With the advances in web editing technology it is now very easy for anyone to have a web page. However if you are selling your products online you need to make sure your e-commerce store is designed for sales. Just because it looks cool doesn’t mean people will want to buy your products!
The following 8 tips are a few features that every website should have if it wants people to buy online.
1. A front page that clearly and simply defines what they are selling. There are far too many sites out there that try to sell their company, not their products, and use unfriendly jargon when you first get to their site. People actually have to hunt around to find out what they are selling and most people will just become frustrated and leave.
2. A shopping cart catalogue that is either on the front-page or linked prominently on your front page. Aside from your order page, your catalogue is where you want your customers to be. If you don’t have your catalogue on your front page then the link to it should be the most prominent one on it.
3. Product images and descriptions that download quickly and can be click on to see a larger more detailed picture and description. Let your customers see as much of the product as they can.
4. A page for addresses privacy and security concerns. This is a big issue with online shoppers. A simple paragraph that states you will respect their privacy will ease their concerns.
5. A page for your return policy, which is accessible from every page, they can order from. If you are selling online you must have a return policy. Some e-commerce providers require you have this before they will provide any service. Risk is the prevailing reason for not shopping online, not only credit card security fears but also fears they will not be satisfied with the product. Let your customers know they can return an item if unhappy with it.
6. An e-mail link or link to your contact information on every single page. Beside that link should be an invitation for customers to contact you if they have any questions. Not doing this is the equivalent of making a customer wait for service, let them know your company is enthusiastic about answering concerns.
7. A FAQ section that covers common questions about your ordering process. Even if you have your e-mail address listed on every page, every e-mail sent requires the customer to wait for a response. A FAQ section should answer the most common questions immediately, making it easier for customers to continue with their order and saving you time as they don’t have to email you instead!
8. An order form that only asks for information needed to deliver the products. Some sites ask irrelevant questions such as gender marital status or annual income. While it’s understandable why businesses would want to know more information about their market, using your order form to do it will turn off potential buyers. If you want to try and obtain this information have a separate survey and link it on your conformation page. Then give your customers a choice to fill it out once the transaction is completed.
Always remember the golden rule of online selling. Make the transaction as easy as possible for your customers. It is a good idea to test your site out, ideally get someone else to try it out for you and let them give you feed back on how easy the process was.
