Below is an example of a search i did on google for the topshop website:

The first result I got was the exact home page of topshop.com. This shows that the site is easily accessible through other websites. To prove this I shall use another search engine 'yahoo.co.uk':

Yet again the first result is topshop's home page.

Plans for e commerce website

Main Pages needed:

1. eCommerce

- introduction explaining what it involves with some examplar websites and introduce the website i will be looking at in more detail - http://www.topshop.com/

- the purpose and objectives of topshop.com and analyse to see whether the website meets its objectives and shows clearly its purpose. Talk about what their main products are and why they would want to sell them online.

- how topshops website is structured , is it easy to use? use screen shots to explain the structure and annotate. Explain what different parts of the wesite do.

- what does topshop offer online, talk about the goods and services that topshop offer online, show pictures of the products and show all topics available online, for example dresses and shoes, talk about the range that is available and perhaps a target audience.

- product information - select a few products to analyse how topshop go into further detail about them, to intice the customer to buy them. Show all the fields of information that are shown looking at further information, for example with some jeans, it would show the price, the sizes available and some information on what they are made out of, and the style they have been made for. Talk about how the structure of the detail page is, with screen shots to visually represent.

- The Transaction - explain what happens when you purchase online with topshop, go through the steps of the transaction showing what should happen on your screen throughout the process with screen shots and pictures. Use lots of annotation to explain. Talk about the shopping basket as a feature of the transactional website and how it makes using the website easier. Perhaps actually buy an item online to show the full process and how you recieve a conformation email. Take a picture of the packaging the product has been sent in and add to website along with a picture of the product.

- Advertisement and capturing skills, how does topshop.com capture customers and interest them in their products. Do they advertise through other methods such as TV or radio, or do they advertise on other parts of the internet. How do they make their page different to others to make their products stand out and intice customers to purchase their products. Talk about the fact the website is easy to use so customers are more inclined to use it as it isnt confusing. People like straight forward processes and topshop provides this. Use print screens of certain advertisements, perhaps of special offers or general product advertisement. Talk about how you can make the page a favourite and keep that saved on your computer. When you sign up with topshop, you often recieve advertisement emails on new products that are available online - this is a strong method of getting customers attention.

- How do they get customer information - they get you to sign up, and to do so successfully, they need most of your personal details, such as name, address etc. They have a terms and conditions to ensure your privacy and follow buy the data protection act. Topshop online shows items that a customer might like after they have added an item to their shopping basket, making suggestions that would go well with the product. They also keep a record of what the customer has bought so they know their interests.

- Authentication techniques - talk about the use of passwords and usernames, how they are one of a kind and only the individual show know them. They are a method of security to stop others from getting access to your personal details and using your card details to purchase items online.

- How accessible is the website and how is it to use? Talk about the layout of the website and that it is very staight forward to use. Mention the search field at the top toolbar for help in finding specific products. Use zoomed in screen shots of the home page to show how the products are listed in categories which are easily accessible.

- Customer comments and experience - ask some friends to browse the website then fill out a questionnaire (make). Collect the data and write a general evaluation made buy the customers and provide some quotes. Mention all advantages and the floors of the website, whether there could be room for improvement or not.

2. Diagrams to include

- A flow diagram to show the activities taken before making an online purchase with topshop.com

- A diagram to show what happens when a customer has made an online purchase, and how the information is collected before sending the item(s) out to the customers home address.

- A diagram to show the information that flows into and out of topshop and between areas/departments as a result of the eCommerce process