A framework for evaluating the multichannel branded user experience

The continuing rise in the use of smartphones and tablets has changed consumers' buying behaviour significantly, by leading to an increase in mobile e-commerce or 'm- commerce'. In order to succeed in this strongly competitive market, retailers have had to provide an integrated and seamless branded shopping experience across multiple channels (online, mobile and /or in store). However, a branded user experience (UX) can only be considered as successful if it meets or exceeds the brand values, so to understand the extent to which brands have managed to provide their customers with a successful multicharmel branded shopping experience, this research focuses on evaluating the new ‟multichannel branded UX'. However, as standard usability research and testing methods are limited they prove inadequate across complex multiple touchpoints, and it is argued here, that only by measuring the cognitive and emotive factors that underpin trust and persuasion to purchase, can a branded UX be evaluated effectively at all. This research, therefore, defines a framework for measuring all the elements of the complex multichannel branded UX by integrating standard usability testing with new and innovative UX testing methods and tools, to carry out an effective evaluation of the multichannel branded UX. As part of this research, two separate user testing research studies were conducted on selected sites as case studies using the proposed research framework to evaluate the methodology and to demonstrate whether successful brands have managed to design and create a multichannel user experience that reflects the brand.