Quantifying the Effect of User Interface Design Features on Cyberstore Traffic and Sales
"Lohse and Spiller's data can be used to suggest areas for further research, and if their findings parallel other data, then developers can act on the body of evidence that is available. To those ends, the authors have conducted valuable research."
|
@ the reviewer |
|
Roger Tilson is a User Involvement Specialist at IBM in Austin, TX. |
Gerald Lohse and Peter Spiller have been charting some unfamiliar territory. Their most important research is reported in "Quantifying the Effect of User Interface Design Features on Cyberspace Traffic and Sales" in the CHI'98 Conference Proceedings. In this research, the authors use a regression model of twenty-eight Web sites to quantify the impact of thirty-two e-commerce interface elements on site traffic and sales. The report of their findings is not without its problems. For one, the significant results perhaps only wet our appetites for more. Second, they sometimes overstate the significance of their findings. But despite these and other problems, their research provides an important contribution to the currently small body of e-commerce research.
Their findings are interesting and more persuasive partly because they parallel qualitative data. For instance, the regression model indicated a positive correlation between feedback opportunities and increased sales. Similarly, a user commented at the AnchorDesk at ZDNet, "too many sites have no provision for e-mailing questions or comments. . . . They WANT you to fill out the registration. . . The WANT you to visit their web site. . . but they DONT want to hear from you, or answer questions." The findings of Lohse and Spiller, coupled with existing qualitative data, may convince some developers and managers to provide more feedback and contact opportunities.
Lohse and Spiller also report that "improved product lists have a tremendous effect on sales." I object to the use of the word "improved" since it suggests a controlled experiment, and also the use of "effect" since the authors admit their "statistical model does not detect causalities," but the correlation they find is interesting to me because it parallels the findings of some of IBM's research. IBM Ease of Use recently asked sixteen people to compare two e-commerce sites, and the difference in product lists was one major reason that fourteen of the participants stated they preferred one site over the other.
I should note that some of the authors' findings are poorly explained, such as "a greater number of 'store entrances' yields additional visits and sales." I was never exactly certain how the authors were defining "store entrances," which made this piece of information useless.
Using a regression model to correlate interface elements with traffic and sales has its limitations. One can never be certain of causality. Nevertheless, Lohse and Spiller's data can be used to suggest areas for further research, and if their findings parallel other data, then developers can act on the body of evidence that is available. To those ends, the authors have conducted valuable research.
© Internet Technical Group
Last update: September 8, 1998
URL: http://www.sandia.gov/itg/newsletter/review_lohse.html
hosted by Sandia National Labs
Disclaimer: Neither Sandia Corporation, the United States Government, nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately-owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Sandia Corporation, the United States Government, or any agency thereof. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of Sandia Corporation, the United States Government or any agency thereof.