Tools Plus Ordering & Delivery

We analyzed the Product Page and looked at the following elements that we considered important.

Tools Plus Ordering & Delivery

Product Page

60%
Poor
Mediocre
Decent
Good
#1

What we found: Free Shipping w/o conditions for all orders is prominently showcased on the site

Issue: Having an idea of the total order cost is a critical factor in most users' product-purchasing decisions.

Advice: When "Free Shipping" for all orders isn't provided, display the lowest shipping cost/cost range near the "Buy" section by default, with a link to a full list of shipping methods, prices, and conditions. Also consider displaying a tax cost estimate, or notice of tax-exempt status.

#2

What we found: Free shipping w/o conditions for all orders always displayed on the site

Issue: Users not understanding conditions of "Free Shipping" offer on product page may feel "tricked" at checkout if shipping isn't free.

Advice: It is advised to make the requirements for the "free shipping" promotion clear and visible to customers right away; this will avoid any potential confusion that could arise from intricate shipping cost tables or conflicting shipping information (e.g. a "free shipping" sitewide banner along with a "shipping: $6.99" statement on the product page).

#4

What we found: Yes, "Free Shipping" is included in or near the "Buy" Section

Issue: Customers highly value the availability of free shipping, so ensuring they can easily locate the information on the product page is essential for them to take advantage of this perk.

Advice: Positioning the "Free Shipping" information near the "Buy" section allows users to easily find it and understand that this product is specifically eligible for free shipping and it's not only a generic promotion, thus avoiding any potential confusion.

#5

What we found: "Free Shipping" is displayed as text in / near the "Buy" section

#6

What we found: A link to the "Return Policy" is only available in the site header or footer

Issue: Users unsure about products they are considering must spend extra time locating the return policy when it isn’t easily available.

Advice: Ensure the return policy is available in the main content of the product page, either through a link or as a product page section.

#7

What we found: The company has physical stores, and also sells their products in-store

Issue: Missing or inadequate “Find in Store” information makes it more difficult for users to locate a nearby retail store where they can evaluate potential purchases in person.

Advice: Provide “Find in Store” information near the “Buy” section. Provide a list of nearby stores by geotargeting a user’s current location, but allow users to change their location manually as well.

Consider displaying the current stock level of the product at the selected store and, for some product types, consider including details on how to find the product in the physical store (e.g., by providing the aisle number where the product is located).

#8

What we found: "Find in Store" or "Store Pickup" not near the "Buy" section or missing from the product page

#9

What we found: No information about Estimated Delivery at all

Issue: Many users don’t want to wait until checkout to know when they’ll receive their order, and “Delivery Speed” requires users estimate themselves when they can expect to receive their order.

Advice: When provided with a “delivery date” for each of the shipping options, users won’t have to be concerned about whether they should factor in order-processing time and how long that is, the current weekday of ordering, if there are any holidays ahead, if any of the available delivery methods deliver on Saturdays, or if the site’s internal cutoff time for processing orders has passed or not.

Tools Plus Shipping & Store Pickup

We analyzed the Shipping & Pickup experience and looked at the following elements that we considered important.

Tools Plus Shipping & Store Pickup
Tools Plus Shipping & Store Pickup

Shipping & Pickup

64%
Poor
Mediocre
Decent
Good
#10

What we found: Shipping cost displayed for each shipping option

Issue: Users need to be able to see all shipping costs at once to make an informed shipping comparison and selection decision, and hiding this information makes for a clunky and frustrating shipping-selection process.

Advice: Including all shipping costs upfront and in a comparable manner (i.e., within the selection interface itself) makes it possible for users to easily compare their shipping choices and determine the speed-to-cost ratio that is best for them.

#11

What we found: Displays radio buttons or boxes for the shipping option selection

Issue: Some interface designs make it needlessly difficult for users to notice, understand, and compare their shipping options.

Advice: The shipping selector interface should:

1) never be a drop-down
2) ensure proximity and styling indicate information groupings
3) style price and delivery date most prominently
4) provide an extremely clear indication of a selection UI if native radio buttons aren’t used.

#12

What we found: One of the "Delivery Date" or "Price" is not clearly displayed

Advice: Including all shipping costs upfront and in a comparable manner (i.e., within the selection interface itself) makes it possible for users to easily compare their shipping choices and determine the speed-to-cost ratio that is best for them.

#13

What we found: The Most Economical shipping option is chosen as the default option

Issue: Without a default shipping selection users will have to read and understand all the alternatives before making a choice.

Advice: Make the cheapest available home-shipping option the checkout’s default delivery selection (as long as order logs show that the majority of users choose this option).

#14

What we found: The shipping methods are just "Standard" or "Express", it doesn't indicate speed

Issue: Delivery Speed” requires users to investigate and estimate themselves when they can expect to receive their order.

Advice: Avoid providing only the shipping speed (e.g., “Delivery Speed: 2 Business Days”) and instead provide users with a delivery date (e.g., “Delivery Date: April 4th”) or date range (e.g., “Arrives April 3 to April 9th”) for each of the available delivery options.

#15

What we found: No, the counter and the cutoff time are not dispalyed

Issue: Order cutoff time is irrelevant for the majority of users, and is difficult to interpret for those for whom it is relevant.

Advice: Show the order cutoff time as a countdown (not as a time zone–specific time and date), and show it only if the user has selected an applicable time-sensitive shipping option

#16

What we found: The site doesn't have Alternative Fulfillement Options (eg: Store pickup , etc)

Issue: Users need comprehensive information about cost and speed when deciding among in-store pickup, local delivery, and shipping fulfillment options.

Advice: When presenting store pickup before the shipping-selector interface (e.g., in the cart), also include or link to estimated shipping costs and delivery dates.

#17

What we found: No, the site doesn't offer ?Store Pickup? functionality

Issue: Selecting a location for pickup or delivery from a local store can be needlessly difficult and time-consuming, with users requiring a diversity of key details when weighing different options.

Advice: In the store-selector interface, provide:

1) The ability to find the nearest stores either by typing city and state or just zip code, with the stores listed by closest distance
2) the item availability for each store listed, or when the items can be picked up
3) a default choice, based on geolocation or prior-typed location data
4) a clear path for changing or choosing a specific store
5) store hours and address (ideally with a map view, a link to a map, parking info, etc.).

#20

What we found: The Order Total is displayed, The Purcahsed Items information is displayed, The Address information is displayed, The Payment information is displayed

Issue: Users rely on the order review step to catch errors with their previously typed data and selections but won’t be able to review their information if it isn’t provided, or if it is provided but is hard to scan.

Advice: Help users evaluate their purchase at the review step by presenting all previously typed and selected, as well as all autoselected, order information, and display it in the most scannable format possible.

Tools Plus Order Status & Tracking

We analyzed the Tracking Page and looked at the following elements that we considered important.

Tools Plus Order Status & Tracking

Recommended Order Tracking Page

Tools Plus Order Status & Tracking

Order Tracking

75%
Poor
Mediocre
Decent
Good
#21

What we found: Yes, the site has an Order Tracking page where users can track the order status

#22

What we found: Yes, the site specifies when it will ship the products.

#23

What we found: Yes, Order Updates are communicated via Email

#24

What we found: Yes, Guest Customers can easily track orders via a Order Status Page.

Issue: When the order tracking credentialing interface nudges users into one option, it will, for some users, be the wrong choice.

Advice: Style the order tracking credentialing interface to give neutral weighting to account-based and guest order tracking, clarify the guest option further, and consider including order tracking as a courtesy navigation link.

#25

What we found: Yes, order tracking links are available in multiple sections of the site

Issue: Users who don’t start the order tracking process by clicking an e-mail link will need to be able to find the tracking page on-site.

Advice: Have a path to order tracking in the courtesy navigation header or in the expandable “My Account” drop-down, and also consider fallbacks such a site-wide footers and search results.

#26

What we found: No, the website does not provide international orders and it's explained on the website

Tools Plus Returns & Exchanges

We analyzed the Returns process and looked at the following elements that we considered important.

Tools Plus Returns & Exchanges

Recommended Returns Portal

Tools Plus Returns & Exchanges

Returns & Exchanges

40%
Poor
Mediocre
Decent
Good
#28

What we found: No, the site has only one method to return the products

Issue: Offering only a single return option can force users to return an item to an inconvenient location or at an inconvenient time.

Advice: Consider giving users the ability to choose from more than one return shipping method, ideally of different types and couriers. Each method will need a separately listed cost, even if it’s free.

#29

What we found: No , the site doesn't offer In-Store returns

Issue: When not emphasized in the return flow, the option to return an item in-store can be completely overlooked.

Advice: Provide in-store returns alongside other return options, with the benefits and costs outlined for each.

#30

What we found: Yes, but instructions only states that the item should be packed in "Original Package", with all parts included but no additional details

Issue: Users may find it difficult to repackage return items to ensure that the items are accepted at the e-commerce site.

Advice: Provide detailed instructions on how to package items to be returned.

#31

What we found: Both, 'who is responsible for the Return Shipping Cost' & 'Restocking Fee'(if applicable) are clear.

Issue: Nonrefundable original purchase costs, combined with unclear return shipping costs, can cause confusion during the returns process and after items have been returned.

Advice: Ensure the return flow accurately reflects the total amount of expected refund, with the cost of shipping and order summary listed and broken down for easy review. Once a return is initiated, this information should be summarized on the dashboard.

#32

What we found: Refund to the original payment method

Issue: Customers don't want to wait 2-3 days for a refund to be issued in order to place a new order, especially is the product price is really high.

Advice: Offer alternative options such as store credit for faster refunds and allow the customer to place a new order right away. It save your customer time so they don't miss out on current promotions and you can make sure the customer will place a new order in the future as they have a store credit they can use.

#33

What we found: The site accepts both returns and exchanges

Issue: Often the return process is different from a reshipment flow as well as exchanges often are handled by a completely different system. It's confusing for the customer as those systems more often are not interconnected and searching for a status update can be really manual and confusing

Advice: By merging the return flow, exchanges, replacement and warranties as the same flow, the customer can easily select what they need and they have one centralized location to check on updates or make changes to their request.

#34

What we found: The site does not handle warranties

Issue: Warranties are often handled via support tickets or a 3rd party system, there is a lot of back and forth with the customer making it confusing for the customer and for the support agents.

Advice: Instead of requiring shoppers to complete a form and wait for a response, allow them to initiate a warranty return independently using a self-service warranty returns portal with your brand.

#35

What we found: None of the above

Issue: Customers want to submit and get approval online for their returns and simply go to a store to drop off the returned items, they want to avoid in-store lines and explanations of why they want to return an item. Customers don't have return boxes laying around, printer for the return label or time to wait for their refunds.

Advice: In-Store Returns don't require a return label or box, and if Pre-Approved the customer just walks into the store and drops off their package. Save time for the customer and drives foot traffic to the store.

Conclusions for the Tools Plus Shipping & Returns Experience Benchmark

Our analysis found that the Shipping & Returns experience on the Tools Plus website was Decent

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