Shopping at Harrods is an experience and the same is true when shopping at the Harrods online store. Harrods opened in 1849 and has since then been known for quality and exceptional customer service. Their fine garments and quality merchandise, the perfect location and now their high quality web design are all factors that contribute to their ongoing success. A website analysis done on their website, reveals just why they also succeed in the online world.

Internet Marketing starts with an exceptional web design and Harrods has succeeded in creating the same image of professionalism and exclusivity they are esteemed for on the web. The choice of colours to portray a feeling of elegance is essential when it comes to clothing, beauty care products, and accessories. Shoppers want to have an exciting experience online. They don’t have the benefit of a personal assistant or the privilege of fitting garments when shopping online and the web design must thus make up for that and provide additional benefits.

The Harrods website makes use of a cascading style menu on top of the page to ensure an even flow and easy navigation. They employ visually attractive advertisements and loads of images as shopping entails far more than information. It is also about visual appeal. Apart from the high quality images which contain descriptive ALT tags, Harrods ensures that clients can easily find information through links, the menu, a help function, FAQ and the search facilities. Full guidance is provided on how to shop at their website.

Finding your garment of choice is as easy as clicking on the appropriate category and either using the text links or the image links to shop for particular items. The pictures are displayed and prices provided. You can even sort the products according to price. There are categories for beauty, womenswear, men, children, and more.

Users will delight in the newsletter subscription option. This allows Harrods to take their latest news, specials, announcements, tips and products to the client. This also allows for brand promotion, customer relationship building, and viral marketing at the same time. As an Internet Marketing strategy the well-designed newsletter is a winner.

The customer service section provides full details on all aspects of shopping at Harrods. A sitemap would also have been useful and would play an excellent search engine optimisation role.

The Harrods website succeeds in information provision and in making the online shopping experience pleasant for all users. Full guidance on site usage, a contact number, and answers to FAQ contribute to their success.

The site also features a News section with some interesting articles. The information is current and relevant to the users. All links work well and lead to informative content. Several benefits such as registering online for a wedding gift card add value to the site.

There are only a few moving images on the website, which contributes to its fast loading time. Considering that it is a site packed with information, special features and images, the fast loading time is commendable.

Client interaction and personalization can be enhanced through a virtual tour of the shops, a speaking character or fashion videos. It will also be beneficial if a blog or forum is established for beauty tips, fashion advice, and general client opinions.

The Harrods website has made navigation easy indeed. A Harrods home button displays on top of the pages and the title is always visible in the blue title bar. In addition the page title is displayed on the specific page.

One of the excellent features that make the site unique is the “Shop by Designers” allowing for brand shopping. The page is divided into easily identifiable categories and enhances the shopping experience of the client.

In terms of search engine optimisation and Internet marketing the Harrods website analysis shows that the site is performing well. Although no Meta tag with a description and keywords was found, the site boasts a Google Page Rank of 6 (May 5, 2008). The use of a description and keywords, as well as a sitemap may increase its search engine exposure. The site that has been online since October 1997 boasts a total of 23 335 incoming links of which 11 300 come from AltaVista and 935 from Google at the time of website analysis. Ranking can also be improved through specific keyword placement and density as well as viral marketing techniques such as the usage of “Refer a friend” option and through blogs as well as social networking links.

If you are looking for a pleasant online shopping experience where you will not only receive tips and excellent offers, but will also enjoy several other benefits, visit the Harrods website today.