Major and minor issues affecting the user experience on e-commerce websites

Abstract

This research evaluated the user experience (UX) of the top three most visited e-commerce websites in Malaysia and identified the main and important issues (related to utilitarian and hedonic features) that affect the user experience while interacting with such websites. Specific criteria were developed to evaluate the user experience of e-commerce websites, consisting of 27 metrics to evaluate utilitarian features and 13 metrics to evaluate hedonic features. The evaluation was conducted in two stages using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews based on the developed criteria. Several major and minor issues were identified from the users' point of view that affect the user experience on e-commerce websites. Specifically, the users identified seven major usability problem areas on the websites, including “lack of detailed information about the products, inaccurate and unclear information about the delivery dates, slow downloading of the website pages, and lack of alternative methods for delivery of the order.” Users also identified two unique major hedonic problem areas on only one of the sites tested, related to: “Not an enjoyable experience” and “Not meeting user expectations.” In addition, users identified seven minor utilitarian problem areas and nine minor hedonic problem areas on the sites. Detailed specific issues related to these problem areas were identified and explained. Based on the results of this research, recommendations were proposed to achieve positive experiences on e-commerce websites from the users' point of view.