Mystery Shopping on the Web
Not all mystery shopping assignments involve visiting a business in person. Opportunities also exist for people who are interested in making money doing web mystery shopping. Many businesses have an online eCommerce presence and ordering products online can be a quick and easy way to shop. But how do website owners know whether they have a site that is easy for the average Internet user to navigate?
The answer is simple. They hire a company that contracts with web mystery shoppers to go through all the eCommerce steps involved in making a purchase. Just as in the case of someone who is contracted to perform a personal visit, the web mystery shopper visits the site in the same way that a typical customer does.
He or she is given a list of questions to answer about the overall appearance of the site and the steps involved in making a purchase. The web mystery shopper will be making note of whether it is easy to figure out exactly what they need to do to make a purchase. Follow the instructions carefully if you are given this type of assignment, since not all companies expect the web mystery shopper to actually make a purchase.
Failing to follow instructions carefully may mean that you will not be paid for your time. In addition, the mystery shopping company may not give you any further assignments.
Site owners are aware that Internet users are notorious for having short attention spans and if they can’t find the information they need right away, they will simply move on to the next website without signing up for the site’s mailing list or buying anything. By short attention span, think seconds as opposed to someone spending several minutes on the site trying to find the information they want.
A person who owns their own site will be very familiar with how to find information or place and order on it. Having a fresh set of eyes take a look at it can only help them to understand what their site looks like from the point of view of a typical web surfer. Making a few changes to help make the site easier to navigate can only help to make it “sticky,” and the longer a person stays on the site, the more likely it is that they will become a customer instead of a browser.