User Satisfaction Rating – 3

Overall Usability Score – 6.4/10

1. Design: 4/10 The pages seem designed by a program you would buy from a home shopping network. There are a variety of text sizes and design elements that are almost illegible after being smashed together. There is also loads of unnecessary information, such as the six lines of text it takes to state the price, or the inclusion of the SKU number.

2. Upselling: 9/10 Similar to Amazon, with ‘recommendations’ right on product page as well as an intermediate page during the checkout process. The suggestions appear to be relevant

3. Error Recognition: 2/10 Interestingly, and not brilliantly, QVC assumed I entered the correct zip code but got the rest of my address wrong. Once I selected the correct town for this incorrect zip code, I was redirected to a page where I was told my address was wrong for the new town. Don’t slip up when entering your zip code.

4. Process Efficiency: 7/10 Seven pages seems to be the most popular amount for signing new members while still getting them to buy the product. I think this is excessive and could result in a lower conversion rate.

5. Shipping: 10/10 Shipping options are presented on the product page. This is excellent, you don’t even have to add the item to your cart to see how much it will cost to ship. Options are presented on a small pop-up window.

Done Right
Integration between real world QVC members and the online shopping experience seems fluid and simplifies the ordering process. It is perhaps unrealistic to rate this site as a first-time buyer because of its nature of being a member based company, but that is the test and this site fails because of its many barriers to entry.

Done Wrong
Good design is good design and this site is not pleasing to the eye. I have a feeling that the site is designed for members and it opens up once you are in the system. However, since we are not taking one-click shopping into account, QVC fails when compared to the competition. The text fields used for address information are extremely convoluted and for some reason there is an overwhelming amount of scrolling. Entering account info, which all first time customers must do, is time consuming and confusing. When I entered my real address and went to the next step an error flashed across the top of the page asking if I didn’t mean to enter an apartment number. No thank you, if I lived in an apartment I would have entered an apartment number. Just one example of the unnecessary busywork and confusion this site involves for first time customers. The high satisfaction rating most likely comes from repeat customers who sit at home and obsessively enter their “Q member numbers” and buy cheap jewelry and storage boxes with one-click shopping. We don’t, so we weren’t impressed.