Flex in E-commerce
Towards the end of last year, Charles wondered how RIA technologies can enhance usability in E-commerce sites. His main ideas were rotatable and magnifiable images, and an easily browsable gallery. I have come across very few websites that use RIAs not just for the main pages but also the stores.
Coyote Store is one such website, designed using Flex, which sells uniquely designed eco-friendly wrist watches. There are hardly twenty watches in the store now (perhaps newly opened), but they give us a clear idea of the impressive style and make.
Interestingly, it does have a slider to browse the gallery
and three different angles of each watch along with one snap of how it looks on a wrist.
(Click images for higher resolution.)
Agreed, the latter is not the same as rotatable and magnifiable images, but I felt that this was sufficient to give a better picture. Also, these features do make visiting the site a better experience.
I have two suggestions for the folks behind this website. The drop-down box for “Select Quantity” clearly serves no purpose here. And a need to register to buy a single watch can put off customers more than slightly. Clearly, a small watch store isn’t the same as eBay for buyers to visit, much less buy, periodically. It can do away with the registration process and instead have a simple form, unless Coyote Store plans to expand into a store for other products as well.
Are there any other cool e-commerce websites using any RIA technologies that you have visited? They surely are making an appearance.
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i will throw our site in the ring: http://lightingconcepts.com
we put code - before design and usability (which is a common flex app. mistake)
but if someone is looking for a cf/flex/lcds store check it out. also, every facet of the
store management (vendor products, paypal, google checkout, yellow freight, ups,
etc.) is managed by a single .air app.
FYI, good article on RIA in eCommerce at Anthropology in today’s Boston Globe:
http://tinyurl.com/6j9bn6
Cheers,
David
FYI, good article on RIA in eCommerce at Anthropology in today\’s Boston Globe:
http://tinyurl.com/6j9bn6
Cheers,
David
“And a need to register to buy a single watch can put off customers more than slightly”
here here!
if direct marketing data is to be collected, save it for the end of the checkout process as an opt in. as it is, they won’t get my sale.
don’t forget, e-Commerce isn’t just selling of items (a la Amazon, eBay). it can also be services and intangibles: airline tickets, quotes (based on features selected), etc. Hopefully we’ve come a long way from iHotellier.
David, thank you for that nice link.
Barclay, that is a wonderful website there. Congratulations! The Boston Globe article mentions catalogues similar to yours.
I agree, Barry. But I’m afraid I don’t know about iHotellier
Check out ruehl.com, also in flex.