Business-to-Customer Web Design Analysis: IKEA's E-Commerce Platform

This report provides an in-depth analysis of IKEA's Business-to-Customer (B2C) website, focusing on its design, usability, and impact on the consumer. The research employs an Object-Oriented Approach to evaluate the website's functionality and its role in enhancing customer experience and driving sales. The report examines IKEA's business strategy, the usability of the website for consumers, and its efficiency in attracting online purchases. It also explores how the website's content provides useful information and how its features impact consumers. The analysis covers the application of OOP principles like abstraction, encapsulation, polymorphism, and inheritance. The report also highlights the challenges in OOP and the design patterns used to overcome them. Ultimately, the study assesses how the website helps IKEA improve its business operations, marketing efforts, and overall profitability, demonstrating its significance in the modern retail landscape.

Running Head: BUSINESS TO CUSTOMER WEB DESIGN 1
BUSINESS TO CUSTOMER WEB DESIGN
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BUSINESS TO CUSTOMER WEB DESIGN 2
INTRODUCTION
IKEA is a Swedish multinational company that is responsible for designing and selling
furniture, home accessories and kitchen appliances alongside the necessary services that go
hand in hand with the business. It was founded in 1943 in Sweden and has survived
throughout the generations where there was no technology into the 21st century where
everything is basically done through the internet (Sebesta, 2012). IKEA has grown to be the
largest multinational retailing furniture company with the highest consumption of wood. The
company launched their E-commerce portal in 2018 through which they endeavour to
enhance their customer experience and increase their profits (Lutz, 2013). The major
advertising avenue for the company has been the making of catalogues which normally come
in different languages and editions. In addition to this, they want to create a website in which
they can be able to interact with customers and enable them make purchases that suit their
needs (Calvin, 2013).
This research paper seeks to explore the development of a Business to Customer website
through the Object Oriented Approach. It will also examine the website business strategy by
IKEA, the usability of the website to the consumer, its efficiency and impact on the
consumer. It will further look into how this web development will help improve the
operations of the business, marketing as well as the generation of profits.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research employs the use Object Oriented Approach in developing the website.
In the recent past there have been conflicting ideas on whether Object Oriented Programming
is relevant for the development of websites (Dawn, 2014). Despite the fact that OOP
languages are not used in developing websites, there are major concepts that can be borrowed
to accomplish the task. Therefore, some of the major reasons why IKEA selected on using the

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Object Oriented approach is because it comes along with many benefits (Dennis, Wixom, &
Tegarden, 2015).
Object Oriented Programming (OOP) is a programming criteria that is based on
objects which contain information in terms of fields depending on the nature and properties
of the information. The code for OOP normally follows a given procedure in accomplishing
its task (Calvin, 2013). The features of the object are defined by a set of procedures that are
able to alter the functioning of that object. Therefore, OOP entails objects that interact with
each other. The most commonly used OOP languages are usually class-based and they
include C++, Python, Java, C#, Object Pascal, MATLAB, Dart, Ruby, PHP, Smalltalk,
Objective-C, JavaScript, Scala, Perl, Swift and Common Lisp (Dawn, 2014).
Although these programming languages claim to be compatible with OOP, not all of
them directly support its structures and techniques (Sebesta, 2012). However, there are
common features for all the programming languages that support OOP. The first feature that
the website will require is variables which shall be used for the purpose of storing
information. This information can be stored as strings, characters, integers or lists (Lutz,
2013).
There are also procedures or functions which provide the methodology for accepting
the input, processing the data and generating the output. The modern languages that provide
these procedures include the use of loops and conditionals. Procedures can be grouped into
files for the purposes of order through Modular Programming (Dennis, Wixom, & Tegarden,
2015).
There is also the feature of objects and classes in OOP. Classes define the format of
the data and the procedures that are available for that given data (Nevin & Torres, 2012).
Objects on the other hand are the instances of the classes. For instance, an object may take

BUSINESS TO CUSTOMER WEB DESIGN 4
the dimensions of real objects and shapes such as circles and squares. In the case of building
a website for IKEA, the web may contain a shopping cart as an object on the web. Other
objects may be used to represent a customer and others the item to be purchased
(Salvaneschi, Ghezzi, & Pradella, 2012).
In OOP there are special terms that are used to refer to specific items in the
programming process. For instance, a class variable is a general representation of a class as a
whole and an instance variable is one that is part of an individual object and each object has a
copy of its own (Dennis, Wixom, & Tegarden, 2015). Member variables can be used to refer
to both the instance and class variables but they are defined by a specific class. Class methods
are assigned to the entire class and only access class variables and other inputs from the
procedure call (Salvaneschi, Ghezzi, & Pradella, 2012). Lastly, the class methods are the
functions which belong to specific objects and can gain access to the class variables, inputs
and instance variables of the individual object to which they belong. The developers at times
refer to objects as variables with a complex structure (Nevin & Torres, 2012).
The class-based programming languages in OOP work by first defining the classes
and then later on instantiate the objects based on the classes. For instance, if there is a class of
fruits, the objects may be an apple and an orange which generally possess similar
characteristics with a few variations (Lutz, 2013). In prototype-based languages, objects are
regarded as the primary item with no existence of classes. Instead of classes, objects have
other objects as prototypes to which they are linked. There is only one prototype for one
object. Therefore, if the developer wants to create a new object, they will do so on the basis
of the existing objects that will be selected as their prototypes (Calvin, 2013).
An example for prototype-based programming can be given in the case of IKEA retail
company. If there are two objects table and chair with another object named furniture as their

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prototype, then the object furniture is not necessarily a class but rather there is a collection of
objects sharing a similar prototype (Dawn, 2014). The attributes of furniture are shared by
both table and chair but those of the table and the chair are not the same.
In message passing in OOP, it is the duty of an object to receive a method call and
execute the selected procedural code. This process is known as a dynamic dispatch and it
differentiates an object from the module which executes its operation in a fixed way of
implemented procedures (Constantinides, 2014).
One of the benefits of the OOP approach is that it is easy to maintain. Secondly, the
code can be reused and therefore in the case that any modifications are needed for the
website, they will not have to start the development process all over again but rather edit the
available code to suit the varying needs of the company and their consumer (Apel,
Kolesnikov, Liebig, Kästner, Kuhlemann, & Leich, 2012). It is also well improved, easily
adapted to different desired outcomes and extended. Lastly, its tools are better in terms of
problem-solving and it is always easier for one to use another person’s code.
The major principles that can be used in Object oriented approach include abstraction,
encapsulation, polymorphism and inheritance. The principle of abstraction entails the making
of objects (Sebwsta, 2102). This concept aims at simplifying complex ideas and expressing
them in an understandable manner. The principle works through the consideration of the
features of an idea that make it distinct from all the rest (Lutz, 2013). Therefore, it can be
basically said that a complex idea is broken down into smaller partitions which make this
idea unique form the rest (Constantinides, 2014).
The second principle is that of encapsulation. This principle ensures that while
creating the website, the users will only be able to see the pictorial object rather than the
details that were used in implementing the entire process (Apel, Kolesnikov, Liebig, Kästner,

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Kuhlemann, & Leich, 2012). This is simply because the website user does not need all the
details that led to its development. The only thing that the consumer would need while using
the website is to know what a particular object can do and what their role is for the object to
carry out its allotted task (Dawn, 2014). For instance, an IKEA consumer using their website
to make purchases will be required to know that a given object in a website is meant to
indicate that the consumer has ordered a furniture and that all they need to do is to click on
that object to place their order (Lutz, 2013).
In addition to that, encapsulation enables the developer to make an improvement to
the objects without the consumers seeing the process of change as long as the functionality of
the object is maintained (Jonsson, Rudberg, & Holmberg, 2013). An example can be given in
the case that the developer wants to improve the colour and general outlook of an object in a
website. In this case, the user will only see the change in the physical outlook but the object
will still be performing its initial function (Nevin & Torres, 2012).
The third principle is polymorphism which is responsible for assigning the use of
every object. This implies that the usage of a particular object on the web changes depending
on the circumstances. By virtue of the fact that polymorphism simply means taking of many
forms, an object can perform different tasks at different times (Constantinides, 2014).
Therefore, a single object can be manipulated to perform more than one task. This implies
that the more an object can be used the lesser the expense in developing the website (Jonsson,
Rudberg, & Holmberg, 2013). An example can be given of an object with a shape but the
shape can be circular, square, oval or triangular depending on the circumstances.
The fourth and last principle of OOP is inheritance. This principle enables the
developer to use the code of one object in creating another similar object. It is just like adding
modifications to an initial code to come up with another upgraded object (Lutz, 2013). The

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original code in this case is referred to as the parent while the modifications are called the
children of that given code. The farther one moves from the parent code, the objects become
more specialized (Dawn, 2014). For instance, a code for a quadrilateral can be the parent
while the code of the children such as trapezia, parallelograms and squares are generated
from it. However, as much as these principles are employed in developing websites, that does
not imply that html and css are OOP languages (Berman, 2016).
Despite all these principles and advantages that come along with OOP, there are also
challenges in the programming processes. Therefore, there are various design patterns which
are meant to address these challenges. These patterns help in solving the most commonly
occurring problems in software development (Apel, Kolesnikov, Liebig, Kästner,
Kuhlemann, & Leich, 2012).
Among the design patterns that are meant to solve these problems is the inheritance
and behavioural subtyping, the gang of four design pattern, real world modelling and
relationships an object-orientation and databases (Berman, 2016). The gang of four design
pattern particularly outlines the creational, behavioural and structural design patterns that are
meant to address their corresponding problems (Apel, Kolesnikov, Liebig, Kästner,
Kuhlemann, & Leich, 2012).
The use of OOP has been criticized time and again on the basis of placing too much
emphasis on objects and leaving out other important aspects of programming such as
algorithms. It has also been claimed that OOP languages are too complex and they do not
fully meet the goal of modularity and the ability of being reused (Dawn, 2014). It has been
added that there are no specific strengths of OOP and the fact that it is popular among many
large companies is because there are many growing mediocre programmers who cannot offer
anything better than Object Oriented Programming (Calvin, 2013).

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Despite all these criticism, Object Oriented Approach still remains a vital part to large
business companies since their main focus is on creating websites that are after all majorly
based on objects. This is to imply that although there are other approaches on programming
and development of websites, the Object Oriented Approach will still take over when it
comes to business websites (Aguilera, 2013).
RESEARCH FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
From the above research on the OOP approach in developing a website, it is clear that
it is the best approach for creating an effective website for IKEA furniture retailing company.
IKEA adopted the strategy of developing a website after realizing that most of their
customers were shifting to other smaller retailers who are using e-commerce technology
(Abrahamian, 2013). By creating websites, it was realised by IKEA that the smaller retailers
could sell out furniture at lower prices since they had cut costs on paying for warehouses and
doing expensive advertisement campaigns. Therefore, IKEA decided to delve into the
strategy of using e-commerce in improving their business both in terms of customer
experience and profits (Jonsson, Rudberg, & Holmberg, 2013).
IKEA has resorted into using the Business to Customer E-commerce model by
developing a website that will help them to accomplish their objectives. This is due to the
great observed shift in the habits of the consumer in searching and purchasing goods online
(Aguilera, 2013). Unlike the ancient days in which the large retailers had the advantage of
choosing their consumers, in the current generation, consumers have the means to choose the
products they need as well as the kind of retailers that they desire to deliver them
(Abrahamian, 2013). After launching their first e-commerce platform in 2016 on half of their
stores, IKEA realised a 30% increment in their revenues. Another indicator of the

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improvement was made when IKEA hit 2.3 billion visits worldwide in 2017 (Jonsson,
Rudberg, & Holmberg, 2013).
In the last quarter of 2017, IKEA launched a friendly mobile App called IKEA Place.
This App is mainly for iPhone users and it enables them to take a photo of the location where
they want they ordered item to be delivered (Aguilera, 2013). The customer can further give
an overview of furniture photos in their room to indicate how they would desire their new
item to fit into the room. After completing the process, the customer then makes their order
through the website (Abrahamian, 2013). Besides the use of websites in making their sales,
IKEA endeavours to sign contracts with other avenues such as Amazon which they believe
will go a long way into improving the customer experience as well as increasing their profits
(Jonsson, Rudberg, & Holmberg, 2013).
The strategy of selling items through the web has become successful for the fact that
IKEA has a strong brand that is trusted worldwide. Besides that, it has a variety of furniture
items in addition to the fact that their items are high quality. For this reason, it has gained
loyalty by many customers (Huovinen, 2017).
In addition to a strong brand, IKEA has improved its strategy through better
interaction with their customers in different online avenues. For instance, they use visuals and
engagement strategy on their social media platforms (Sansone, Tartaglione, & Bruni, 2012).
They create beautiful and captivating content that their customers always long to view in
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Through these platforms they are able
to consider the interests of their customers as well as address their complaints quickly
(Abrahamian, 2013). All these put together give an amazing experience to the customers
who would rather prefer to stick to them instead of seeking for other retailers to deliver
(Huovinen, 2017).

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In order to fully attain to their objectives, IKEA has provided complementary services
to its customers such as restaurants for customers and play areas for kids. Further still, they
have strategized on a way in which they can collect information from their customers so that
they can be able to meet their needs in a more relevant way (Aguilera, 2013). One way in
which they collect customer information is by carrying out Chatbot surveys. After collecting
the customer information, IKEA goes ahead to design, functional, affordable, sustainable,
attractive and accessible pieces of furniture. More research is done through online
communities and short surveys (Sansone, Tartaglione, & Bruni, 2012). This has greatly
enabled the company to be innovative and more efficient to the customer.
Despite the fact that IKEA has been using these surveys, chatbots have remained the
main medium through which they have been collecting customer information. IKEA created
a chatbot that is called ORC (Constantinides, 2014). This has turned out to be a friendly
platform where customers interact and yet it does not give them the notion that it is a survey
but it is still well branded. This survey asks both qualitative and quantitative questions and
uses emojis which enable them to exactly detect the feelings of the customers towards their
products and services (Jonsson, Rudberg, & Holmberg, 2013).
This survey is so great since it is more of a conversation with the customers rather
than a question and answer session. At the end of the day, the customer will not even realize
that they were taking part in a survey (Huovinen, 2017). The interaction is very simple as it is
easy to respond since it offers variety in questions to be answered. This enables IKEA to
collect so much information within just a session. Through the collection of this information,
IKEA has been able to create an effective website for their customers (Abrahamian, 2013).

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Even though IKEA entered the E-commerce arena a little bit late, they have managed
to outdo their counterpart competitors who came in early simply because they have a better
strategy (Huovinen, 2017).
USABILITY OF THE WEBSITE TOWARDS THE CUSTOMER
The IKEA website has the find, choose and buy sections. The find section enables the
customer to log in and search for the item that they want to purchase. This is the homepage
that will help the customer navigate through the website and view any available promotions
that are being offered (Jonsson, Rudberg, & Holmberg, 2013). Some of the major objects that
will appear on this section of the page include a portrait of an imaginary person for logging
in. The log in button is normally placed at the top right corner of the page since it is the most
ideal point. This portrait is the object that will alert the customer that that is the area that they
need to click, enter their details then log in (Abrahamian, 2013).
Another essential object on this page is a magnifying lens which indicates to the
customer that that is where they need to click so as to search for the item that they want to
purchase. The search button in enhanced through attractive colours and the provision of a
predictive search feature which enables the customer quickly get what they are searching for
(Berman, 2016). Special offers and promotions will also be shown in the homepage. The
main objects that may be used to indicate this may be an object of a chair that keeps on
popping up on the page or largely printed words that capture the attention of the customer.
There is also the object of a shopping basket and dropdown menus that ensure effective and
wide navigation through the site (Huovinen, 2017).
The second section of the website is the choose section. This is majorly based on the
search feature. The choose section has various images that will help the customer make the
right selection. There are also filtering features on giving the results of what the customer was

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searching for (Berman, 2016). This mainly depends on the colour, price and brand that they
need. This ensures that only the relevant items are displayed for the customer to make a
choice from. The page also provides a simple layout that makes it easier for the customer to
choose their item of preference (Jonsson, Rudberg, & Holmberg, 2013).
The customer is also capable of enlarging a particular image that they have interest in
for proper examination and scrutiny on how the piece of furniture is built. In the case that the
object cannot be enlarged, critical details are given to provide all the essential features of the
furniture that the customer needs to know. Although IKEA does not offer a multiple display
of the images of its items, it gives enough details to the customer (Huovinen, 2017).
The third section of the website is the buy section. This is where retailers place their
major focus. This is because customers will regularly abandon the basket after going through
the processes of viewing and choosing the item that they need (Berman, 2016). This is partly
caused by the fact that the checkout process is long. To reduce this habit, IKEA endeavours
to make the process short with few forms to be filled before completing the entire buying
process. IKEA provides a clear total cost to the customer on the web to avoid confusion and
misunderstanding on the customer (Jonsson, Rudberg, & Holmberg, 2013).
Besides all these features on the website, IKEA provides a lot of captivating content
on their social media platforms for the customers. The content is usually through videos and
photos of their products. These enable the customer to be conversant with the latest items in
the market, their quality as well as the prices at which they are being offered. This ensures
that before going to place their orders on the website, they are already well informed and
therefore they do not have to go through a lot of struggle in selecting their furniture and
checking out.