Every store at your fingertips...

Now, more than ever, is the world at our fingertips. You can literally buy anything you could ever want from the corners of the world. The convenience of shopping on-line has changed the face of the retail game but with increased accessibility there is increased competition. With so many options how will consumers stay loyal? What do companies need to do to attract and retain a customer? That is a complicated question with many layers but the simplest thing a company can do to get and keep customers is maintain a well-run online shop.

I personally, am bad at shopping online. I for one need to see the product in person, touch it, get a sense for the size and color in person but since moving to Milwaukee permanently, I have longed for the likes of Nordstroms. Luckily, Milwaukee will soon be adding one to its repertoire of fine brick and mortar retail establishments but presently I have to settle for its on-line option. Luckily for me I know the quality of their products first hand otherwise I am unsure how readily I would choose to purchase from them.

For a non-online shopper like me the website functionality is a must. For this week’s assignment I ventured to the site and the first thing to pop up when I went to the women's section was a survey asking for feedback about the site. My first thought was one of surprise that they would direct potential buyers away but after reading the picture I noticed that if you click yes it asks you complete the survey at the conclusion of your visit.
 

Moving on to a purchase... I decided to take full advantage of this opportunity and scoped out a Tory Burch bag (a girl can dream)

The good:

• The various departments are all present for one click on the side of the page - makes navigating a breeze

• along with departments are quick links for trends or recommendations - good for those looking for advice on what to purchase

• Once in to an item, there are a number of photos showing every angle of the bag as well as the various ways a person could want to sport it.

• Detailed descriptions of the product; including height, width, and strap length.

• Hitting add to bag brings a pop-up that allows me to keep shopping

• Free Shipping, Free returns, All the time (advertised big and bold on the checkout page)

• Pick it up instead option

The bad:

• Hitting add to bag allows me to keep shopping. As a buyer this is good but as a website this could be bad - shoppers may forget about their bags before leaving the site.

•  Too many options - a visitor to the site could get pretty distracted

 I mentioned above they offer free shipping which I think is a huge incentive to order online. Shipping costs are usually something that causes me personally to opt for an in-store purchase. Nordstroms also has a promo code option. Unlike other sites, they do not have a promo code running accross the top of the page so I did have to leave the page to find one. A quick google search doesnt turn up much except for suggestions to visit their sales so I wonder how often they have a promo code running. They dont necessarily require you to register but you do have to give an e-mail address.

The survey I mentioned before asks the questions that I am trying to answer on this page. They clearly want to know what people think of their site and how they can make it better.

Nordstrom has my loyalty because of the quality of their products and their customer service as a whole. I would recommend that they simplify the site slightly. As mentioned above, there are almost too many options. There are too many links and avenues to go down and there could be loss of interest and too much distraction.