Bombay Company's new ecommerce website is worth a look if you're currently developing or redesigning a digital retail presence. Once a dominant retailer in the U.S., the brand has been without a prominent ecommerce presence on the retail Web for years. Taking a moment to review new sites, particuarly when they are such classically styled and branded as Bombay Company is, provides a good opportunity to determine how our own sites measure up.
Let's take a virtual peek inside, focusing on the home page, category pages, as well as individual product pages - the same a user would encounter during a purchase - for some ecommerce inspiration.
Home Page: A bold use of images is in play on the home page, with a three-item slideshow using jQuery. What is worthy of note is that users have the ability to view individual products from within the main image slideshow - see below. Bombay Company also does a decent job of profiling its specials - as well as new and feature products - below the slideshow, and descriptive, straightforward navigation (with dropdowns) links above.
Category Pages: The furniture retailer does a decent job of showcasing products within specific categories (chairs, end tables, etc.), giving users the ability to sort by price, top sellers and new products. The category pages however feature the least amount of visual flair when compared to the home and product pages.
Product Pages: Bombay Company isn't reinventing the ecommerce design whee here eitherl, but it should likely meet the expectations of users and does feature most if not all of the neccessary elements. A collection of bright and detailed product images are available, as well as product dimensions, price, and product description. The product page also wisely includes whether the product is in or out of stock. Two of the more well thought out features of course are the inclusion of social icons - namely the Pin It button on product pages - and the related products from the same collection (important as there only 250 products on the whole site).