Make the most of Ecommerce
The Ecommerce market is getting crowded, be proactive and develop your competitive advantage.
Even in these adverse economic times, Ecommerce growth rates are consistently on the up and this trend is set to continue with online spending expectedto double in the next 5 years.
This of course is great news for retailers making the most of online. The upshot of this means your business needs to stand out in an ever increasingly crowded market.
Making your online store work for you is more important now than it ever has been.
Make it easy to buy
One of the largest stumbling blocks for any online transaction is the checkout process – it looks like an obvious one, but many websites get it wrong.
One page checkouts are all the rage. But consider that stuffing a checkout with every conceivable option, which can be a potential information overload for even the savviest of customer.
Forcing customers to register their details before checking out is also removing choice from the equation, and let's face it, no-one likes being told what to do.
Offering some payment options from trusted names such as PayPal, Google and SagePay will not only add choice for customers but also increase the reliability of your store.
"never assume a great product alone equates to great sales"
Make it easy to find
Navigation best practice is often a bone of content between the design and functionality of an online store. Top navigation is an obvious requirement but what of left or right menus? Often a design will flow better with full width content. However if your customer can not easily find and filter specific products then the design becomes redundant.
Keep your customers happy by requiring fewer clicks where possible. This should include incorporating a powerful search function that auto-completes a query, or at the very least makes the search accurate and fast.
Reassurance is key
Reassuring your customers is particularly true of new Ecommerce websites but can have a significant effect on existing stores too.
Do you offer customer services via the phone? Make sure you let the customer know. For example promoting the phone number in a prominent position can dramatically increase your credibility.
If you offer any form of free shipping or returns policy, once again make it obvious and make it a selling point.
A 'promo bar' typically sitting just under your top navigation, is a great way to grab the customer's eye and instil confidence with just a few words. Your products are wonderful but sell your great service too.
There are quite literal hundreds of factors to consider when selling online; making a success of your Ecommerce store can be harder than it might seem in the first instance.
Your brand is your expertise, so it makes sense to enlist the services of an agency that can make the most of your brand online.
