The retail experience is different for every customer, especially when it comes to shopping online. Some customers enjoy the convenience of shopping from the comfort of their own homes, whilst others view it as a wholly therapeutic experience, almost addictive. Whilst the majority of shoppers are used to the standard, functional websites of most retailers, there are UX designers who are challenging the status quo and creating e-commerce websites that mimic the in-store experience.
We’ve put together the top 10 brands that are changing the face of online retail.
1. Graze
A healthy snack subscription box service, the Graze website displays simplicity perfectly, with clear messaging and attractive product imagery. It provides enough options for personalisation without being over the top and confusing the customer.
2. Gramography
The ultimate in personalisation, Gramography gives the user the option to put their Instagram photos onto a product of their choice. Being able to see what the final product will look like before purchase, instead of trying to visualise it with stock photos.
3. Amazon
It would be wrong not to mention the global giant, Amazon, who do personalisation and UX so well. Stand out features include their 1-click ordering which streamlines the checkout process and the ability to filter their reviews by ‘most helpful.’
4. OnePeloton
OnePeloton is a great example of a business that blends a core offering with technology and a ‘community ethos’ to serve a new market demand. The idea for the business came to the founders after years of struggling to get to the workout classes, while balancing demanding jobs and busy families. In 2012, the founding team brought the best talent in technology, hardware and production together to accomplish an ambitious goal: to bring the community and excitement of boutique fitness into the home. They recognized that keeping to a fitness regime requires motivation that few get working out in a home gym. Explore their website and you will see that it’s engineered to service simple user journeys so it’s easy for visitors to find what they are looking for. The site provides one of the best examples of how to foster a community with great content and an array of mechanisms to encourage buyers to ‘feel’ they want to be part of the growing community.
Mulberry, A brand that came out of a mother and son start-up in their family garage, Mulberry pays close attention to their product imagery and easy navigation. The site is simple to use, with instantly visible categories and short, snappy copy to make it clear what you’re looking at.
6. Oliver Bonas
Fashion brands are leading the way in personalisation and customer experience. Oliver Bonas offers the option to personalise with simple menus and lifestyle shots to see what the products look like on.
7. Apple
Apple may be the leader of UX, but it’s the little things that make the difference. Rather than offering a 360 degree view where the customer has to manually flick through, Apple have created a video feature that plays it for them.
8. AO
Buying appliances online is different to buying clothes - they are generally bigger purchases and take more consideration. AO have made it as simple as possible for customers to view product information with lots of detail, including videos.
9. Argos
Argos is a brand that relies on UX more than others. Whether customers are shopping in-store or online, they won’t get to see the item they’re buying beforehand. With helpful buying guides online, they can research the product in detail before purchase
10. Airbnb
Airbnb, Inc. is an American vacation rental online marketplace company based in San Francisco, California, United States. Many people know Airbnb to be a successful business formed around a marketplace for places to find short term bed and breakfast accommodation. Airbnb maintains and hosts a marketplace, accessible to consumers on its website or via an app. What many don’t know is that AirBnB nearly went out of business. What changed the landscape of opportunity for Airbnb was the introduction of high-quality photography on their website. Initially, people were less than impressed with what they saw, especially compared to the slick photography of competing hotels. Transitioning to high quality photography transformed the Airbnb business.
