THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE OFFERED. unit 2

The Customer Experience Offered

A good website will be part of an integrated system that supports the customers from the moment they load the web site to the aftercare they can expect following delivery.

ASOS offers a page with information to help the user through the many problems or fears they may encounter when purchasing something for the first time online. It also offers many ways in which the customer can contact the website.

Although the Help and Contact page is quite long, it is sectioned into categories so that the customer can read the information relevant to their situation.

This website does not have a ‘Feedback’ feature where a customer can type in their information and opinions about the website. This can make potential customers shop elsewhere as they do not know whether to trust the website as they cannot see what other people’s experiences have been like.

The Returns section is easy to find creating good customer care as if a customer is not happy with their product they can return it easily and they do not have to search through the website trying to find how to return it.

THE SITES USABILITY AND ACCESS. unit 2

The Sites Usability And Access

In the design stages of a website, IT experts need to take into account that not everyone finds using computers easy and by putting too much into the homepage or making the menus confusing can make potential customers shop elsewhere.There is an easy drop down list that changes the currency of the prices on the website, this therefore branches to a wider audience as people from different countries can see how much the clothes are in their currency instead of having to get out a calculator and do it themselves. This is located in the top right hand corner of the website.

There is a search box that helps the user find a specific item that they want without having to search through all of the categories and sections. Also, in this search box the user can type in a code to bring up a specific item. (The codes are found in the magazine that is sent to home addresses.) The advantage of having this type of system is that if a customer sees something they really like in a magazine, they do not have to search through all of the pages in one section to find that specific top etc. they can simply type in the code and it will be uploaded.

















The website has a clear structure and has a small menu across the top of the page showing links on how the customer can track their order, log into their account and watch a short video of how to shop if they are new to online shopping.




















There is small menu across the bottom of the page showing links to pages where the customer can find out more information about returns, how to contact the company, the terms and conditions etc.
There is also a main menu on the left hand side of the page labeling the main categories of products that they sell. Once having clicked on a category a new page will appear and areas within that category will be shown.
Some people often find it hard to remember whether the URL has a ‘.com’ or a ‘.co.uk’ at the end of it. However, if a customer types into the URL http://www.asos.com/ and http://www.asos.co.uk/, they will be directed to the same page. This is good as the customer will always be able to find the website.















Overall, I think that ASOS have a layout that isn’t confusing and the fact that they have a ‘Help’ page and a 5 step guide on how to shop will make it easier for people that do not normally shop online. They are easily accessed through searching on any search engine and the URL can either be ‘.com’ or ‘.co.uk’ and the same page gets uploaded.

THE TECHNIQUES USED TO ENGAGE, RETAIN AND ENTICE CUSTOMERS. unit 2

The Techniques Used To Engage, Retain And Entice Customers

As ASOS are an online based website, there are no sales people to persuade a customer to buy goods. There is also no way for a customer to build up a relationship with the vendor helping to ensure that the customer comes back.
Because of this, the website uses special techniques to help retain customers.

ASOS has created a good name for itself and you always hear people recommend their friends to browse the website as they do very good deals and sell a variety of products.
Customers go to web sites for many reasons, so a web site needs to reflect as many of these reasons as possible.

There are banner advertisements to engage the customers and show off their products that are on sale. These can be found on the homepage below the main image.

Also, other products that are on offer are shown in the homepages in their different categories.

To retain the customers, the website has to make sure that the customers become engaged in the pages as quickly as possible because if they are not then they will leave. If the web site is too slow the potential customers will leave before the page has even finished loading.

On ASOS, as soon as a user clicks onto a link the page loads itself up which is good as the website is not loosing customers through the lack of it loading fast.

Other ways of retaining customers is bargains and money off items.

The content of a website should be relevant and up-to-date with its prices and items. Any images should show the latest product, not something that is well out of date. ASOS does this through its blog.ASOS created a blog so that they could constantly update its customers with information on new items available, new offers and deals and celebrity fashion news. This is a brilliant way to engage and retain customers as the customers will want to return to read any updates and keep coming back to read further stories and offers.

Customers can also find a link to the blog in the menu at the bottom of the page.

ASOS is a catchy URL name and is an abbreviation for As Seen On Screen, already the user is potentially persuaded by the name as what they see on screen is exactly what they will get and also implies what they see celebrities wearing on the television is what they can find on this website enticing them to look further and browse to see if there is anything they like.

Conditions Of Purchase. unit 2

Conditions Of Purchase

As ASOS is a reputable company and want to make shopping a fun experience and if any problems occur they want to help the customer in any way possible, they have made it possible to see the conditions of purchase very easily.

Companies are often criticised for making them long and difficult to read, however, ASOS has made it very simple and has labeled each section with a subtitle so that the customer only has to read the sections that are applicable to them or what they want to read.

Every good website should make it clear to the customers how they can return their items that they do not like. And as this is a purely website based company they are more likely to have more requests for returns as the customer cannot try the items on.

The Identification And Authentication Routines The Website Has. unit 2

The Identification And Authentication Routines The Website Has

When a customer enters a transaction website, it is important to identify and authenticate the customer.

Servers on the Web use two basic ways of identification and authentication;

HTTP: This authentication is where the user is asked for a password and an ID to access the server.
Cookies: As described previously, these are placed on the customer’s computer. Many users view cookies with suspicion as they are able to view your actions (what websites you use, how many times you go on them etc.)

After creating an account with ASOS, you will have created a password and should use this password when logging in to your account on this website. It is important not to share your password with anyone else as your account holds details about you including credit card details. If someone who has malicious intent took your details, you may be open to identity theft or fraud.

If a customer has forgotten their password, it gives you the option of typing in your email address and your unique password will be sent to that email address. This is useful as it only sends the forgotten password to an email address that is specified. This stops someone from stealing your password and is a better method than using a secret question such as ‘What is your favourite colour’ etc. as many people might be able to guess this.

THE METHODS USED TO CAPTURE CUSTOMER INFORMATION. unit 2

The Methods Used To Capture Customer Information

Websites use many methods to capture customer information. Overt methods are the obvious methods that the customer knows about; this is done by a customer filling in a form etc and they know what information is being taken about them.
In other cases, information is collected without the customer realising. Methods that do this are called Covert.

Some websites, when taking credit card details, will log the IP address of the computer making the transaction. This is a good security measure that the website takes as if someone has stolen a credit card and starts using it to make transactions online and the person states that their credit card has been stolen, the police can go to ASOS and ask for the IP address of the computer making that transaction. They can then go to the ISP (Internet Service Provider) and ask for the name that that particular computer is under. Then further action can be taken.
Other methods of collecting data involve putting a code on a website that leaves cookies on the user’s computer.

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on your hard disk. It contains information about the user, normally in the form of an identification number. When the user visits the website again the cookie is read and the website can then access a database of information to look up the user’s identity.
Other information is also recorded, such as the number of time you visit the website, what items you look at etc.

THE TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS THAT CAN BE MADE. unit 2

The Types Of Transactons That Can Be Made

A Transactional website is a website where the user purchase items, for example amazon.co.uk, ebay.com and asos.com. Other transactional websites can provide services such as AA with car insurance etc. It is called a transaction website because a transaction is carried out between the customer and the company providing the goods or services.

Every transaction website entails;

· Collecting details from the customer (address, contact details, card details etc.)
· Collecting the payment (a system that is efficient with collecting card payments, however some companies use PayPal – an intermediary between you and the company)

Databases play a vital role in these websites as they store the details of the customers, card details, details of the purchases you have made, details of the products they sell and whether there is any in stock etc.

Tansactions can be as simple as clicking on an image of an item to see if any are in stock. However, there are more complex cases such as when a user is the customer on a website for the first time and has to fill in a form where all their details can be captured.

The next page to appear is where the customer either inputs their account details or creates an account before they can purchase the item.

If the customer does not have an account they click the icon that says Create Your Account. A new page will upload and it will ask the customer to input their details in order for them to purchase their item/s.

The main way of interacting with these pages is to use texts boxes that require information typing into them. The payment method shows another method, called a drop-down menu, where a choice is given (i.e. what credit card they will be using etc.) and the user selects one of these choices.
Just to make the reader feel that they are giving their personal details to a safe website, the website gives an option of the customer viewing a verification that that is the actual website and that they are a safe website.

THE PRODUCT INFORMATION PROVIDED unit 2

The Product Information Provided

The more information a customer has of a product the more likely they are to buy it. It is especially essential for a website based company to give as much information and show as many pictures possible about a certain item as a customer cannot go to the shop and quickly try it on or see what it looks like.

Although the returns policy is good, if the website does not give enough information and picture sit can certainly put a customer off of buying a product. I think that this website gives a lot of information about the product and gives many different angled pictures of an item to make me want to buy it as i am a regular customer on this website.

Having clicked on an item I like, a new web page loads with more information about that item. The screenshot above is a dress, which I saw a small picture of and liked so therefore clicked on the picture to find out more information.

At the side of the picture of the item, there are a few bullet points detailing information about the item. It also tells you the price and what sizes the item is available in.

At the bottom of the page there is an information box that tells the customer what the item is made out of, how to wash the item, what size the item is (the item shown in the picture, if a different size is chosen then obviously these measurements will change). There is also there is are two other tabs on the information box, one describing the returns policy of this item and the other describing the different types of delivery that can come with this item.

THE GOODS THAT ASOS.COM OFFERS - unit 2

The Goods That ASOS.com Offers

ASOS.com is a fashion store for both women and men. However, it is unclear from the URL or the website name what the website sells (ASOS stands for As Seen On Screen, so therefore could mean anything). This website sells everything from bangles and dresses to shirts and ties. However a list of items available is on the side menu in both the men and women’s sections. By clicking on one of the categories it may show more areas within that category of items the website sells.

They have a wide range of items available in different sizes and colours and this is one of the many reasons why it is a popular website.
I think the homepage could be improved a little as it is not quite obvious what their main products that they sell are (clothes) as it is disguised within the word Collection in the menu bar at the side of the page.

There is a link at the bottom of the homepage that takes the customer to a page that lists everything that the website sells and the designers that they sell clothes for.This can be found by clicking on this link ‘ Store Search’ in the bottom toolbar.

HOW IT IS STRUCTURED - unit 2

How is ASOS.com Structured?

ASOS is a very well structured transactional website. It uses a frame to ensure that the customers that visit the website do not get lost. The designers have kept the pages simple and uncluttered to make sure they are easy on the eye.


The homepage consists of their logo on the left hand side corner. There is an advertisement at the top of the page and then a shopping basket with options on the top right hand corner. The main toolbar options then start. There is an option of choosing between Women’s and Men’s, there is a search box and then there are hyperlinks to pages that offer the reader help such as, How to Shop, Track your Order, Help and Contact etc.
There is a menu down the left hand side of the homepage. This is where the items the website sells are listed. There are categories of items and if a category is clicked on then it produces another list of areas within that category. The main picture is advertising new Christmas stock and items that are the most popular. There is a blog at the side of the main picture which updates customers on fashion, celebrities and new items.Below the main picture and blog is two pictures that portray items on offer, these pictures are directly linked to the pages where the items on offer can be found. This is to make it easier for the user to find the items on offer and entice the reader to buy them, as they haven’t had to search through all the items to find those that are on offer. Below this is a dialogue box where a customer can type in their email address to hear about new items on sale and fashion news. This is a way to entice the readers back onto the website and share information with them. At the very bottom of the page there are links that may interest the reader such as Terms and Conditions, About Us and Returns.




















Once having clicked on one of the options down the side menu, it opens the homepage of the link that you have just clicked but also creates a drop down menu with the main areas in that category.


















I clicked onto Collection, and then Dresses to see how the layout changed and what new options and information was available to the customer when they were browsing further into the website.

This is the new window that appears after having clicked on Dresses. We can see that the top of the pages layout has stayed the same and the bottom has too however, the side options have changed.

Also, part of the layout is a shopping bag feature. This allows the customer to choose many different items and store them in a virtual shopping bag. When finishing shopping, the customer can go to the shopping bag and purchase all the things they have chosen. ASOS.com also has a drop down menu feature where the customer, depending on the currency of their country, can change the currency so that they understand how much the items are in their money.

A search facility is essential on a big website such as ASOS.com as it allows the customer to quickly browse what they want without the hassle of searching through all the different menus and pages where their desired item could be.

PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES. unit 2

What Purpose Does This Website Have and Does It Meet Its Objectives?

We can see straight away that this website sells fashion items as beneath the website’s logo it states that it is an ‘online fashion store’.

Having first clicked onto this website, I could tell that it was an online clothing store as there were many pictures of new items available and there were many offers on the homepage portraying pictures of trousers, tops, dresses etc.
My first impression of the website was that it’s main target audience was women, as there were many female items available. However, when looking further, I could see that they also had a men’s section as well.

I thought the website must have been popular and created by a company that had high aims and expectations as their layout is very clear and aesthetically pleasing and also, they have their own blog - which portrays to me that they are a big company that does not just use pictures to sell their products they also use ways which involve ICT to tell their customers about new products and information available.

The objective of the website is the online sales of women and men’s fashion. Especially as this is a website based company and does not have any stores throughout the UK.
I think that people that search through this website will be enticed to look further as there are many large boxes of information with offers and special deals etc.

This news clipping from the BBC website proves that ASOS’s objectives of selling their products was definitely met this year as their sales were very profitable and the number of people visiting the website each month (two million) proved that the whole website was aesthetically pleasing and you could easily navigate yourself around the website as their customers would not keep coming back if they found it difficult and confusing.

The pictures that portray the products are on a person, so that the customer can see what the product will look like in contrast to the product being laid flat on a table etc. There are also different views to the pictures available so the customer can see what the top for example really looks like. This is another way that they meet their objective of selling as much as possible through an online method as the more a customer can see an item, the more they will be enticed to buy it. Online based companies are very aware that a customer cannot ‘try’ the items on or see what they are like until it turns up at their house so they have to ensure that they give the customer better than satisfactory ways of seeing the items available.
On my first impression, the fact that this website has a logo, has their own blog and gives the customer many ways of contacting them, it proved to me that it was a trustable website.

WHAT IS E-COMMERCE? unit 2

What is E-Commerce

Electronic Commerce is often referred to as E-Commerce or eCommerce.
E-Commerce entails a person buying or selling products and/or services over an electronic system such as the Internet. It specifically refers to the buying and selling of goods by transferring funds from one account to another. With the rapid growth and spread of the Internet, E-Commerce has become a part of many people’s everyday lives.

There are many advantages to purchasing goods and products online;

· Someone that is housebound can get their food shopping delivered to their house via the Internet.
· Someone that is time-poor can order Christmas presents, birthday presents, food shopping etc. off of the Internet and get it delivered the next day etc.
· Someone that does not have the sufficient money to pay for petrol to pick up a product that is only stored in a certain area of the country can buy it online and get it delivered to their house.

However, there are also some disadvantages of the evolvement of the Internet leading us to be able to purchase products online;

> When a person purchases something via the Internet, they have to give a series of details about themselves and their credit card account. There have now been many unfortunate events where people’s details have been ‘taken’ and used against them. There are different forms of this crime such as phishing and identity theft.

> There have been websites that have been created which look like a website that you can purchase goods off however they have been created to scam people out of their money. They are like normal websites but instead of giving you a product after you have given the money, they take your money and do not give you your purchase. A way to determine between which websites are safe and which are whether there is an ‘S’ within the URL (https) and there should be a padlock that appears on the toolbar which states that it is a safe website.

> When purchasing products online, you may be given dimensions or sizes, but you can’t look at the actual product of try it on to see whether you really like it. This may cause more hassle if you receive it and do not like it and have to return it via post than driving to your nearest store and looking at the product yourself.

In conclusion, E-Commerce has made our lives easier as we are now able to purchase things in a method that we were never able to before. It enables us to pick exactly what we want; get it delivered when we want and it saves us the hassle of going to the shops and buying it ourselves. However, it has brought about new risks and could make your life harder if your credit card details are stolen and you need to replace your card etc.

This website is http://www.tesco.com/. It allows you to purchase anything from groceries to TV’s online. As there are many different products you can buy they have broken in down into sections and then drop down boxes whilst hovering over your preferred topic. This makes it easier for the customer to look for a specific product they need and is useful for someone that does not have a lot of time.
You have to create an account to buy a product but this is easy and not time consuming. Tesco also gives you different options of what day you wish your product/s be delivered and give time zones in which they can be delivered in between (for example 7pm-9pm). This is very useful as you can set a date a time that suits your calendar.

This website is www.jewellerycatalogue.co.uk . They sell different types of jewellery in gold and silver. The website homepage has a lot of information and links which could be confusing and found hard to navigate through. This website enables the user to click on items they wish to purchase and the website stores it in a ‘shopping basket’ for them. When finishing shopping, the customer can then click on their shopping basket and purchase their items by giving their details and credit card details. This website gives different delivery options and they each cost a different price, for example ‘for a guaranteed delivery before 9am the day after shipping is £5.95’ and ‘for shipping outside the UK it is £10’.

However the website that I have chosen to evaluate is http://www.asos.com/. This website is a clothing website for men and women. It also sells accessories and shoes. This website is very well laid out and has an easy navigation. Also purchasing a product is easy and there are step by step guides on how to do so if you are a beginner at E-Commerce.

PLAN FOR UNIT TWO

What Is E-Commerce?

• Describe what e-commerce is and how it has become. Talk about different commercial websites. i.e. food shopping, clothes shopping, games/toys/other things shopping. Talk about ASOS.com (the website i have chosen) briefly. What are the advantages and disadvantages there are of having e-commerce. Has it made life easier for us or more harder? Has it brought about new risks?

Introduction - pg 114

What Purpose Does It Have And Does It Meet It's Objectives

• Describe the purpose of the website; is it obvious what type of website it is as soon as it loads? Does is successfully meet its objectives; Is it a popular website? Have they had any financial problems where they haven't had many customers? Does their beginning layout (the homepage) make the user feel they are browsing a professional and trustable website?

The purpose of the site and how successful it meets this objective - pg 132

How Is The Website Structured?

• Is the homepage clear and easy to use? Can you navigate your way through the website easily from the homepage? Are their interesting and relevant pictures on the homepage? Can you read the writing easily? Is the information relevant? SCREEN PRINTS!! Have they used a frame so that it doesn't confuse the user going from page to page? Is the page cluttered with information and pictures that its too much? Does it have a search facility? As these are essential.
• Does it give an option of the price range you are looking at to spend?
• Does it give the option of picking a brand (or person) to look at their range of products or do you have to search through all of the products in that topic to find it?
• (sort by option) Does it give you an option to view the products in a certain topic that is new or acsending or descending price?

How It is structured - pg 133

The Goods And Services

• What types of goods does it offer? Is it easy to see what they offer straight away? Are the goods broken down into sections in the menu or just one big list of what they sell? Are there topics within genres? Is it easy to go from one genre to a topic or does it get confusing?
• Are they branching out into any new areas? Has there been any recent developments?

The goods and/or services it offers - pg 134
Extentions of product range - pg 129

The Product Information Provided

• What type of information do they give about the products? Are there detailed descriptions? Is there a picture? Are there different views of the picture available? By law the information has to be honest and not make false claims, has the website done this?
• Do they give other products that could go well with the product you are enquiring about? Are these other products relevant and would they interest the user? Does it tell you what other customers have bought with that product?
• Does it give information about returns policy? And delivery information specific to that product?
• Does it give any more options of colours? sizes etc?

The Prodcut Informaiton Provied - 135
Distributing Goods - 124

Types Of Transactions That Can Be Made

• Describe the two different types of transactions, where a user creates an account and then purchases their product and then where a customer already has an existing account and purchases a product. Screen shots of both and all stages.
• Is there a virtual shopping basket that lists the things you want? Is it easily accessible?
• Does the store enable you to track an item that you have purchased?
• Does it use PayPal?

Types of transactions that can be made - 135
transaction websites - 115
types of information required by businesses - 119

The Methods Used To Capture Customer Information

• Talk about overt methods. How the customer knows that the information is being taken and what is being taken.
• Talk about covert methods. How the customer does not know that a website is taking information about them without them knowing like their computer IP address .
• Talk about cookies (small text files