User Satisfaction Rating – 9 (Foresee Results and FGI Research)
Our Overall Usability Score – 5.8/10

1. Design: 6/10 There is no differentiation between the text on this site. It all runs together from the special offers at the top of the page to the product description at the bottom. Also, light gray text on a white background isn’t exactly a good choice if some of your clients are looking for anti-aging cremes…

2. Upselling: 7/10 Avon only upsells on the sides of its checkout pages making the process a little faster. However, some of the items suggested are completely irrelevant. A skin moisturizer is great, so are other age treatments, but bug spray?

3. Error Recognition: 3/10 While Avon caught the fake Visa number I gave (I would hope it would), it had still not realized the error of the address. The best practice would be checking both the Visa number and the address at the same time.

4. Process Efficiency: 7/10 The process is efficient, although there is a lot of scrolling. A feature that I wish I saw more frequently is the checkout without account feature. As a man I have little use for an account with a cosmetics company and not having to sign up to buy a Mother’s Day present is convenient.

5. Shipping Options: 6/10 Shipping doesn’t seem to be related to the location you are ordering from. The options are easy to choose from, but the use of table rate shipping may concern some customers.

Done Right
Avon has a nicely designed site that breezes customers through the process, only without that little extra that makes champions. This seems to be another site that is made by repeat customers. Again, while we didn’t take it into consideration for our ratings, I am sure that an account helps the checkout process greatly.

Done Wrong
This site has some design problems that don’t let the eye flow. The text is poorly grouped, with special offers and taglines mashed together. They even put a newsletter signup in the middle of the checkout page. Finally, if your customer has clicked checkout, don’t have a continue shopping button on every checkout page.