| RockCreek Outfitters Review |
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 RockCreek.com Home Page Rock Creek Outfitters http://www.rockcreek.com Now a days when I want to provide a good example of modern day e-commerce websites I tend to just do a Google search for "outdoor gear" or "hiking gear", the reason is that the outdoor supply industry has really been a leader when it comes to implementing and using new e-commerce styles and techniques. The reason these sites have a more modern style site is because they are simply serving their customers who by nature are a younger and hipper crowd. RockCreek.com is really no different. The site has a very modern and clean style that is very straight forward and focused on the product assortment. Because prices and sales promotions aren't plastered all over the site, it doesn't really feel like an e-commerce website at first. I got the feeling that I was visiting a community or content site. Only after first glance do your eyes start to see brand names and product listings as what they really are. The Product Page I'll be the first person to tell you that I think the product page is one of the, if not the most important page on an e-commerce website. So one of the aspects of e-commerce sites that I focus on is the product detail page. A lot of times the outdoor gear sites get the product detail page right, sadly I was a little disappointed with RockCreek.com's efforts. The product page just doesn't seem to have anything that really grabs your attention and makes you want to purchase. The use of a right and left side columns really limits the products screen real estate, and the lack of any type of eye candy to draw me into the product like shipping icons, sale prices or things like that. The use of solid colors for the add to cart, email to a friend and wish list buttons really create a sort of boring effect do to the similar hues in all the button colors as well. The produce desction and features are well represented below the fold, but due to the "related products" section in the right column the product disctiption is all but missed in the pages clutter. The Shopping Cart The first thing I noticed when adding an item to the shopping cart was that nothing happened, at least that's what I thought, in reality, the item was added to my shopping cart and the right column updated to display my active cart. Some people like this type of shopping cart display, but personally I've never been a fan, its just a little too subtle for my liking. Once I click the "open cart" link, I'm presented with a shopping cart page that is a little...well confusing. The use of colors for buttons and table backgrounds really just doesn't sit well with the eye, and makes you wonder where you're supposed to focus. the attention was drawn towards the sub-total pricing area and I pretty much completly over looked a link stating that my order qualified for free shipping. Checkout Process While I was a little turned off by the shopping cart page, the straightforward checkout process kinda makes up for it. All on one page, and simple to tab through, the checkout page of RockCreek.com is really a great example of a commerce site making things appear simple, while still gathering all of the user data that they need. The order recap on the right side of the checkout page and the shopping cart recap at the bottom of the page are a nice touch in letting the customer know exactly what they are buying. Final Thoughts All in all RockCreek Outfitters does a nice job of presenting a user freindly, modern and simple online shopping expereince. While I think there is plenty of room for them to improve their product page, the simple checkout process makes up for most of the lost ground. If a custom knows what they want, and is just looking to get quick and get out then RockCreek.com is a great source. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        |
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