New M&S site tops retail league table

Marks and Spencer´s (M&S´s) and WHSmith´s websites have topped a poll of the best online high street retailers in the UK.
The poll, carried out by Webcredible, saw M&S jump from ninth position last year to joint first in 2009.

WHSmith was also number one in 2008.

M&S recently redesigned its site, which was re-launched last week with new products, new services and international delivery. The increased usability of the new site, which rose from 68 per cent in 2008 to 83 per cent in the poll this year, helped M&S come out on top.

Trenton Moss, director of Webcredible, told Revolution magazine: "Again this year we have seen an increasing focus on the user experience of websites by high street retailers to a point where no less than five have scored 80 per cent or more for website usability, which is unprecedented."

The criteria used to evaluate the websites included browsing and navigation, the checkout process, searching and product display pages.

Others in the top five included John Lewis, Woolworths and Boots.
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