Newegg.com Analysis

Simply put Newegg.com is an online electronics superstore. It has no brick and mortar presence. It doesn’t offer sales by phone. Customer service is limited and technical support doesn’t exist. Primarily Newegg.com sells computer components, and while it sells home theater systems, televisions and mixers, the site is for those that build or upgrade their own computers.

The site is pretty well-designed considering the breadth and depth of products they offer to the consumer. Visually, it is relatively simple in design. Ease-of-use is its primary function as Newegg.com has limited customer service resources. The site has a number of ways to help users find that for which they are looking. From the search functions, to a computer memory wizard, to results filter function, which allows users to sift through results by certain product characteristics Newegg.com attempts to make it as easy as possible to find that which a user is looking. It also allows users to compare products side-by-side. It also has a function entitled My Newegg, which allows users to log in and see recommendations based on what they may have purchased or looked at previously. It allows users to create a wish list. Newegg.com also has a customer product review system that allows users to rate products and provide other users with reviews.

The home page is clearly identified the by they Newegg.com header which includes a search function. Also part of the header is a set product category tabs, which have a series of drop down tabs for more specific subcategories. This header exists on every page throughout the sites to provide visual cohesion. Every page also has a series of ordered links in the footer, which have typical nuts-and-bolts obligatory pates from customer service and company info. The home page also sports a large visual graphic that has a slideshow of featured products. Other featured products, most likely determined by cookies, are in a grid below.

The most important part of the part of site, the shopping cart is in a familiar spot in the top right corner of the page. It offers a bit more than typical shopping carts, allow users to see how many items they have in their cart and the subtotal of those items.

Though a well-designed site, Newegg.com is not designed for browsing. It is designed for those looking for something in particular at a good price. As a user narrows their search, browsing is a bit more realistic in that one can compare different types of products based on custom criteria. Newegg.com’s aesthetics are only concerned with creating a visual cohesion between pages on the site. Graphic elements are largely product shots. Pages can get a bit busy as there are numerous extraneous product suggestions, news and offers in the periphery of the pages. For new users, it could be a bit overwhelming especially since some of the search options can get lost in the extraneous elements. For example, when searching for hard drive, a list of different types of hard drives is tucked away in the corner. Featured hard drives are in a grid on the page, but this could lead to confusion as new users might think that they are forced to wade through drives that do not meet their needs. Newegg.com could reduce some of the visual clutter of the inside pages to make it easier to search.

Overall Newegg.com is well-designed. It has a host of search functions to help users find products and choose products their vast inventory, from results filters, to product wizards. At times the pages can get cluttered and overwhelming, but for the most part if a user knows what they are looking for, Newegg.com makes it easy to find.