2004

Arlene Kline, Usability Specialist, The Usability Company
First published in Internet World Magazine Jan-Feb 2004

GOOD POINTS

• The six methods available to find products
  They accommodate those users who know exactly what they want ('Search'), those users who already know the product's Argos catalogue number ('Quick Order'), those who have a rough idea of what they would like (The category lists and 'A-Z Index') and those who require help in choosing a gift ('QuickFind-It Gift' and others). The 'Quick Order' feature has the added advantage of allowing users to enter up to ten catalogue numbers at once for a quick multi-purchase option.
   
• The search results
  Only the top results from each relevant category are displayed initially, with the option of viewing the full set of results. This makes the return of the results page quicker and avoids overloading users with too much information at once.
   
• The variety of ways for customers to pay for and receive their goods
  This integration of multiple shopping channels assists the usability of the online shopping experience by exploiting offline knowledge and experience that users would have gained through their dealings with Argos in the physical world.

LET DOWNS

• The high-level product information pages
  The information provided in the list is scant. Ideally, users should be provided with sufficient information to make an informed decision. This information is not available until a product is selected from the list and the detailed product information page appears.
   
• The quality and clarity of product photographs
  Users typically want to simulate having a 'closeinspection' of the product to satisfy themselves of the material's quality. More views of the products and close-ups of details would be useful.
   
• Stock availability
  Users do not know whether a product is in stock or not until the product has been added to the trolley. It could be frustrating to find a product out of stock after going to the effort of locating it. Ideally, the availability of the stock would be displayed when the detailed product information page is viewed.

OVERALL

This site is a good example of how good information architecture can make it simple to present a vast product range. The pages are simply laid out, yet provide users with enough information and related links to investigate further. The categories are clear and the labelling is appropriate. Good use has been made of the alt tags to enhance the clarity of links and images. Overall, this is a tightly-knit site that sits very well with the Argos brand - not overly elaborate, but with plenty of options to satisfy most users' needs.

Would you like The Usability Company to assess how well your website shapes up? Then please drop the editor of Internet World a line at:

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