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Busse Design Desconstructs Kmart's BlueLight.com
By Joy Busse, CEO & President - Busse Design USA
Reprinted from Internet World, September 1, 2000
Poor navigation, slow performance, and skimpy inventory may make you wish you were lost in a real Kmart store instead.
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Don't Pull the Wool Over Our Eyes
Product categorization and availability are major concerns. For example, while exploring Toys, which boasted an impressive list of categories, I clicked Games and got the Game Boy travel bag. I then clicked Video Games and Accessories, only to find the same one-and-only product each time. I kept clicking in hopes of finding more, but no such luck. Why make me click three additional times if you don't have anything to show? Issues like this make the user feel manipulated. Not having an extensive inventory at launch is something that can be excused for a short time; what is inexcusable is trying to make it seem like there is more than there really is and consequently disappointing the user.
Make the Most of My Information
You would think that BlueLight would offer a minimal amount of personalization for their returning customers, but it doesn't. The "My Account" page offers only entirely non-targeted product premotions and generic links to order status, user profile, and sign-in information. This page could push/pull much harder, providing more targeted cross-sell/upsell promotions to the returning customer, simply by adding a question or two to the sign-up process. From a design standpoint, it feels like this important area was an afterthought.
Catch 'Em Before They Fly Away
A brand this well known has a tremendous opportunity to build a huge online following. However, buyers are bound not to return if they visit the site now, because BlueLight isn't giving anyone a reason to come back.
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