I do not shop online much, though I chose eBay as my eCommerce site to pursue a product on. Immediately upon opening the website I saw that the main page is very crowded. There is a fast moving banner near the middle of the screen that is a bit overwhelming at first, though it can be paused using a button. The most prominent feature on the site, however, is the search bar. The search bar is big and central, with the caption “Search for anything” inside of it. This setup is done very well as it is an integral part of the eBay shopping experience, and requires little thinking for one to find the product they desire.
Like mentioned on page 17 of the reading, it is important for a search bar to give a list of choices when somebody starts typing in. If done correctly, one’s result may potentially be in the first few results before they even finish typing it. eBay quickly recognized my product and also put the tag “Video Game Accessories” next to it in the search bar to indicate that it is within the specific category I am looking for, not to be confused with anything else. I then clicked that button and moved forward with my search.
Upon searching, I was brought to a new page with only products related to my search result, though this page was very crowded and had many buttons. While it may have seemed overwhelming at first, I quickly noticed that the products I had searched for were prominently in the center of the page and in a very large size. Upon further examination of the side areas, they were largely search tools to aid me in my search, in the event that I had trouble looking for a specific product. Like mentioned on page 21 of the reading, I merely glanced at the page at first instead of reading the mass of information encompassing it. I looked for important information, then I quickly found it and clicked it.
The next page I am brought to is focused only on the specific product I had chosen. I quickly noticed two buttons: “Buy it now” and “Add to cart.” The price is displayed to the left of these buttons, and I instantly know that this is what I must click to move on with my purchase. I add it to my cart, and my shopping experience is complete.
Though eBay may look overwhelming at some points, it is a well designed website which allows one to quickly find a product they are looking for. Though the home page is overwhelming at first, loading in ads and quickly moving the banner across the middle of the screen, the shopping process is straightforward and easy. The site also keeps track of what products I have looked at in order to recommend some similar ones, which would be helpful if I was interested in that. Overall, the interface is well done with obvious buttons to click and the most important features placed prominently in each section. I would definitely use eBay again to buy a product I desire.