The greatest thing about e-commerce can also be the worst thing about it – that is to say, it’s as easy to leave a site as it as it is to enter one. With brick-and-mortar shopping, once a customer walks in your store you’ve got some level of control with regard to how long they stay and whether or not they buy something. When they visit your website the slightest trip up and they’re gone.
In discussing tips to make your website a place visitors will hang around a while, the piece of advice that seems to surface most frequently is “easy does it.”
“There are plenty of things in life that are difficult to do so one of things that should never been tough is shopping,” is how Lauren Sosik explained the need to keep e-commerce simply. “I don’t climb mountains because it’s difficult to do an I certainly don’t want to start climbing them when I shop on the Web.”
So then, in compiling a list of tips for retail websites, consider “Ease-of-use” as tip number one.
1 - The Big Easy: This may seem obvious initially but Sosik is right. Put yourself in your customer's shoes and walk yourself through the buying process on your site. Test your set-up and look for steps in the process that might block your customers from making a successful, easy purchase.
Ask yourself a few important questions like: How many pages and clicks does it takes to make a purchase? Can a quick purchase be made directly from the home page? Are the instructions clear and easy on storing selected items before the shopping experience is completed? You’d be surprised how many sites trip up on the seemingly obvious stuff like this.
2: Home Sweet Home: Well, as in life, first impressions are everything but they are even more important on the Web. If they’re going to start shopping, this is where that decision will be made. Clear, easy to understand categories and departments are essential here using tabs, navigation bars, etc.
Many sites fail right here – on the home page. Don’t hide your specials and sales deep inside the site – they belong right here, along with unique services, new products and holiday specials. An instance where you definitely don’t save your best for last.
In discussing tips to make your website a place visitors will hang around a while, the piece of advice that seems to surface most frequently is “easy does it.”
“There are plenty of things in life that are difficult to do so one of things that should never been tough is shopping,” is how Lauren Sosik explained the need to keep e-commerce simply. “I don’t climb mountains because it’s difficult to do an I certainly don’t want to start climbing them when I shop on the Web.”
So then, in compiling a list of tips for retail websites, consider “Ease-of-use” as tip number one.
1 - The Big Easy: This may seem obvious initially but Sosik is right. Put yourself in your customer's shoes and walk yourself through the buying process on your site. Test your set-up and look for steps in the process that might block your customers from making a successful, easy purchase.
Ask yourself a few important questions like: How many pages and clicks does it takes to make a purchase? Can a quick purchase be made directly from the home page? Are the instructions clear and easy on storing selected items before the shopping experience is completed? You’d be surprised how many sites trip up on the seemingly obvious stuff like this.
2: Home Sweet Home: Well, as in life, first impressions are everything but they are even more important on the Web. If they’re going to start shopping, this is where that decision will be made. Clear, easy to understand categories and departments are essential here using tabs, navigation bars, etc.
Many sites fail right here – on the home page. Don’t hide your specials and sales deep inside the site – they belong right here, along with unique services, new products and holiday specials. An instance where you definitely don’t save your best for last.
