Across the ecommerce industry optimizing site speed is a top priority in 2019, if not the top priority for most retailers. With the continued shift to mobile browsing, site speed is critical. Faster sites deliver a better user experience leading to higher conversion rates and increased sales. There’s also an added benefit to SEO. In … Continue reading
Author Archives: alexandratnelson
Mobile 2.0: death of the keyboard
A couple months ago Benedict Evans published his thoughts on the future of mobile, in a post called Mobile 2.0. Mobile 2.0 says ‘there are a billion people with high-end smartphones now’*. So, what assumptions are being left behind? What do you do differently if you assume not just the touch screen from 2007 but unlimited … Continue reading
Lyft versus Uber.
Uber really upset me last Sunday. I had two failed attempts at an airport pick from LGA. It was 11pm, I had to get up early for work the next day, and I just wanted to get the ___ out of the airport. First, I waited 20 minutes for a car that just wasn’t getting any … Continue reading
Will it arrive before Christmas?
While buying some important merchandise on Etsy (ugly Christmas sweaters!), there was no information to tell me whether the items would arrive before Christmas. Very few sellers include shipping & handling estimates. And there were no delivery estimates at checkout. Now 48 hours after my order and 5 days before Christmas, I’m checking tracking numbers and … Continue reading
Everlane shut down their mobile app. Should you?
Everlane is a D2C ecom startup that focuses on transparency in pricing and production. They often push the boundaries on UX/UI with features such as login required past a certain point in browsing, “pay what you want” shopping section, new UI treatments for quick add to cart, UberRush delivery integration, etc. I check their site from time … Continue reading
Free vs. easy returns.
Lately, I’ve observed a significant decline in the return experience with a number of my favorite online retailers. The main causes are: Multiple packages for one order No return shipping labels Extra paperwork to fill out manually As a frequent online clothing shopper, free returns used to be the most important thing for me, after free shipping of … Continue reading
Two pearls of wisdom from this week.
You can manage to the deliverables or the timelines, but not both. – MD at Thoughbot, a leading development shop I’m pretty sure this short sentence captures 99% of the frustration and challenges that developers feel when working with everybody else. Simplicity is the new sophistication. – An article commenting on Google’s new logo In the age of technology, … Continue reading
Living an extraordinary life.
I’m on the train back from Boston, where I was in town for my 5 year reunion at Harvard Business School. I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for months knowing that I would like to make a career transition and hoping to find some inspiration from my classmates and the discussions with professors this … Continue reading
The shift to mobile.
Mentally I’ve finally made the shift to mobile first as a product manager. It’s taken me a while since in my own life I was always in front of a laptop. Oh how things have changed. As a new mother to twins, my phone is my lifeline. I rarely have both hands free to type … Continue reading
Starbucks rewards.
Open letter to the head of Loyalty and/or Customer Experience at Starbucks: Hi there, You don’t know me by name, but I’m a “heavy user” of Starbucks. Since 2004, I have gone to Starbucks >5 days a week. And with very high frequency, I buy 7 days a week and more than 1x per day. … Continue reading
Alex Nelson 