tiffany stands for classic elegance and timeless style, but its Website is overly simple and lackluster. And talk about a lack of branding across channels. For instance, you won’t find Tiffany’s signature robin’s-egg blue box on the Website.
Another strike against the site is the small, light gray typeface that is so difficult to read. But if you are willing to strain your eyes, further disappointment awaits. Upon entering the shopping portion of the site, one is notified that “Here at Tiffany.com you will see only a few of our designs. Please visit a Tiffany store to view our complete offering.” This prompts the Cybercritic to contemplate why no one reminded the Tiffany Web designers that one of the major benefits of cyberspace is the limitless amount of space to showcase all of the offerings.
In the About Tiffany section, a link entitled About this Site prompts shoppers to consult the company’s Website policy. The problem is, I can’t find it. Hey, folks, how about a direct link when you discuss a destination on your site?
On the plus side, the order process is efficient and detail-oriented. Tiffany seems vigilant about fraudulent charges on the Web by asking to verify the billing address. It also offers to send you an e-mail confirmation of your order. After all, sometimes you send your order into cyberspace and it leaves you wondering. Now you can relax until your order arrives and skip harassing the UPS man every time he rolls by without stopping.
It’s only when I actually view my shopping cart that I find the privacy policy. That’s a bit like preaching to the converted, no? You want to make the privacy policy easy to find on the home page so as to make nervous prospects feel secure enough to shop. Speaking of policies, when you find the return policy on the site – which isn’t easy – it simply says, “Return policy: within 30 days” and tells customers to follow the instructions in the order box. Would it kill Tiffany to post something in the way of instructions, or at least an address?