The Questionnaire

Thank you for participating in this research. By completing the online questionnaire you are making a valuable contribution to post-graduate research into successful web design for British e-commerce sites. It should only take a few minutes to do. Please click on the appropriate buttons below to select your answers, then hit the "Submit my response now" button at the bottom when you're finished.

Please only complete this questionnaire if:
  • your business is a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME), AND
  • you are the business manager or company director, AND
  • you are not yourself the web designer or webmaster.

If you are both the business manager and web designer, please fill in this questionnaire

If you are the web designer but not the business manager, please fill in this questionnaire

If you've come directly to this page and would like more information about the research, here's a link to the home page.

 

First – a quick question about you...

What is your occupation/job title? (E.g., Managing Director, CEO, Business Development Manager, Marketing Director, etc)

...and a quick question about your business

Please tick the box below to confirm that your business is an SME - fewer than 250 employees, turnover below €50m (£35m), balance sheet total below €43m (£30m).

My business is an SME

About your business

1. How long has the business been selling goods and/or services online via its website(s)?

Less than a year 1-2 years 2-4 years More than 4 years Don't know

2. How important is your e-commerce website in terms of the turnover of the entire business?

Less than 20% 20%-50% 50%-80% More than 80% Don't know

3. Is your business a “pure play” e-commerce business? (Totally Internet-based with no bricks-and-mortar sales outlets).

Yes No

4. Roughly how many people are employed in the e-commerce venture?

1-5 6-20 21-50 51+ Don't know/can't be bothered to work it out

(If staff work on both web-based and bricks-and-mortar activity, just give a rough estimate based on the website's share of total business turnover. No need for an exact calculation. For instance, if you have 100 warehouse staff and your e-commerce turnover is 20% of the business's total, count 20 warehouse staff.)

About your e-commerce website

5. Is your website design and development done in-house or do you outsource the work?

In-house Outsource Hybrid (a bit of both)

6. How often has your site had a major redesign since its launch?

Never Occasionally Sometimes Frequently Don't know

7. In your business, who decides if and when the e-commerce website gets a revamp?

I do Website designer Both of us together

Other (please specify)

8. How much input did you personally have into the appearance of your e-commerce website?

None A little
(basic specs)		 A fair amount
(general look and feel)		 A lot
(extensive detailed input)

9. How much input did you personally have into the functions of your e-commerce website? (i.e. how it works and what it does)

None A little
(basic specs)		 A fair amount
(broad comment on individual functions) 		A lot
(extensive detailed input)

10. Have you ever asked your designer to make any changes to your site's appearance?

No, never Yes, rarely Yes, sometimes Yes, frequently

11. Have you ever asked your designer to change the functions offered by your site?

No, never Yes, rarely Yes, sometimes Yes, frequently

12. How do you and your designer usually resolve any differences of opinion on the appearance and functions of the website?

We do things my way We compromise I take the designer's advice We have never had differences

Other (please specify):

13. Have you personally tested your own e-commerce website?

Yes No

14. Has your e-commerce website been tested for usability by an external party (eg a professional usability consultant)?

Yes No Don't know

15. Who is responsible for usability testing your e-commerce website?

I am Designer Both of us together External party

Other (please specify):

16. What measures are in place to obtain customer feedback on your website? (Tick as many as apply.)

Direct research with customers (eg focus groups)
Discussion forum on site
Comment form on site
"Rate this site" box on site
Email link on site

Other (please specify):

17. Who decides whether to implement customer suggestions?

I do Designer Both of us together

Other (please specify)


Your opinions

18. Please state how strongly you agree or disagree with the following statements:

  Strongly
agree 		Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly
disagree
a) An e-commerce website has to be visually appealing to be successful
b) These days customers expect to be entertained while they are buying
c) Web design decisions are too important to be left to designers alone
d) Customers no longer want glitter - they want content and service, and they want it fast
e) Business managers have a key role in ensuring that the e-commerce website is easy to use
f) We pay designers to design and they should be allowed to get on with it
g) Website usability should be a component of all business management university courses
           

19. Which factors contribute most to the success of an e-commerce venture? Please give them marks out of 10.

a) Effective advertising
b) Good customer service
c) Quality of the product sold
d) Website's ease of use
e) Website's entertainment value
f) Website's visual appeal

About you

20. How long have you been using the Internet?

Less than a year 1-2 years 2-5 years More than 5 years

21. How often do you surf the Web?

Most days 2-3 times a week About once a week Less than once a week

22. Have you ever bought anything online using a website other than your own?

Yes No (if you answer no, please skip to Question 25.)

23. Have you ever had difficulty when buying online?

Yes No (if you answer no, please skip to Question 25.)

24. If yes, have you ever given up before completing the purchase?

Yes No

25. Do you have any experience (including as a hobby) in web design?

Yes, a lot Yes, a little No

26. Do you have any training, formal or informal, in web design?

Yes, a lot Yes, a little No

27. Do you have any training in website usability specifically?

Yes, a lot Yes, a little No

 

Please use the space below if you have any additional comments:

Many thanks for your time in participating in this research.

 

Optional: If you are willing to take part in any follow-up studies, please enter your email address in the box below.
(NB This means that the raw data you supply will be identifiable as coming from you - this is necessary if the follow up work is to have any real meaning. Your privacy will be respected - no individual or company will be named in my report without their prior express written permission.)

Email address:

 

 

Kay McMahon, Final Year MSc e-Business student, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland

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