The NewVista News

E-commerce is in full bloom, and GROWING…

Consider – (Jupiter Research) “…expects that an estimated 126 million people in the United States will buy items on the Internet by the end of December…” The fact is, onLine shopping has reached the top of the pole…

According to a BizJournals survey, “…78% of consumers said they skipped Black Friday and the opening weekend of Christmas shopping in favor of online shopping…”

A new, record number of shoppers will make purchases via the Internet this holiday season, spending more than 41 billion dollars online. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN a better opportunity for onLine retailers.

Here are some guidelines to have a successful eCommerce website:

1: Have a Professional Store Design — Your online store must load quickly, be easy to navigate and project credibility. Online storefronts are far more feature-rich and complex than they once were. It takes more than just fancy design to get customers to buy.

2: Minimize Graphics and Flash —  Large graphics and Flash animations can significantly hinder the performance of an online store and frustrate users. Flash movies / product-demos can be useful selling tools. Give your viewer the OPTION to run a video; don’t force it.

3: SEO  Your eStore – An online store needs traffic, and you don’t get traffic without “SEOing” your store. First, it’s got to be W3C compliant. Then, it has to be properly programmed and “contented.” This means that each individual page must be optimized with key words, meta tags, page titles and content. Product descriptions should contain key search terms customers will likely use to find the product. Be sure to select a storefront system  that generates static HTML product pages; the search-spyders can’t see them otherwise.

4: Tell Your Customer the Whole Skinny – The web-consumer knows more than ever how to use the Internet. Hiding your shipping & handling charges till the end can result in viewer annoyance and shopping cart abandonment. Make it easy for shoppers to calculate shipping costs as they go along.

5: Stay in Contact with your Customer – Don’t spend new money for new customers when you have an existing “golden” customer-base. Stay in touch with them. They have already spent money and time with, they’re likely to buy again if given a sound value.
(The DMA (Direct Marketing Association) says valid email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to reach both new and existing customers. They recommend out-sourcing it to a reputable email marketing firm.)

6: Keep your eStore Fresh and Updated: Like the movie, “Field of Dreams”… build a quality eStore, and your customers WILL come. Keep them coming back with fresh, up-to-date offerings and promotions. – Change pics every now and then, - change products, - offer “specials.” In the end, consistent eStore marketing will ALWAYS prove beneficial.

7: Respond to Your Customer – Provide all the answers that might reasonably arise by using a “FAQ-page. If they can’t get enough info from YOUR site, guess what?? (Well, you already know the answer to this.) Give full product descriptions, multiple product pictures (in hi-res), warranty information, testimonials and/or product reviews from other customers, and a clear return policy.

8: Offer Buying-Incentives. Shoppers LOVE deals. Coupons, discounts, sales and special bonuses can all serve as powerful incentives to get shoppers to take action and buy. Often, the right incentive, such as free shipping, is the difference between a sale or an abandoned shopping cart.

9: State your Privacy Policy — According to the FTC, ID-Theft is still the number one source of consumer complaints. Be sure to state your Privacy Policy clearly and make it visible. Adding security related icons such as the VeriSign seal throughout the checkout process has also proven to increase shopper confidence and reduce shopping cart abandonment.

10: Offer Multiple Payment Options. — Any online store needs to be able to securely process credit cards. Offering customers the option to pay via a third-party payment processing systems such as PayPal can also increase sales. However, it shouldn’t serve as your primary method for processing payments.