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August 08 2008
Comet invites customer feedback before launching new website
The electricals retailer is asking customers to take a look at its proposed new website before it goes live...
Comet is letting customers take a thorough look around its new website before it goes live and is asking them to provide it with feedback through a specially set-up online forum.
The new website is prominently linked to from the current home page and is fully functional, allowing customers to go through the whole purchasing process via the new site. Customers are then asked to click through to the online forum where they can leave their comments.
The idea of letting your customers (and your competitors) see your website before you go live is very Web 2.0, of course. But is it wise?
by Sarah Clark (Web Editor)
I agree it wise to let your customers review a potential website
Posted by
Alan Noake
(The ICELAB Ltd)
at
2008-09-05 07:31
I totally agree not only wise but essential these days to let your customers review a potential website - a website should be constantly adapting and reacting to the needs of its users. Feedback is crucial if a website is to evolve and continue to meet the needs of its audience.
Is it wise to let your customers review a potential website... for customers.
This I will allow the designers to make changes before it goes live that reflect the core customer needs.
It is a very fair and customer focussed exercise to be sure, and has the potential of providing a forum for people to publicly complain or dislike other aspects of the Comet brand, but this is not the main reason for providing the forum.
The fact that Comet and especially the Comet web designers are so concerned about how their online customer feels about the change, and are willing to listen and even possibly make positive, proactive changes is something of a refreshing change in retail.
By the way, BETA versions of products are not by definition a web2.0 exercise. Product refreshes sitting alongside the old version has been used as a way of gaining new knowledge about a consumer base for a long time by clever companies who care about usability.