WEBSITE CHECKLIST
E-COMMERCE
Chaffey and Smith (2023) refer to a website checklist as a systematic tool used to evaluate and ensure effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction of web experience.
Quality Assurance & User Experience:
A website checklist ensures that all aspects of the website, including design, functionality, and content, align with web standards. This helps to identify any issues before the website is launched or made available to the public to maximise the user experience and the efforts in Search Engine Optimisation (Smart Insight, 2020).
The Growth of E-Commerce
In 2024, online purchases are projected to reach 20.1% of total sales, equivalent to US $6.3 billion. This trend requires businesses of all sizes to prioritise their online presence Forbes, 2024.
Mobile phones have become the preferred device for online shopping worldwide in recent years. In 2023, around 30% of global internet users made weekly purchases with their smartphones (Statista, 2024e).
Figure 1: The growth of Retail E-commerce worldwide (Forbes, 2024)
Website Checklist
Website usability and optimisation can significantly enhance trust and user satisfaction, securing the firm's online success (Shaouf and Lu, 2022). According to FastSpring (2018), customers evaluate a website's credibility within the first 50 milliseconds. The below checklist combines key elements from both frameworks by Goh et al. and Song et al. who focus on customers' emotional responses to aesthetics, information, operation, and sensation. and the professional checklist by e-commerce-checklist.com (See Figure below).
Figure 3: Website Checklist based on Goh et al. (2017), Song et al. (2012), and E-Commerce Checklist.
IKEA
E-COMMERCE
1. Aesthetic Design
The webpage features high-resolution images that are clear and detailed, showcasing products in a real-life setting.
Overall layout is clean and uncluttered. IKEA has used white space to create a feeling of credibility and enhance usability (Coursaris and Kripintris, 2012).
Mobile Design is responsive and consistent. IKEA keeps all elements including the search bar, tips, services, support, navigation menu, and pictures.
2. Information Accessibility
Clear price tags, product information, and delivery options
3D view enhances user experience and purchase intent.
Detailed product specifications for those who want to explore materials and crafting instructions.
Detailed customer reviews include overall star ratings, ratings of 5 product criteria, latest reviews and description.
3. User Experience
3-step timesaving checkout process; shoppers select their preferred shopping options and locations, check the receipt and proceed to the checkout section.
IKEA guarantees a safe and private shopping experience with SSL data encryption.
The company also allows customers to return products if they are not satisfied.
4. Customer Engagement
IKEA uses an AI assistant to help shoppers address simple concerns such as order status and tracking, delivery options, missing item reports, etc.
The company integrates the chatbot to help with diverse problems to ensure high service quality, which positively affects customers' perceived value, trust and satisfaction (Chen et al., 2023).
The company embeds user-generated content on Instagram on the website to further build trust among new shoppers.
Yet, the website has not yet allowed shoppers to share their purchases on social platforms.
IKEA Family membership allows customers to get special offers, discounts, and opportunities to attend local workshops or events.
