Post date: Dec 16, 2010 4:46:38 PM
More than 40% of people in the UK now shop online, on averagespending about £70 a month purchasing products andservices online. Total UK spending online is likely to reachover £57 billion for 2010, a more than 10% increasefrom 2009's £49.8 billion. E-commerce is clearlylucrative, especially since it is still growing. But how doyou make your site stand out? Here are a few e-commerce sitetips to get you started. 1. Important information on the homepage should be abovethe fold. • Above the fold on the homepage is the first partof your site people see. They decide whether or not tocontinue based on what they see in the first few seconds.Things to have above the fold are: Link to checkout, with a call to action like 'Add tobasket'
Easy ways to both search and navigate the site
Delivery offers--these often prompt purchases
Show off your most popular/most important
products, including special offers
Security logo promising secure transactions
2. Keep 'choice paralysis' in mind.
• Don't overwhelm your customer with too many
choices and customisation options, unless that is your USP.
Studies have shown that even people with a choice in mind
may become overwhelmed when faced with too many options and
end up not buying at all. Keep your site streamlined by
highlighting the most popular product types, while making
the other versions of that product available if the user is
actively looking with a certain option in mind.
3. Make your site friendly to international e-commerce.
• Only 43% of UK e-commerce sites offer worldwide
delivery; this is clearly a way to stand out.
• Delivery options: Offer overseas delivery, with
clear information on a variety of shipping fees and
timescales.
• Give users an option to view the site in their
local language.
• For a UK company, offering versions of the
site in Swedish, French, and German would be a good start.
In 2009 the Europeans most likely to use a foreign
e-commerce website were 40% of Swedish buyers, 21% of German
buyers, and 23% of French buyers. 29% of overall European
online buyers order from outside their own country.
4. Make your product pages interesting and different.
• User reviews: Reviews build customer trust.
These are also great for SEO purposes, as they are likely to
use the keywords that your customers are looking for.
• Images of products: Again, customers will
trust your product more if they have a quality picture. Also
good for SEO since it builds links as people link to the
pictures.
• Great product copy: If the copy is
interesting and informative, it suggests your confidence in
what you sell. This will in turn increase consumer
confidence, as they are more likely to feel that they are
getting an honest description of the product.
How will you build your ecommerce site?
About the Author:
Adaptive Consultancy is an internet marketing company
specialising in website design London, eCommerce, and
internet marketing, including SEO, PPC and SMO.