One Single Webpage Makes iPod and Nano Shopping Simple - Flotshop.com Launches Beta with Full Landscape of iPod and Nano Products

In an effort to radically redefine online shopping, Flotshop (www.flotshop.com) has launched a one-page web site to display top-selling iPod products. With this new image-based approach, consumers can explore more than 80 items without clicking, scrolling or opening additional windows. The overall map provides a quick, clear landscape of the entire shopping category.

(PRWEB) December 1, 2005 -- In an effort to radically redefine online shopping, Flotshop (www.flotshop.com) has launched a one-page web site to display top-selling iPod products. With this new image-based approach, consumers can explore more than 80 items without clicking, scrolling or opening additional windows. The overall map provides a quick, clear landscape of the entire shopping category.

“As online shoppers, we felt there was huge opportunity to make browsing items dramatically easier,” states project co-founder Eric Antonow. “When you know the exact product you’re looking for – a directed search – most online stores do a good job helping you find it. But when you’re trying to understand your options within a product category, like when shopping for a gift, the task can be complicated and laborious. You often have to scroll, click through multiple pages, and flip back and forth between item details. It’s slow and inconvenient. We aimed for no-click, no-scoll, and everything on one page.”

Rolling the cursor over a product on Flotshop.com instantly pops up a balloon with details, price, and Amazon product ratings. Flotshop’s application uses AJAX technologies to allow for seeming real time access to this information without ever leaving the page.

“The use of AJAX enabled the entire project. We could use the whole page to merchandise products as images only – no text – and therefore display almost a hundred items in a coherent way,” remarked Brad Seiler, the other co-founder. “Users can quickly scan and rollover items when then want more detail. It makes incredible sense for many online shopping contexts. By putting a full range of products on a single page, you can make sense of your options and narrow them more.”

The founders chose to launch with the iPod category because the range of accessory items can be complex for a first-time buyer. The single page layout provides a map and quick context for their decision. They plan to launch Flotshop pages in a number of other categories and with retail sites.

“This is primarily an experiment to solve a crummy user experience,” remarks Eric Antonow. “On almost every online store, it still feels like I’m staring at a database - or at least an interface that only a database could love. We’re hoping that other people provide feedback and direction on ways they want to see the idea improved.”

The project is openly soliciting comments and criticism from designers and user experience professionals to expand on the prototype. They plan to launch revisions and additional stores before year’s end.

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