1. Last week Google launched it’s own feed reader. The reader is integrated with gmail, so I was really excited to be able to check all my feeds from any computer, in Google’s no-clutter format. Unfortunately, I can’t get the damn thing to work. I’ve tried adding feeds several different ways, and usually I just get a little loading graphic that goes on forever. Occasionally it finishes, with the feed nowhere to be found. I can cut Google some slack, though, the site’s probably bogged down by about a million visitors by now, and it is just a beta after all.

2. The other crappy site is Ikea. (I’m so annoyed I’m not even going to link to them.) Ikea is known for selling well-designed products, so shouldn’t their site be well designed too? My first problem is half the items I want aren’t available on the website. I understand web stores’ capabilities are more limited where inventory is concerned than a physical store, but can’t you give me some kind of explanation, an inkling, or magic 8 ball speculation? I don’t want to look at a couch, have your site tell me other colors are available, and not tell me what colors! At least give me the phone number to my local store so I can call to find out, I know you have my information because you ask me if I’d like you to set my store. My nearest Ikea is two hours away. I want to buy your Expedit book case in black-brown, but I’m not going to drive two hours without first knowing just how brown, black-brown is.

Most of what Ikea sells is furniture, and I know if I’m going to be buying four dining room chairs the shipping is going to be pretty hefty, so what the hell is wrong with you that you aren’t going to tell me what the shipping is until after I order the product?! If I have set aside $200 to spend on some chairs, my limit is $200, not $200+shipping. I need to know the shipping during the check out process, so I can determine whether or not the the $20 chairs I want are really $60 chairs. I do not want to wait for you to email me with my final check out link and shipping estimate, I already have to wait for my order to arrive at my house, I don’t want to wait to buy it too. I’m shopping on your website because it’s cheap. If the chairs I think are going to save me a bunch of money aren’t, I’m just going to go to Target or wherever and have my crappy Swedish knock-off chairs today, rather than wait two weeks to get a stack of boxes and some screws on my porch. Surely you can integrate some type of shipping calculator into your check out process if any boob selling their collection of light-up velvet landscape paintings on Ebay can.

Lastly, your navigation sucks. When I’m browsing I don’t want to have to hit the back button twice to get to a main menu or sub menu. Can’t you give me some tabs or a drop down or anything? When I’m looking at beds, you should show me bedding too, instead of making me wade through some “Textiles” catch all. I’m disappointed, and I’m going to be real disappointed if those $20 chairs are $60.

Monday, October 10th, 2005 at 1:11 pm | Leave A Comment | Comments Feed
Filed under: Customer Experience, Poor Design, Web Design