Comments for The Snow Patrol http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com ecommerce intelligence from Snow Valley Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:12:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on The iPad will change the face of e-commerce by Sam http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/2010/03/11/the-ipad-will-change-the-face-of-e-commerce/comment-page-1/#comment-850 Sam Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:12:12 +0000 http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/?p=1508#comment-850 There's new pages up on Apple's site that show iWork in more detail – http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/keynote.html The screen grabs show some of the things I've been talking about in the article quite clearly – contextuality and discoverability. There’s new pages up on Apple’s site that show iWork in more detail – http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/keynote.html

The screen grabs show some of the things I’ve been talking about in the article quite clearly – contextuality and discoverability.

]]> Comment on Are apps needed for e-commerce on the iPhone? by boyzie http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/2010/03/09/are-apps-needed-for-e-commerce-on-the-iphone/comment-page-1/#comment-848 boyzie Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:34:07 +0000 http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/?p=1547#comment-848 If your phone is jailbroken there is "Categories" that allow you to plant your apps into a customised folder so as not to clutter your desktop. If your phone is jailbroken there is “Categories” that allow you to plant your apps into a customised folder so as not to clutter your desktop.

]]> Comment on Which online retailers sent me a birthday e-mail? by Miri Thomas http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/2010/02/16/which-online-retailers-sent-me-a-birthday-e-mail/comment-page-1/#comment-846 Miri Thomas Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:44:06 +0000 http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/?p=1364#comment-846 That's 4 more than I got! (http://www.catalog-biz.com/views/Birthday-blues_2043.asp) That’s 4 more than I got! (http://www.catalog-biz.com/views/Birthday-blues_2043.asp)

]]> Comment on Zappos Canada – why? by Emma http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/2009/09/22/zappos-canada-why/comment-page-1/#comment-845 Emma Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:03:48 +0000 c0a62ece-2c77-4519-a616-e64a6940e038:1417#comment-845 Just wanted to add a quick update. To add insult to injury Zappos have now done a complete redesign of their US site and have not bothered to even look at the Canadian site! Zappos please either put some love into your Canadian site and update it or close down this insult to ecommerce. Just wanted to add a quick update. To add insult to injury Zappos have now done a complete redesign of their US site and have not bothered to even look at the Canadian site!

Zappos please either put some love into your Canadian site and update it or close down this insult to ecommerce.

]]> Comment on The iPad will change the face of e-commerce by Sam http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/2010/03/11/the-ipad-will-change-the-face-of-e-commerce/comment-page-1/#comment-844 Sam Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:50:31 +0000 http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/?p=1508#comment-844 I think that's quite true, and I feel that the iPad addresses that in its very nature. I think that the design qualities I've outlined above are in many ways innate to the device – you have to design in an iPad-like way to be successful. This has already proven successful for Apple with the iPhone in bringing mobile computing to a much wider audience. I think that’s quite true, and I feel that the iPad addresses that in its very nature. I think that the design qualities I’ve outlined above are in many ways innate to the device – you have to design in an iPad-like way to be successful. This has already proven successful for Apple with the iPhone in bringing mobile computing to a much wider audience.

]]> Comment on The iPad will change the face of e-commerce by Henry http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/2010/03/11/the-ipad-will-change-the-face-of-e-commerce/comment-page-1/#comment-843 Henry Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:28:28 +0000 http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/?p=1508#comment-843 <blockquote><strong>The iPad is for everybody else.</strong></blockquote> I think that's the biggest point right there in the whole "Is the iPad a big deal?" hoo-ha. The massive market that is <a href="http://northtemple.com/2010/02/01/on-ipads-grandmas-and-gam" rel="nofollow">Grandmas, Technophobes and Luddites</a> don't care about configurability and options - this just adds to confusion. Truly ubiquitous computing in the hands of the average consumer will be a boon for e-commerce. We just have to always be wary of the <a href="http://www.uxmag.com/short-news/these-are-your-users-read-and-be-horrified" rel="nofollow">Where's My Facebook</a> phenomenon which we may see unleashed as a result.

The iPad is for everybody else.

I think that’s the biggest point right there in the whole “Is the iPad a big deal?” hoo-ha.

The massive market that is Grandmas, Technophobes and Luddites don’t care about configurability and options – this just adds to confusion.

Truly ubiquitous computing in the hands of the average consumer will be a boon for e-commerce. We just have to always be wary of the Where’s My Facebook phenomenon which we may see unleashed as a result.

]]> Comment on Email of the Week – eSpares by Kevin http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/2009/08/07/email-of-the-week-espares/comment-page-1/#comment-840 Kevin Thu, 11 Mar 2010 01:41:53 +0000 c0a62ece-2c77-4519-a616-e64a6940e038:1339#comment-840 This company is the benchmark we are all striving towards! This company is the benchmark we are all striving towards!

]]> Comment on Are apps needed for e-commerce on the iPhone? by Julian http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/2010/03/09/are-apps-needed-for-e-commerce-on-the-iphone/comment-page-1/#comment-838 Julian Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:54:17 +0000 http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/?p=1547#comment-838 Developing an App also means you have to accept Apple's (supposedly secret)T&Cs, which many have described as "draconian". http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/09/iphone_developer_agreement/ So you are now at Apple's mercy. They can decide to pull your App and all you get is a measly $50 in compensation. Hosting your own "optimised for iPhone" web site seems like a no-brainer. Developing an App also means you have to accept Apple’s (supposedly secret)T&Cs, which many have described as “draconian”.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/03/09/iphone_developer_agreement/

So you are now at Apple’s mercy. They can decide to pull your App and all you get is a measly $50 in compensation.

Hosting your own “optimised for iPhone” web site seems like a no-brainer.

]]> Comment on Are apps needed for e-commerce on the iPhone? by Andrew http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/2010/03/09/are-apps-needed-for-e-commerce-on-the-iphone/comment-page-1/#comment-836 Andrew Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:23:17 +0000 http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/?p=1547#comment-836 One of the most important points you highlight is that the downloading of Apps clutters your menu: Nobody wants to download a new App for every single store they might shop with online; only the very loyal customers really benefit from e-commerce Apps unless the App pushes updates on offers and incentivises you to impulse buy. Even geo-location based features of Apps only really benefits a regularly returning customer. At the end of the day, people will get tired of navigating through a mire of free Apps from e-commerce retailers and start deleting them; they didn't cost anything to the user and many are not well thought out. iPhone users are likely to become more selective about what they choose to install once the novelty wears off and anything that reveals itself as glaringly un-useful will get the chop. In short it's probably a better ROI for the retailers to create not just iPhone but also smartphone optimised versions of their website that preserve as much of the functionality as possible whilst adding that extra layer of experience tailored for the mobile platform. One of the most important points you highlight is that the downloading of Apps clutters your menu:
Nobody wants to download a new App for every single store they might shop with online; only the very loyal customers really benefit from e-commerce Apps unless the App pushes updates on offers and incentivises you to impulse buy. Even geo-location based features of Apps only really benefits a regularly returning customer.
At the end of the day, people will get tired of navigating through a mire of free Apps from e-commerce retailers and start deleting them; they didn’t cost anything to the user and many are not well thought out. iPhone users are likely to become more selective about what they choose to install once the novelty wears off and anything that reveals itself as glaringly un-useful will get the chop.

In short it’s probably a better ROI for the retailers to create not just iPhone but also smartphone optimised versions of their website that preserve as much of the functionality as possible whilst adding that extra layer of experience tailored for the mobile platform.

]]> Comment on Is e-commerce with Javascript turned off too hard? by Henry http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/2010/03/01/is-e-commerce-with-javascript-turned-off-too-hard/comment-page-1/#comment-805 Henry Wed, 03 Mar 2010 15:33:18 +0000 http://snowpatrol.snowvalley.com/?p=1490#comment-805 Right, got you... yes that makes more sense, we're generally a bit more judicious about how much info we show in the product list, so long as, as you say, the customer can find all the relevant info on the detail view. We're pretty much doing as you suggest with our "quick look" feature (in the second screenshot above). The basic view in the product list gives you the product shot, name and price (with any discount). The Quick look/buy overlay is an enhancement for JS-enabled users - when triggered it requests further data via an AJAX call, such as size variants, user reviews as well as providing the ability to add to basket. Right, got you… yes that makes more sense, we’re generally a bit more judicious about how much info we show in the product list, so long as, as you say, the customer can find all the relevant info on the detail view.

We’re pretty much doing as you suggest with our “quick look” feature (in the second screenshot above). The basic view in the product list gives you the product shot, name and price (with any discount). The Quick look/buy overlay is an enhancement for JS-enabled users – when triggered it requests further data via an AJAX call, such as size variants, user reviews as well as providing the ability to add to basket.

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