Online Shopping Sites Usability Versus Enjoyability

Once users become familiar with a certain shopping site, it's not long before they pledge their eternal loyalty. But if you're not that familiar with any one in particular, where do you begin? Assuming you've tried out Amazon and eBay before, let's take a look at three others: Shopping.com, Buy.com, and Yub.com, and see which is the most user-friendly.

Shopping.com is extremely no-frills attached, as straightforward as it gets. It knows why you're there-to shop-and it's not going to distract any of your attention away from the task at hand. You'll get your business done, but it's served up with as little fun on the side as possible. Usability rating: 9/10 Enjoyability Rating: 3/10

Yub.com is super cool-at least, that's what it's going for. Its catch phrase is "Meet. Hang. Shop." Exactly what the shopping mall is for, and Yub.com is the ultimate online shopping mall. Besides offering products from all your favorite mall stores and more, it provides the opportunity for social networking, encouraging users (or "yubbers") to exchange shopping and bargain advice, with cash-back as the incentive. Usability rating: 7/10 Enjoyability Rating: 8.5/10

Buy.com is a comprehensive site who, quite obviously, is vying for Amazon's business. With their current promotion, users can purchase books at 10% off Amazon's prices. However, when they do so, free shipping isn't allowed-tricky. Buy.com is relatively simple to navigate, but it's very in-your-face about everything, almost in a sensory overload kind of way. Usability rating: 8/10 Enjoyability Rating: 6/10