Atlanta, GA, Oct. 13--Home Depot said Monday that it has gutted and renovated its website in hopes of increasing online traffic and purchases.
The site, which had rated poorly in an independent study of retailers' Web pages, has a new, less-cluttered look. The revamped website should make it easier for customers to find what they want, whether it be merchandise or information, said Shelley Nandkeolyar, Home Depot's vice president of interactive marketing and e-business. The site ranked behind those of several retailers, including competitor Lowe's, in terms of usability and responsiveness, according to a study released last month by the Customer Respect Group. The Bellevue, WA, research and consulting firm studies how companies treat their online customers.
In the survey of retailers and specialty retailers, Home Depot ranked 24th. Lowe's earned the top ranking, tying the Gap, Target and Circuit City.
Home Depot's former Website scored "pretty good" in simplicity but fared poorly in responsiveness, said Thorsten Ganz, Customer Respect Group's vice president of marketing and research.
Home Depot said its revamped site will provide more interaction with customers. The "Customer Support" section, for instance, will allow customers to track orders placed online. In fact, the retooled site, www.homedepot.com, is geared more toward e-commerce than its predecessor. A link to browse and buy products is prominently displayed on the home page. Home Depot declined to reveal its annual revenue from Internet sales or how much of an increase it expects from the revamped Website. The company did say, however, that 4.2 million people visited its site in August, a 75 percent increase over the year before.
Home Depot offers 8,000 to 10,000 products for purchase online. Customers also can request information about at home services such as carpet installation.
"The Internet plays an important role for any retailer today," said Nandkeolyar, who most recently headed the e-commerce division of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. He joined Home Depot in June. Home Depot plans to unveil further improvements to its Website and e-commerce operation in the coming months.
