Staples.com

Using Usability Testing to Get Results

Staples' Web development team and Human Factors International, Inc. (HFI) worked together to make sure Staples.com provided a new improved user experience.

Since the improved site's May 2000 relaunch, measurements show that users have been happier with the buying process, are more likely to purchase items, and there has been a 67% increase in the the amount of visitors who have returned to the site after their first visit.

The independent business survey company, Bizrate, found that after surveying Staple.com users, the redevelopment had improved the ease of placing orders, the overall purchasing experience, and the likelihood of repeat purchases.

The internal research taken out by Staples.com also proved positive for the redevelopment. They discovered that 31% less people left the site immediately than before, with more 'blind-visitors' turning into new customers.

Statistics

Since the relaunch, Staples.com has ranked first in the office-supply industry in unique daily visitors. The week after Thanksgiving, when the Christmas shopping season begins, resulted in a 80% increase in visitors for Staples, compared to the market average of 40%.

The amount of repeat customers had increased too, with 300,000 repeat customers compared to 180,000 in the previous quarter. "This 67% jump speaks to the increased stickiness of site and the positive experience of a customer the first time through," says Colin Hynes, Director of Site Usability at Staples.com.

But have the usability improvements increased Staples' revenue? This isn't so easy to measure in Staples' case since Staples also undertook a number of marketing campaigns at the same time, which undoubtedly increased sales too. Furthermore, the booming economy was also beginning to slow in the second half of the year, but there's no doubt that Staples.com's revenues have increased significantly.

The original Staples.com site was launched in late 1998, about a year after Staples' main rivals had launched their own sites. But while Staples was late to launch its own e-commerce offering, their dedication to usability and user experience has led to them becoming the premier small-business destination site, leading many of its rivals.

Staples.com has proven by example why usability engineering is a necessity, and not a luxury, for e-commerce sites.

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