Site review: American Eagle UK

US retailer American Eagle Outfitters has 24 stores around the world including London and has recently launched a new UK ecommerce site.

So how well does the new site work? I’ve been looking into the user experience offered.

 

Homepage and navigation

 

The homepage doesn’t automatically detect I’m from the UK, so I have to actively select the site I want.

Also, perhaps it’s safety first coming from a US entrant into the market, but the cookie notice is a little too intrusive.

Since the concerns around implementation when the directive came into force, most sites have taken an implied consent approach with more subtle notices.

To avoid interrupting the user experience, I’d suggest American Eagle should take a similar approach to their cookie compliance notice.

American Eagle

Elsewhere on the homepage, the design is clean and navigation easy. The design is clear, if unspectacular.

 

Product search and filtering

The search is erratic. Some terms work well while other terms which should be straightforward manage to trip the site search up:

ae blue shirt

A term should as this should be easy enough for sites to handle, especially as there are plenty of blue shirts on the site.

The site is also short on product filters, with the ability to shop by size the only real option. The number of items on site may be limited for now, but these kinds of options are essential.

ae shirts

 

To aid with product selection. filtered navigation options provide a way for  shoppers to narrow their product selection and find more easily those items which are relevant to them.

For example, John Lewis adds a wide range of filters to its category pages, allowing users to narrow their selection according to brand, colour, style and more.

This makes it easier for customers to find an item that suits them and therefore more likely to make a purchase.

John Lewis filtered navigation

Product pages

This is a relatively basic product page. The imagery is good, with a range on angles on the clothes shown and a zoom tool for closer inspection.

AE product page

However, it lacks a few features common to the best product pages. For example, there is little product page copy to sell the benefits of the product, just basic information on materials, size and fit.

There are no reviews as yet, though this may simply be a matter of time, and the pages lack cross-selling options.

Information on delivery and returns is important, and this is clearly presented. Promoting free delivery and hassle-free returns is a big plus point. 

ae returns

Checkout process

American Eagle sends customers straight to the checkout page, without any request to register beforehand, though existing shoppers are prompted to sign in.

This avoids the potential barrier of forced registration before checkout, which has been shown to deter many customers from purchases. Essentially, registration is an unnecessary step which looks and feels like hard work to shoppers.

Many sites offer the option of registration or guest checkout, but its becoming more common to skip even this step, so customers can get started on entering details.

This is the option here, though customers can create an account further on in the process if they want to.

ae checkout

 

The checkout has also been enclosed, meaning that navigational options are removed.

This means that distractions for customers are minimised so they can concentrate on completing the checkout forms. 

It is important to leave access to some information which shoppers may need, such as privacy policies and returns information, while contact options are also useful. I’d be inclined to make the latter more visible though.

ae checkout 2

 

The forms are easy to complete, though AE could improve the process by adding shortcuts for users. A postcode lookup and validation tool would be one way to improve the user experience and minimise errors with address entry.

In summary

The American Eagle site offers a good user experience. Design-wise, it isn’t anything ground-breaking, and looks much the same as many other fashion sites.

There are plenty of areas for improvement which could enrich the user experience and do more to sell, such as better product copy, the use of video, and consumer reviews.

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