In Google Analytics, you can review traffic and sales from mobile devices. The critical factor is making sure to account for iPads. For many businesses, iPads make up a large percent of what Google considers sales from mobile devices. But the thing is, while iPads are definitely mobile… they aren’t technically considered mcommerce because you can shop a  website as though you were on your regular laptop. The experience is the same. So, it’s not like trying to navigate a site on an Android, Blackberry, iPhone or other smartphone where the user really needs either an App or a slimmed down site that’s easier to navigate on a handheld device.

To get a true sense of revenue from mcommerce, you have to pull out iPad traffic and sales. Once you look at those numbers from 2010, triple or quadruple them for 2011. Then you’ll have an idea of how much traffic you can expect, and the kind of revenue it may generate. In looking at the estimated increase in traffic, would your revenue increase appreciably if you provided those users with a true moble experience? What if a better mobile experience doubled your conversion rates? Is that enough to justify the investment?

Once you’ve done this quick overview, you can get a sense of revenue from mobile and you may decide it’s worth the investment now. Or you may decide that for the remainder of 2011, you want to focus on growing sales for the website as is and that mobile might need to wait another year.

 ”The app is split into three sections; each features four scenes to interact with. It’s a good showcase but not a useful shopping tool.”

The free app is designed to showcase the new 2011 spring collection in a fun, interactive manner. The problem is it does nothing to entice the shopper to buy and  will unlikely be any sort of revenue driver.

“It feels like a showcase, though, rather than a genuinely useful shopping tool. Tap on the shop button, and you’re simply sent to the RLX section of Ralph Lauren’s website, rather than the  specific item of clothing that you’ve been looking at.”

Small usability problems like this negatively affect sales. If a potential customer sees something they like, they should be able to get to that outfit easily so they can buy it. Sadly, these are the types of features that we see many companies focusing their time and limited resources on, since they are visually stimulating and “fun” to implement. These apps and new technologies are so new, that companies are exploring the boundaries and testing the waters.

But, do these fun gimmicks really make a difference to the bottom line? Probably not. People will not keep coming back to your site and be a lifelong customer just because you have a clever game on your site that incorporates some of your products. Of course, Ralph Lauren will be fine shoveling out the money that went into building this little app. But, what about the small to mid-sized companies that want to keep up with the times? We see these companies spending thousands (or tens-of-thousands) on nifty virtual try-ons,  24 hour video streaming, and flash  introductions which bring no additional sales to the website, and in some cases can actually hurt business by taking focus off of making the sale.

Be aware of what is entertaining and fun for you vs. what is actually going to set you apart from your competitors in the e-Commerce world. Websites need proper SEO and SEM implementation to bring in qualified customers. Customers need simple ways to shop via correct website/app. usability practices. And,  businesses need to bring in the sales. Make sure these fancy new devices and exciting technologies don’t drive business down. Simplifying is sometimes the best way to stand out. 

See the Full Article Here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2011/feb/28/ralph-lauren-app-review

It was a day well spent. It reinforced many of the recommendations we give clients regarding site usability and also provided us with the studies that explain the recommendations.

Surprisingly, studies show that user behavior hasn’t changed much over the years. So even with faster internet connections, fancier computers and lots of neat new technology, we still:

• Have a strong reliance on the back button
• Get confused with multiple browser windows (which is different from tabbing)
• Close pop-ups before we look at them (and in some cases before they even fully load)
• Ignore many ads
• Scan a page and look for elements that appear click-able
• Spend little time on each individual website (less than 2 minutes!)

So how can these points help in building a site?  Below are a few quick tips to help: 

Tip #1

• Don’t create a site that forces users to open multiple windows to compare items. We don’t like it and it confuses us. 
• Do Help us compare items with proper usability (let us check off a few items and compare them on one page).

Tip #2

• Don’t put really important information in a pop-up windows. We probably won’t see it/read it. So when all the calls come into customer service asking about the very thing you used the pop-up window to explain, you’ll know why.
• Do put important information right on the page. Making it a pop-up doesn’t help it stand out, it actually keeps us from reading it.

Tip #3

• Don’t make everything on the site click-able. That won’t help us as we scan the page.
• Do differentiate the few places that are click-able through proper usability. For example, we tend to think of things in blue text as click-able.  So if you use blue text, do so sparingly and to illustrate click-ability.

Tip #4

• Don’t take too long to get to the point. Remember we’ll only be on the entire site (not the page) for less than 2 minutes because we are highly task oriented when online.
• Do, make it easy to see and read the most important information. If we want more information, we’ll take the time to read the rest.

Usability is a critical component to online success. If you find yourselves guessing at elements, where they should be placed and what may “look right” you may want to find an expert to help.

My previous post stressed the importance of creating a website that does not overwhelm, confuse or annoy the end user.  This leads to my last misconception about what users expect from a website.

Misconception #3: Showing your creative side through unexpected layouts and navigation delights users and lets them know “you’re different” than your competition.

Unfortunately, this just isn’t so when it comes to web usability. As I mentioned in my very first post, one of the best practices for good usability is to remove the ambiguity regarding the consequence of an action.

Creativity works in other mediums, but the best websites utilize consistent, expected design that users find easy to navigate and understand.

What I’ve learned: When users search for information on the web, they do not want to “work” at gathering information.

 A good rule of thumb is to simplify, simplify, simplify. Getting caught up in the aesthetics of a website can often steer the usability in the wrong direction and create a site that is confusing and ambiguous to a first-time user.

I’ve learned to treat all sites as if I’ve never heard of the product before. Working on websites from that perspective allows me to keep my primary purpose in mind and that is to make it easy for a user to get the information they want.
 
To recap, well-written web content and proper usability comes from understanding a few key principles:

• Users don’t read online the same way they read offline. Online they scan for actionable content.
• Concise, meaningful content garners the greatest results.
• Uniformity, consistency and manageable chunks of information are the hallmarks of good content usability.
• Users don’t want to work for the information they are seeking. Adhere to the standards of good web design and create a website that is easy to  use and understand.

Misconception #2: In order to hold someone’s interest online, include as much information as possible on the homepage so that the user won’t leave.

This misconception breaks some of the cardinal rules of content usability. Just as users need concise, meaningful content, they need an even easier way to digest it. This means that layout is extremely important.
 
What I’ve learned: Uniformity, consistency and manageable chunks of information are the hallmarks of good content usability. Most importantly, it’s essential to create a webpage that does not overwhelm, confuse or annoy the end user causing them to bounce to another site.

My next post will discuss this very tenet. Users don’t want to work for their web content. If they do, they’re apt to bounce. Stay tuned.