Taxonomy and UX lessons learned for e-commerce

23 February, 2015 factorfirm.com

UX and Taxonomy Lessons Learned in e-Commerce

Vancouver IA/UX Meetup

FactorFactor specializes in enterprise-scale information and experience challenges.!

We are experts in modeling information-rich experiences.!

Our outside perspective helps you gain insight to break through organizational

barriers.!

Our evidence-based approach allows us to truly understand what will drive your

success - and help you get there.!

Gary%Carlson%PRINCIPAL%

Bringing over 20 years of experience as an information strategist helps companies develop their information infrastructure to deliver business success and satisfy customer goals.

Bram%Wessel%PRINCIPAL%

Informed by more than two decades of practice in user-centered design and research, Bram believes technology is not an end in itself but that it should enable natural experiences for actual humans.

What is special about e-commerce?Often have very measurable success metrics!•Average order value!•Units sold!•Total sales!•Return customers!•Ability to move targeted product!•etc!…!on-line experiences can support or drive in-store sales!Brand awareness!!UX and IA have a hand in supporting all these goals.!

Here are the lessons we’ll be talking about: Lesson 1: Taxonomy is a key element of your brand promise. Lesson 2: Your customers don’t care about your merchandising taxonomy. Don’t force them to. Lesson 3: Techniques used to optimize the post-car funnel usually don’t work for the pre-cart experience. Lesson 4: Pre-cart findability requires organizational alignment.

Lesson 5: Analytics can answer complex questions -- if you know what to ask and have the tools.

Lesson 6: There’s a lot of work to do before you can measure ROI.

Lesson 1: Taxonomy is a key instrument of your brand promise.

You know your UX is a key instrument of your brand promise. So is your taxonomy.

● It can express brand attributes ● It can expose expertise ● It can demonstrate understanding ● It can articulate a style !When customers use your taxonomy, it’s an act of trust.

Taxonomy Reflects Brand

Campmoor is about gear and clothing. !REI is about activities and clothing.

Taxonomy Reflects Brand

Flatware...?

Or Silverware?

Lesson 2: Your customers don’t care about your merchandising taxonomy. Don’t force them to.

Merchandising vs. Sales

● Same products ● Very different user needs and goals ● User-centered design techniques can

lead to better taxonomies

How do you know you have a taxonomy emergency?

24 categories !Coolers, Bikes, and Boating Accessories ???? “Clothing Accessories” as a top level category ??? Conceptual ambiguity in many of the categories These reflect the internal workings of merchandising

Improving

14 categories Key categories have been surfaced (like clothing) Categories are generally mutually exclusive and reflect customer expectations

Lesson 3: Techniques used to optimize the post-cart funnel usually don’t work for the pre-cart experience.

Pre vs. Post Cart

● Pre = less well understood ● Post = well understood, mature

Why?

● Pre-cart experiences feature many different styles of shopping: research, inspirational, aspirational, known item, serendipity, etc.

● In post-cart experiences there is goal alignment between seller and buyer.

How does the means of understanding differ between pre- and post-cart experiences?

Research techniques and conclusions: ● Pre - cart

○ More generative and strategic ○ Qualitative AND quantitative

● Post - cart ○ More evaluative and tactical ○ Mostly quantitative.

Lesson 4: Pre-cart findability requires organizational alignment.

Pre-cart Findability Requires Organizational Alignment

Organizational alignment is vital.

Experience factors: ● Item groupings ● Ability to zoom in/out ● Teleporting, not pogo-sticking ● Guided nav style (conversational, curated, etc.) ● Must be well-attributed ● Must be well-supported navigation aids.

(How can I be sure I’m)Seeing All The Things?

Lesson 5: Analytics can be used to answer complex questions -- if you know what to ask and have the tools.

How analytics considerations can drive design and taxonomy management

The Basics: ● Examining Search Logs can tell you a lot.

Beyond the Basics: ● What does it tell us when customers abandon

browse for search? or the reverse? ● Where do guided navigation experiences impact

conversion the most? ● Instrument your site to support the questions your

business is driving you to ask.

Guided Navigation Experiences

Lesson 6: There’s a lot of work to do before you can measure ROI.

What to do before you can measure ROI

● Can you plug into standard marketing metrics? ● How do you establish a baseline? ● Conversions vs. CSAT vs. operational efficiency.

DESIGN AND MODELING OF INFORMATION AND EXPERIENCES

6.14.13 [email protected] http://factorfirm.com

@factorfirm

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