I’m still surprised at the number of companies that create websites that look fantastic but have no concept of the checkout process. Two companies that get it right are NewEgg and Amazon. Both sites are easy to navigate and find exactly what I’m looking for. Amazon has an uncanny way of presenting items I’m interested in purchasing. Both sites have an excellent tracking mechanism so I can trace my orders at any time. I used to save a few bucks bidding on items on eBay but it’s hardly worth the hassle anymore unless the item is rare or out of print. So many eBay merchants have no concept of customer service. Some won’t even reply to an email. I’m to the point of not giving internet merchants a second chance because there are so many companies that are willing to earn my business.
The same concept applies to grocery shopping. I used to shop at Albertsons until they began staggering rows of goods right near the checkout lines. If the store was busy and I needed to reach the cold medications I’d have to squeeze past a line full of shoppers and carts in order to reach the product I was after if it happened to be located off one of the shelves close to registers. What is the manager of Albertons thinking making such a boneheaded move? He certainly lost my business.
Nordquist Blog 