My Account link in most e-commerce sites . reason to have one before log in ?

Question

I am developing a new e-commerce website in java. My index page has links such as Login etc. I had gone through other e-commerce sites such as ebay where they have option of My Account. My question is before signing in to the account ,why do they need this link My Account. what is the significance of this. can any web designer let me know the answer?

Answer 1

Hello

Some people do not look for "log in" if they think they are logged in. They would then click "My Account" and login, instead of lookting for some link that normally is there but they can't find this time.

It is just increaseing Useability.

I recommend "Don't Make Me Think! A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability" by Steve Krug, it is a very good book!