ORR Home > Articles > Technical Writing > Web Parasites
(See: Analysis of Jupiter Communications Press Release)
Conservative Approach to Online Shopping Outdated NEW YORK, August 29, 2000—Not even one in five online retailers deploys well-accepted and widely supported Web technologies such as Java, Flash, or chat functions to enhance online shopping experience and close sales-according to a new report from Jupiter Communications, Inc., (Nasdaq: JPTR). Jupiter's report advises that online retailers abandon conservative Web site development practices and optimize their interactive real estate to match the technical capabilities, of most online consumers that can support a rich interface adequately. As audiences upgrade hardware, add plug-ins, and upgrade to faster Internet connections, the addressable consumer technology environment becomes more diverse. At the same time, consumers expect a richer online shopping experience because of the exposure they receive through new interfaces on most sites. Merchants operating in complex online product categories—auto, real estate, home furnishings and housewares, PCs and peripheral devices, and apparel—now have the opportunity to integrate advanced applications that can satisfy the needs and address the problems of more experienced online shoppers. Merchants must move to meet consumers' heightened expectations now as late movers will lose audience and market share. "Many retailers have designed their sites for the lowest common denominator, which is shortsighted, particularly for vendors of high-consideration goods," said Lydia Loizides, an analyst with Jupiter Communications. "This practice ensures support for technology laggards, but retailers must also meet the rising expectations of experienced online shoppers. Competitive pressure will make support for advanced technologies a must-have for sites operating in the complex product market. Retailers will have to offer more to their customers than just basic textual representation, search, and price comparison." In a new Jupiter Executive Survey of online merchants, 60 percent cited customer feedback as a primary factor in their decision to integrate advanced technologies into the user interface. However, a recent Jupiter Consumer Survey of online shoppers found that more than 50 percent of respondents indicated they would use the technology if it were available. Specifically, 56 percent said they would use items such as virtual dressing rooms, and 51 percent said they would use zoom-and-spin technology if available. According to Loizides, merchants must proactively deploy technologies that enhance the process of searching for and evaluating products and services online, or they will lose customers to those that offer a richer online experience. PCs have evolved—and speakers, microphones, and support for processor-intensive multimedia is commonplace—yielding an environment in which Web ventures can integrate advanced imaging and graphics technologies, including voice and audio features creatively. Online retailers should place technologies on a graduating scale of complexity. Web sites implement a wide range of applications that target audiences from those of low bandwidth, low-consumer technology to those on the high-end of those scales. However, marketing and technology departments of online retailers have focused on purchasing and checkout phases and hyper-focused on abandoned shopping carts and purchase forms. Loizides encourages merchants to incorporate technologies that can ease this process by including tools for product and price comparison, advanced search bots, and visualization clients that present a finer level of detail. About Jupiter Media Metrix |