Jan 31, 2022

Perlen - accessories multi brand eCommerce UX case study

Written by

James Burghes

Navigation

On mobile, there is a typical menu that drops down from the top left and branches into subcategories. Similarly, on desktop, we also see a simple dropdown with no outstanding features.

However, there are two things to note that are of interest!

One being the language and currency selector featuring 4 languages and 6 currencies which can be found in the menu on mobile, and on the navigation bar on desktop.

The other being the additional section above the navigation bar that features some promotions on select brands. This section behaves as a slider on mobile.

Homepage

There are no differences between mobile and desktop regarding the homepage sections, each element is simply scaled according to the screen size.

The main banner features an image and a link to their most popular category.

This is followed by selection of their best sellers in the form of a carousel. Notice how sale items have the percentage discount displayed in the top right corner.

Then we see a text section with some information about the company and the products they offer accompanied by a stunning lifestyle image.

Next is a grid featuring their top categories, each with a product image to visually describe each category.

Notice how the high-quality images being used really draw your attention to intricate details of each product.

Further information about the products they offer and what to expect when shopping with Perlen. Again, presented this is presented alongside another beautiful photo.

A section dedicated to the most popular brands on the website, with each tile featuring a brand-specific image overlaid with the brand logo.

As we've mentioned in other some of our articles, dedicating areas of your website to the brands you offer is key to the success of any multi-brand ecommerce platform.

Another informative text section, this time describing their speciality - charms and beads.

Stating your speciality can be a step towards establishing your authority in an industry. In the best case scenario, you'll become the go-to retailer of those goods further down the line.

Of course, having a friendly UI, great customer experience, and high performance are aspects that will help that scenario become reality.

And last but not least, some terms and conditions regarding refunds and shipping with a link to the dedicated T&Cs page.

Footer

Nothing extraordinary here - just a standard newsletter signup with a discount-related CTA and some links to their social media pages.

Brand Page

Customization on the brand pages is also kept to a minimum. At the top, we’re presented with some brand-specific subcategories with circular images, with filtering and sorting options below.

Product tiles feature an add to cart button that creates a seamless, friction-free shopping experience for users.

The bottom of the page has a description of the brand, and one of their highlighted products.

It's important to give your brands opportunity to explain who they are, what their speciality is, and what distinguishes their products from the rest.

Not everyone is familiar with every single jewellery producer in the world, so including these sections can help to reassure buyers by building trust and familiarity between them and the brand.

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Product Page

The PDP is as minimalistic as it gets. Concise product information and nothing more.

Should there be more? Is a lengthy description necessary in this specific example or does the product speak for itself? We’ll let you decide.

Cart & Checkout

The format of the cart and checkout are the same as many of our other examples, albeit with much fewer features, and a slightly less refined appearance.

Perhaps they could include a 'secure payment methods' section with payment method icons to support it. Little inclusions like that can dramatically improve the trustworthiness of the checkout experience.

As above, there's nothing wrong with the checkout, but it could benefit with the inclusion of some customer-reassuring details related to, for example, safe/secure payments, shipping information, or platform reviews.

Summary & suggestions

Perlen is a perfect example of an MVP (Minimum Viable Platform). Minimal features, minimal complexity, and minimal time and effort to launch a usable platform that can start bringing in customers. In some cases, the MVP serves as a ‘prototype’ to acquire further funding from investors. Funding that can be used to upgrade the look and feel of the website and customize the user journey ever step of the way.

Besides refining the overall design, one thing that Perlen could consider would be to offer product bundles. Given the mix-and-match nature of the products they offer, it might make sense for them to offer bracelets and charms together in sets for slightly discounted rates as a means to improve their average order value.

While there are likely certain charms that sell well regardless of the price, it's equally likely that there are others that are not quite as popular. Including the less-sought-after items in product bundles could help to improve the sales of those items, while the best sellers can be left to work their own magic at full price.

UX deliverables guidelines

When it's time to upgrade your storefront design by using a more custom solution, here a few things to help streamline the process:

All layouts should be designed mobile-first, desktop-second (but you will need both)
Using pre-made components shortens the implementation time
Layouts should be presented following the user journey in an orderly fashion
All actions and menu or navigation states should be included
All brand or icon assets should be in SVG format
UX design hand-over using Figma.com or a similar service is recommended
UX questions & answers sessions should be included
Follow up adjustments or corrections should be anticipated

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