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Introduction –
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Social Media -
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Interaction –
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Personalisation – Dynamic Design – Customer Orientation – Aesthetics – Navigation & Structure – Page Design – Copywriting – Online Value Proposition Conclusion -
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The team, fresh from The B.O.X‌
David
Welcome to our first issue of Online Fashion Weekly. We are students from Buckinghamshire New University. As part of our first assignment we have Charlotte been given a task to compare and contrasts the websites of organisations operating in a specific industry sector. Due to our high interest in the difference between simply online fashion sites (pure play) and online sites for stores (clicks and bricks), our chosen Sophie sector is the online fashion industry including the following sites; ASOS, Very, Topshop and H&M. We do hope you enjoy our magazine and if you have any comments you would like to share please don’t hesitate to tweet us @theboxmedia. Stevie
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Do Pure Play Companies Use Digital Technologies Through Their Websites More Effectively Than Clicks And Bricks Companies? With convenience becoming a necessity for consumer shopping, online sites are taking a lead role. Leading retails stores such as Topshop and H&M competing with pure online stores such as ASOS and Very on the world wide web; however, does this difference influence consumers? The BOX aim to answer this through in depth research and comparisons of Topshop, H&M, ASOS and Very. There are a variety of components that are required for a successful website, therefore these will provide a criteria for each site to be analysed against. For each area researched, a scoring system will be employed to help conclude which site is the strongest and most consumer friendly. This system is simply a score from 1-5 (5 being the top) and at the end of the analysis's, the scores will be tallied to provide an overall mark.
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SOCIAL Social Media is where customers are empowered. Control is handed over and companies better listen or they could face the consequences! In order to have a successful Social Media existence Companies must understand their customers’ needs and wants. This works both ways as customers must relate to the brand to engage with it.
Top Shop has a famous British identity which customers relate to. Multinational brands like H&M will struggle to find this and leave customers confused disabling the ability of good quality two way communication as seen below.
H&M are different in their use of Social Media as they see it as a global tool which it is however a localised operation is preferred by customers. Sue who is 28 from Essex says “I want to know what’s happening in my country and what I can go and buy on my high street”. Therefore the use of YouTube with New York fashion week information may not be suitable for the UK market.
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Asos on the other hand push the use of their Blogs. This works well for them as customers can get involved and write a blog on a ‘look’ they like at the moment. Customers again have the power as although there are many styles from people around the world each customer chooses a blog and style that suits them. Unlike H&M this gives customers the option to take ‘looks’ from foreign customers or simply stick with a look they are more familiar with.
H&M are going wrong their and could alienate customers by not catering to individual countries needs. Top Shop have an understanding with customers however they need to get customers involved more as the Very is a newer site and media savvy young therefore is only starting customers will engage to build a reputation more if they are a part of within the industry. The the process. Whilst Top site focuses on its Shop have a presence on advertising campaign the blogging site tumblr it featuring Holly is not a main focus and Willoughby and Fearne customers could switch to Cotton rather than Asos which does offer this Social Media. It only service. Very uses social features this at the media in a much less bottom of the page. focused way than its competitors. As it is a department store it does need to cover more areas other than fashion however blogging about the X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing is not Asos have used social advised. Blogs for this media the way it was type of thing already exist suppose to be used as it is and in such a competitive globalised but customers market turning your back from different territories on your main business is a can relate on a local level risky one. also.
SO……..
H&M
Topshop
ASOS
Very
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A website with good interaction simplifies the visit for the consumer. It personalises certain areas and if done well could improve profitability.
Asos above demonstrates great interaction through their Roll over feature on their homepage where the image changes and animates . This engages the customer with the search and makes them feel more involved and personal with the website.
H&M offer the roll over feature where initially an item is shown as part of an outfit whereas when the cursor is put over the image just the item of clothing appears for closer inspection. No other site offers this feature in this way. Actual video tutorials are offered by Top Shop. This enables the customer to get closer to the brand and the products. No other site in question offered this.
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Every site offers a customer account where they can sign in and enjoy further personalisation after buying products however Very are more focused on this as the top toolbar is designed to entice this. At the bottom of the toolbar promotions are pushed to gain more customers and to gain more account holders. This is because they are newer to the market and need to build their customer base more than the rivals in question who focus more on social media and maintaining their existing customer base.
In terms of interaction Asos again is a strong competitor as this is a key aspect of how it’s grown its business being purely an online retailer. By offering the roll over feature and then further modifying the search pages. Very have a different approach as their website is purely about making it as simple to buy as possible. Interacting with customers is performed better by H&M who use looks incorporating their products then roll over images to see the product on its own. Top Shop use video tutorials which really engage the customer making it the best and most unique website for interaction as shown in the scoring. H&M
Topshop
ASOS
Very
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5
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It is important that the website identifies their customers and makes them feel welcome. This is done by the customer having an existing account and the site recognising items they have previously viewed and keeping memory of this. Also, it identifies other items that would be recommended with certain items the customer has chosen to make an outfit. All 4 of the websites offer this. The ASOS site is really user friendly and welcoming. It instantly recognises you on the website page and give you the option to notice if you are not logged in. It also offers you the ‘save for later’ option. This is great as it allows you to keep hold of items and purchase them at a later date. It also informs you if they are low or out of stock. Very offers a similar option to this which is named ‘wish list’. However it does not inform you of items stock availability and does now allot you to holt items in there for the same length of time as ASOS. H&M and Topshop only offer the simple options of viewing your bag and your account details.
Very
H&M
Topshop
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Throughout the Very.co.uk website it allows the customer to regularly check their items in their basket. Furthermore, when purchasing Very allows the customer to zoom in on the product so the buyer can evaluate the product themselves. This service allows the audience to gain their own opinion on both the site and the chosen item in which benefits both VERY and buyer. This is also evident in TOPSHOP, ASOS and H&M. However, despite this ASOS also provides this service but also allows recommends other products that would relate to the item or what other customers have purchased along with product. In which gives a more interaction with the audience than the other three that only offer the zoom in option. Furthermore, H&M offers a unique service called the ‘Dressing Room’, this allows the customer to virtually try out the item chosen with other products that the retailer offers. Moreover, H&M is the only one that provides this service and which one could suggest that their gives more credibility to the business and its audience.
H&M
VERY
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Whilst these websites try to offer different services Very.co.uk focuses on the wants and needs of the customer, as it illustrates a variety of options. Furthermore, Very shows its celebrity creditability which is extremely powerful and influential on a customers buying behavior. However, this can be an advantage in one respect but their website over kills the celebrity endorsements. Where as TOPSHOP and ASOS develops a more discrete solution the audience segmentation is more clearer than VERY as its displays a different rage of ‘celeb models’ that are all different ages.
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Topshop
ASOS
Very
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The aesthetics of a web page are where the customers initial views of a website begin. If the welcome page is, as it should be, ‘welcoming’, it starts the viewing process in a positive manner. However, if the website creates negative first views, then potentially, sales could be affected. Aesthetics range from the general layout of a page, to the colours, fonts, sounds, videos and images used. Each website will be given a mark out of 5 in order to summarise the performances in relation to the websites Aesthetics. Furthermore, Aesthetics are not just influential in relation to the home page, every element of the website must have effective aesthetics.
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Each website has it’s own identity, and often or not, the identity revolves around particular colours, fonts, style and images used, just to name just a few. ASOS, Topshop and H&M share very similar colours and styles. Each of the three websites use simple colours of a white background with black and grey foregrounds and lettering. The simplicity of the templates allow the images that are used to stand out and look more vivid. This isn’t the case for Very. The main background colour is a light grey, however there are a number of bright bold colours used in the foregrounds; especially pink. Although pink is coherent to the logo of Very, it could be the case that men will be put off and are unlikely to be drawn to a website which is predominantly this colour.
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Although Very having a pink based website could be seen as a disadvantage towards males customers, it could also be seen as a positive due to it standing out from other websites. It is memorable due to the bright colours used, whereas more plain and dull websites could be easily forgotten.
Images Topshop, H&M and ASOS have a very simplistic design with minimal colour used in the website template, however, they all capture attention through the use of bright, bold images and writing. This is where Very lacks. Very does have many strong images but the customer has to dig to find them. In this area, Topshop and ASOS excel as the images alternate through flash, each directing to particular sections on the site. Creating attention through emphasis on images and words is important as the customers are directed to specific areas of the website. This is vital when the websites are promoting sales. 15
H&M and Topshop both have strong images however there is an evident lack of emphasis on titles/important fields in comparison to the rival that is ASOS. ASOS has the boldest, most eye catching images when compared to the other three sites. Every image grabs attention and due to the design of the site, the images are the main focus and take up a large amount of the screen. Additionally, ASOS also advertise their latest offers, sales and other beneficial elements for customers, better than the other three websites. Instantly noticeable and easily accessible images are cleverly placed on the homepage of ASOS for maximum affect.
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H&M
Topshop
ASOS
Very
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5
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Navigation and Structure It is vital for websites to have clear, helpful and easy to use navigation and structure. It allows the customer to find and purchase items quickly, ultimately saving them time and money. Serving the customers need is the priority, therefore, allowing purchases to be a simple process will encourage them to return, leading to increased profitability for the business.
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It is clear that all four websites share a similar template for toolbars. With in depth, specific lists of categories, the websites provide clear navigation for customers. However, ASOS appear to have an extra feature that makes the process even easier; ‘Style Search’ toolbar. The ‘Style Search’ toolbar remains on the websites template throughout each section. When looking for a particular product a drop down list appears. This provides easier navigation and saves time for the customer.
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As previously mentioned, having a clear and easy to use buying process saves the customer time and can lead to returning customers. Ease of use is specifically important when using check-out systems. All of the websites in hand deal with the checkout process in easy manners, however, Very appear to have the most complex structure of the four. Where ASOS, Topshop and H&M keep the checkout process fairly minimal, Very have too many layers and elements which could be made simpler. Once you select an item and ask for it to be placed in the basket a loading page appears, which then leads onto another page to show it has been added to the basket. After this, an additional loading page appears which allows you to choose whether you wish to continue shopping or to check out. This process could frustrate the customers as it takes up more of their time.
H&M 2
Topshop 3
ASOS 4
Very 1
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Layout The layout of a website is very important. It has to be simple to navigate around and not too full of writing and information. Especially when it comes to online fashion sites where the customer is simply looking for items of clothing to purchase, and not worried about reading bulks of information. After comparing the 4 sites, it was noticed that ASOS had the most effective layout. Everything you need is on the opening page, including the search option, men's and women's and each category of clothing. This is helpful as it saves time having to search through different drop down options. Also, the main image in the middle of the page is extremely eye catching and that is where they promote current offers so it is hard to miss. The Topshop site is fairly similar. It is very plain and is not full of information and is also easy to navigate around. They have also chosen to have a large image in the middle of the page which they choose to promote current fashion trends and new lines. H&M have highlighted their sale on the opening page, this is very effective but it could turn people away if they are not interested in sale items. H&M
Topshop
ASOS
Very
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Columns All four of the sites have the drop down selection for each category. ASOS has minimal drop down columns to make things less tedious. These include simply women's, men's and their blogs, marketplace and outfit and look ideas. Within these columns are more categories to minimise the options. Once you have entered one of these drop down columns, the options change to the left hand side of the page and you can tick/ un-tick the ones you want to view. As Topshop only sell women's clothing they have a wider selection of drop down columns along the top including new in, clothing, designers & collections, shoes, accessories, make-up and gifts. This could be quite time consuming as you have to view different columns for each item you want to see under a different category. Very is fairly similar to ASOS in the way they have set out their drop down columns along the top. This may be due to the fact they both sell women's and men's clothing. They also sell many other items such as electrical, home wear, sports and gifts. This may be too much to take in if you are entering a site simply for clothing. H&M is also similar to ASOS as they have minimal choice of drop down columns at the top. This keeps it simple to find what you are looking for. They also include further selections down the left hand side of the page so you can easily change what you are looking for without entering a new page.
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Images‌ On the home pages of ASOS and Topshop there is just one feature picture in the middle of the page. This highlights Topshop’s latest fashion trends and for H&M and ASOS, their latest offers and sales. Very have used numbers amounts of images on their home page that highlight all the different things they have to offer from clothes to home wear. Within the sites, they all have the option for the customer to select how many items they are viewing on that page. This is essential because it gives the customer a chance to view all the items and not too many of them so they can see each individual item. Another important factor when it comes to clothing is the ability to view the item at different angles and as ASOS offers, on a catwalk. It is also important not to have too many images on a site as it could deter the attention away from the products they are trying to sell.
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Topshop
ASOS
Very
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Priorities The main priorities for ASOS and Topshop’s site is the main picture in the middle of the screen. For ASOS this is to advertise their current promotions and sales as these are constantly changing on a daily basis. For Topshop, this main image promotes their current trends and style ideas for the different seasons and fashion trends. Also on ASOS , Topshop and Very, throughout the site it is constantly reminding you of their free delivery services and for ASOS their 10% student discount and for Topshop their current reminder of their Christmas gift section. This is hard to miss as it follows you no matter what page you select. ASOS and Topshop also allow the option for foreign customers to change the currency into thier own (if it is available)
The main priority for Very is also a central image on their front page of their website however there are numerous amounts of images advertising their different selection of items available.
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When evaluating Very.co.uk website it is evident that the typography has no structure or coherent styles. Furthermore, the amount of text capacity on one page is extremely over whelming for the customer. In addition to this, its profuse amount information is not relevant for the user and creates confusion for the customer. Moreover, when comparing TOPSHOP, ASOS and H&M it is evident that their strategies are the complete opposite and are more affective. Their sleek, clear, concise and easy to read styles enables a scalability for the website and its pages. Furthermore, this can constructs the buying behaviour of a customer by being minimal in contrast to VERY.co.uk that clutters its pages Therefore, by adding scan-ability value it will add more business trafficking to the website. In result will then encourage customers to return to their site. In addition Very illustrates a cluttered format which will not help the customer or make them remain on the site for a long period of time.
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Very advertise financial benefits for customers on the homepage which are clear and would help retain customers.
The Online Value Proposition (OVP) is very important as attracting new customers is expensive because of the marketing costs. According to Brand Fast Trackers “We are attracted to what makes us feel good, and this is often what is most comfortable and easy.� Once a customer feels comfortable with a brand they are also likely to spend more.
Top Shop have pop up banners to enable region personalisation very easily. The pure ease of use of the clear and functional website is another plus. H&M have a wide ranging social media however this is often its downfall as it may help engage some but as it is not localised could equally dis-engage others.
Main ways of retaining customers for multiple visits is offer banners; ease of use; personalisation and good service/communication.
Overall the pure play retailers seem to perform this better as there is no retail outlets for them to fall back on. The whole package is online and so all of their business comes from here and it shows.
Asos communicate with customers the most enabling a strong relationship between the business and its client.
H&M
Topshop
ASOS
Very
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So who’s the best? After the comparisons in various different areas the question looking to be answered needs revisiting again. Do Pure Play Companies Use Digital Technologies Through Their Websites More Effectively Than Clicks And Bricks Companies? H&M
Top Shop
Asos
Very
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30
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By using the scoring system which was applied throughout our question has been answered. That answer is that Pure Play companies do not necessarily use digital technologies better than bricks and clicks as although Asos clearly execute using digital technologies the most effectively however the other pure play company Very do not and clearly need improvement. Top Shop has strong points where it rivals Asos however in other areas falls short. H&M on the other hand have a website which aesthetically looks good however the functionality generally lets it down.
Overall Asos are the clear winners with the best website and use of digital technologies.
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