Australian Retail Websites – Room for Improvement

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Fi Bendall from the Bendalls Group shares her thoughts about Australian retail websites and the path to a more effective online strategy.

Australian online retail websites leave a lot to be desired when compared to those of similar organisations across the globe.

Take a look at David Jones, Myer and Harvey Norman and you will get what I am talking about. They are just plain awful.

Let’s face it; Australia’s retailers (not all, mind you) are not leaders but followers when it comes to their websites. There are plenty of brilliant overseas examples that demonstrate great design, usability and revenue returns. Despite this, what we see from the majority of Australian retailers is of poor standard and quality and behind the times – and don’t bother trying to view these sites on your mobile!

Fi Bendall says that Australian online retail websites are of a lower standard than overseas counterparts

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple said that design is not just what it looks and feels like. Design is how it works. However, in Australia we don’t  often see good design let alone a workable experience.

Online retail is a very mature market with a huge customer base. Successful sites such as Amazon and eBay have been around for many years and can provide great examples for the Australian market to learn from. With these kinds of examples available there really is no excuse for the state of the majority of Australia’s online retail sites.
Here are five tips for online retailers to think about when designing their sites:

1. Keep it simple
2. Make it work for an easy purchase

- Searchable

- Findable

- Easy

3. Include user ratings and reviews – recommendations drive sales 78 percent higher than a product with no rating or reviews

4. Reduce clutter and marketing messages

5. Create great mobile apps – think beyond just viewing a website on a mobile phone.

Whether the problem is a supplier issue or a lack of effort from the retailers themselves, a website calls for the same thought and research as opening a new bricks and mortar store.

The following should be considered:

1. Understand your passing traffic

2. Understand the area

3. Know where to position your shop

4. Make sure your shop window (your homepage) is going to draw people in

5. When inside give them a great experience to purchase.

Online retailers need to understand that online is no different to any other aspects of their business and needs to be given appropriate attention. Unfortunately, at the moment online is not being given the dedication it deserves, so it’s little wonder that Aussies are shopping on overseas sites.

Rant over! I am off for a browse on the Outnet for some bargains that are clear, easy to find and easy to purchase.

Article by Fi Bendall

Fi is a leading interactive and digital specialist, and managing director of Bendalls Group, www.bendalls.com.au. A Director of Digital Intelligence www.digitalintelligence.com.au and social media collaborator group, www.getsocialadvice.com. Fi has over 20 years experience in the digital sector, commencing in the consumer electronics industry. She has worked in London and New York, developed key digital strategies for the BBC, Virgin, and led the international gaming portal, ATE Online. Fi has built a reputation as a highly regarded digital specialist and for being hyper-connected using this ability to bring business and social media influencers together.

One Comment

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  • 3rd February

  Great Article! Australian Retailers very much so, need to spruce up their websites. There are so many good programs and things they can do to attract more customers and especially using latest technology and features.

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