A recent report by Internet strategy and marketing authority Resource Marketing, Inc, indicates that e-retailers are making glaring blunders which lead to a lacklustre customer experience."Many retailers aren't meeting the needs of demanding e-consumers," said Kelly Mooney, managing director of intelligence for Resource. "E-retailers are trying to be all things to all people and as a result their sites are too complex resulting in a frustrating, inconsistent experience. Companies need to focus on making their sites more useful and consumer-friendly so consumers feel compelled to participate in a relationship."Since 1997, Mooney and her team of mystery cybershoppers have been tracking the quality of the online customer experience. For the Summer 2000 study, Mooney examined fifty leading e-retailers on 500 consumer-based measures to determine the quality of their online customer experience. According to the study, the biggest bombs in the apparel e-tail sector include: Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney and BlueLight.com, Kmart's online partner.Wal-Mart was guilty of leaving links that led nowhere on its site, some of which were supposed to connect to customer service.While all sites share the problem of moving away from geek-speak to more consumer-friendly language, some have more problems than others. J.C. Penney's site was particularly accusatory and unfriendly, the mystery shoppers found.BlueLight.com made the worst blunder. The customer service phone number, which was still listed on the website, had been disconnected. After tracking down a different phone number, the researchers discovered that this, too, had been cut off. Mooney is available to discuss findings from the latest edition of Resource E-commerce Watch. For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact Keri Lucas at 614.410.2142. To learn more about the Resource E-commerce Watch, visit our website at http://www.ecommercewatch.resource.com. SOURCE: Resource MarketingWebsite: