Usability 'rated over price'

25th March 2008

Online retailers can win customers by maximising usability rather than lowering prices, according to a new study.

A survey of 5,710 people by consumer watchdog Which? discovered that specialist retailers are among the most successful e-commerce companies in terms of customer satisfaction.

The clothes category saw underwear retailer figleaves.com emerge top, with respondents citing its range, ease of use and ordering processes as a welcome boost to the shopping experience.

Meanwhile, the entertainment category saw specialist book sales site AbeBooks and computer game, DVD and CD etailer Play.com tied for first place in the customer satisfaction stakes with 89 per cent.

"It was really interesting to see that it was the specialist shopping websites, like AbeBooks, Play.com and figleaves.com, that came out top in our survey - it appears that you can't put a price on customer service," said Jess Ross, editor of Which?.

Phil Gates, marketing director of web optician Glasses Direct, told E-consultancy last week that the internet optometry sector could mimic the success of the online insurance market.