Mobile Web Review: Walmart vs Canadian Tire
I asked myself a simple question:
If I received a link to one of these sites for a featured/sale product, what would my experience be if I clicked that link using my BlackBerry or iPhone? (For example if I had received the link in an email or tweet from a friend)
Walmart
I took a product featured on Walmart's home page, a set of transforming toys, went to the product page and sent myself the link. Unfortunately my experience came to a screeching halt when I clicked on the link because most of the page content was flash based, which is not supported on either device. After the first attempt I gave Walmart a second chance. On the second attempt, I sent myself a link to a product from their online flyer, which actually has a sharing feature encouraging me to share product links. This time I got a page, however it wasn't from their mobile site, I was simply loading their full website. As you would expect this took a long time to load, not all content showed up, and I was forced to zoom to read it. Walmart's Mobile Website (viewable on computer - blackberry version)
Canadian Tire:
Canadian Tire did better. I sent myself a link to a product featured on the home page, a 3-in-1 Lawn thickening mix. Clicking on the link from either Blackberry or iPhone worked well. The page loaded relatively quickly and I was able see the product details in a mobile formatted page and add it to my shopping list if I wanted. Good Job Canadian Tire. Canadian Tire's Mobile Website (viewable on computer)
To be fair though, Canadian Tire still has some significant room to improve and Walmart's mobile presence, though it's product pages aren't available, has some other valuable features. Canadian Tire's mobile website is primarily a mobile product directory, which is a great step, however with the mobile technology available today I'd like to see them highlight featured products and promotions, and utilize the mobile phone's GPS functionality (yes that can be done on a mobile website too, not just in an App). Using the GPS location from the phone, Canadian Tire's mobile site could highlight what featured products or promotions are at the closest store and tell you how to get there. Walmart's mobile site, though poor at supporting link sharing, already utilizes GPS for their store locator and also prominently highlights promotions and the instore flyer.
With customers sharing links on a large and growing scale it is important to consider how your mobile initiatives support this behavior. Without considering scenarios like the one I've highlighted here, you risk frustrating your customers by giving them an experience that does not live up to your brand.
Labels: Mobile, User Experience
