Monday 22 March 2010

E-Commerce Websites - Metadata and Controlled Vocabulary Can Help

I've worked for Dow Jones Client Solutions, managing our 'Outside Americas' information consulting services, since 2006. In that time I've been involved in a wide range of projects for a variety of businesses.

Dow Jones Client Solutions offers a diverse range of information management services, amongst them services to: organise audio, video, image, and text assets, improve information browsing, provide effective search experiences and create bespoke user journeys that direct clients and customers from initial products and services to related ones.

I've been thinking a lot about e-commerce websites recently, and looking at quite a few examples of the genre. I am also a customer myself, and all too frequently come up against frustrating websites with poor search and browse functionality and a complete lack of regard for the possible customer.

Competition online is strong. It's easy for customers to move between competing websites - choosing the ones with the best experience and the right mix of products, price and customer service. Revenue and market share go to sites that offer an easy to understand information architecture - with user-friendly navigation, an intuitive and efficient search experience - with effective asset categorisation, search facets and filters, related links to products and services, and the appropriate sets of keywords to direct simple searches to the appropriate results.

Dow Jones Client Solutions offers:

* E-Commerce Assessments.
* Search and browse advice and development.
* Metadata and vocabulary development and maintenance.
* Categorization advice for text, images, video and audio assets.
* Vocabulary and metadata mapping to aid sharing and interoperability.
* Metadata and vocabulary translation and localisation.
* Information management workshops and training sessions.

If anyone reading this feels that the consulting services we offer may be of interest, I would love to arrange an quick informal call to discuss your business objectives.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Ian