The Cybercritic: Chocolatiers Feb 1, 2001 12:00 PM
, The Cybercritic
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Reviewed Dec. 8, 9 a.m., Explorer 5.0, www.sees.com
Overall rating: 6.1
Brand identification: 9
Fun quotient: 6
Graphics: 5
Product depth/assortment: 8
Navigation: 8
Ease of product ordering: 4
Overall ease of use: 7
Timeliness: 9
Loyalty efforts: 5
Information collection: 4
Search capabilities: 0
Privacy policy: 8
See's Candies has a cult following out on the West Coast, claims a
native Californian and friend of The Cybercritic's, who is also
apparently a member of said cult. This friend not only urged me to go
to the site, but also built up some unrealistic expectations for what I
would encounter.
When I arrive at the site I immediately understand the branding
behind the See's name. As the toy replica of an old-fashioned See's
delivery truck on the home page makes clear, the brand is steeped in
tradition. The tagline, "California's famous old time candies,"
underscores the message, as does the script font used throughout the
site. But tradition is no excuse for offering an old-fashioned and
problematic Website.
On the plus side, this old-time company does its best not to confuse
the customer with elaborate site design. It sticks with the
tried-and-true placement of product-category links on the left side of
the page, which remains constant throughout the site. Along the top of
the home page are more links, to a catalog request form, a list of
store locations, and information about quantity discounts, among
others.
As expected, the product assortment is a chocoholic's dream. But the
product descriptions could be better, to compensate for being unable to
smell the sweets as you can in a store. Here's the entire description
of the Nuts and Chews selection: "They're enough to make grown-ups weep
with happiness: Some of the tastiest, crunchiest treats around." And
the photo looks a bit washed-out; it doesn't have me salivating or even
thinking that the box would be much more impressive a gift than, say, a
Whitman's Sampler.
But the site does score points for its old-fashioned privacy policy,
which specifies that See's will neither share nor sell customer
information. (True, it would have scored even more points if you could
link directly to the privacy policy from the home page, rather than
selecting the FAQs link and then scrolling down till you get to the
question about privacy.)
When it comes time to check out, I have a tough time finding the
icon of a little bag-which is not labeled and is tucked in a remote
corner of the product pages-which is meant to be a shopping bag and
takes you to the checkout portion of the site. And alas, the site
claims to need 24 hours to prep outgoing packages. If you're in a hurry
for your chocs, you'd better dig deep into your wallet: See's charges
nearly $25 for next-day delivery. For that much money I could buy two
1-lb. boxes of See's milk chocolates. Oh well, good things come to
those who wait.
If anyone could sell ice to the proverbial Eskimo via the Web, it's
Godiva. How many sites selling chocolates have such luxe photography
that you can actually see the ridges of the chopped hazelnuts atop the
truffles? The photos and graphics are so crisp and clear-so
stunning--that The Cybercritic is almost speechless.
Fortunately, the copywriters at Godiva are not. The prose is
descriptive and precise, rather than flowery and promotional. Take this
description of the Nut and Caramel Assortment: "Every piece is rich
with caramel, chock full of nuts...or generously filled with both! The
result is more than just a winning combination, it's a collection of
our crunchy and chewy best. Included milk, dark and ivory pieces,
truffles and Caramel Nut Bouchées. Kosher OU-D."
But let's start at the beginning. The Godiva site recognizes
first-time visitors. A pop-up window appears above the home page for
folks like us and reviews the functions of the site, promotes
registration (good for monitoring traffic and demographics), explains
shopping bag and checkout procedures, and discusses added benefits such
as gift reminders that can be downloaded into your Palm Pilot.
Perhaps the thing that I like most about Godiva.com is that it has
everything you could possibly need to enhance the chocloate-shopping
experience. Take the Godiva Chocolate Guide: Click on the description
of a favorite chocolate-say, the Raspberry Cordial-and you will be
shown a list of Godiva assortments that include the choc in question.
There's also a search engine that is so thorough is should be called a
work engine. When I type in "espresso," it not only presents me with a
link to the four product assortments that include espresso truffles.
Then there's the thorough explanation of the corporate gift program,
which includes volume discounts and personalized packaging.
In the line of duty, I spend more than a few minutes trying to trip
up the Gift Advisor. But every time I put in my specs-type of
recipient, occasion, price range, and kosher preference-I'm lead to a
gift that's right on target. And when I select a Birthday Truffle Box
and add it to my shopping cart (which is actually a posh-looking bag),
the screen displays "May we also suggest..." followed by a list of
related products. Checkout, by the way, is a breeze. And the shopping
bag displays the sum of your purchases as you ease through the site so
that you aren't hit with any surprises, even when the shipping charges
are added in.
But my favorite value-added portion of the site is the recipe
section. This link is complete with its own search key to enable
visitors to find recipes from Chocolatier magazine. I type in "cake"
and come up with 34 recipes!
The only problem I encounter is while trying to test the live chat
feature during the hours that, according to the site, service reps
would be standing by. Alas, they are either all busy or taking a snack
break, because I'm told to leave an e-mail instead.
But that's okay, because I don't need their help anyway. The search
engine and other features-not to mention the gorgeous
photography--leave me confident that I've selected the correct gifts.
For the record, The Cybercritic hates sappy sentiment (even around
Valentine's Day), but I'm going to have to make an exception: Roses are
red, violets are blue, candy is sweet, and Godiva, I love you!
Environmental friendliness is a fine thing. And The Cybercritic
applauds Ethel M. Chocolates for maintaining an expansive cactus garden
(the company is based in Nevada) and a chemical-free wastewater
treatment center. But the company lavishes more copy and better
photography on the garden and the treatment plant than it does on the
chocolates it sells. You don't learn about the garden and wastewater
facility until you select the "About Ethel M." link on the home page.
And given how lackluster the home page is, you may not be interested in
drilling down any further. The type fonts are , and the product shots
are unnecessarily tiny, given the overabundance of white space
surrounding them.
Nonetheless, I click on the "Specialty Collections" link on the left
side of the home page and am directed to a page with a small, fuzzy
photo of a box of chocolates. I click on the picture, assuming that I
can enlarge it for improved clarity. But as the adage says, Never
assume. The photo cannot be enlarged. For shame!
But there are some good things going on at the Ethel M. site. For
one, the product assortment is well rounded, and the copy is better
than I expected. (I could dub it "short but sweet," but I won't.) The
Crème Liqueurs Gift Box, for instance, is "Ultra-creamy.
Lusciously potent. We capture the essence of premium liqueurs within a
distinctive creamy filling enveloped by our rich dark and milk
chocolates." Can't you just feel the chocs melting on your tongue?
Another asset is the "B2B" link. This gives Ethel M. a chance to
roll out the red carpet to corporate gift-givers and bulk buyers with
volume discounts, personalized packaging, and the promise of attention
from an Ethel M. "corporate consultant." Clearly, Ethel M. aims to
please. That desire comes through in its copy, in the simplicity of its
navigation, and in its 100% unconditional guarantee that reads, "If
your experience is less than wonderful, we will make it right."
So, please, make it right. Improve the graphics, add a fun feature
or two (buying chocolates shouldn't bea chore, after all), and please,
make it right. Make it wonderful.
