The secret science of online shopping
by John Taylor
Published
on this site: March 23rd, 2004
In theory you could create a retail web site with a limitless
selection; an online store where every kind of merchandise known
to man could be sold. Would people be interested in buying from
such a huge enterprise?
Why do people buy online?
Location: You can shop online from almost anywhere as long
as you have access to a power supply and a telephone connection.
You can shop in the comfort of your own home or you can shop in
your office. You can even shop while on the move, if you have a
laptop connected to a mobile telephone.
Convenience: You can visit a web site almost whenever you
want, you can browse through it at your own pace and you can make
a purchase at any time of day or night. The internet makes it possible
to shop 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Information: The internet makes limitless amounts of product
information available to the online shopper. You can access product
specifications, brochures, product comparisons and all manner of
other information with just a few clicks. You no longer have to
wait for a brochure or a catalogue to come to you.
How do people shop online?
What are the factors that determine the buying decision?
Just like in the real world where shops are built of bricks and
mortar, the online store needs to welcome the shopper and make them
feel comfortable and safe.
Once a shopper arrives at your web site they need a little time
and space to familiarise themselves before being bombarded with
information or choices. If you put too much information on your
home page then the average shopper will miss a large proportion
of your content. Likewise, if you present too many choices you will
overwhelm the shopper and it is very likely that they will leave
straight away.
The purpose of your home page should be to simply tell the shopper
where they are and to ensure that the general layout of your online
store is easy to understand. Your customers need to know if they
are in a vast warehouse or a small boutique! They need to know where
the entrances to each department or section are located; their question
is often quite simple how do I find what I’m looking for?
Your web site should be attractively designed, with enough white
space to make your content readable. You should choose a web friendly
font in a size that is large enough to be read on an average monitor.
Navigation is critical. Your web site’s navigation should
be obvious; it should be laid out in a simple and logical way. Your
customer should be able to navigate within your web site by using
the navigation buttons and links that you provide without having
to use the browser back button.
Shoppers should be able to navigate inside your web site without
leaving.
Consider how you could make the online shopping experience fun
and interesting. The technology is now available to provide live
customer support; you can now guide and advice shoppers as they
browse your online store. You can add sound to welcome people to
your store or to add an audio description to your products. You
can demonstrate your products in action using video technology.
It never ceases to amaze me just how many web sites simply don’t
work. Broken links, missing images, badly installed scripts. Payment
processing that is incorrectly configured; too many clicks to get
from the product to the checkout; forms that require too much mandatory
information. The list of problems is endless.
Here is a simple checklist for a successful web site:
- Make it easy for your customer to find what they are looking
for with a minimum number of clicks.
- Provide accurate and full product descriptions. Ensure that
your images are of good quality and that they show your product
in the best possible light.
- Make sure that your products are competitively priced and that
you clearly state the total cost of purchase including taxes and
shipping costs where appropriate.
- Make it easy for your customer to complete their order and
to process their payment. Provide payment options where possible.
Ensure that your payment process is secure.
- Be responsive with your support. Shoppers are looking for a
speedy answer. If you don’t provide it, then your competitors
will. Provide online help or an Autoresponder. Keep your promises.
- Deliver your product on time and meet, or exceed, your customer’s
expectations. If you demonstrate a reliable and quality product
delivery you will get repeat business.
- Follow up. If there is going to be a delay, let your customer
know. Don’t just make the sale and then ignore your customer,
keep in touch with a polite follow up message or special offer.
There are a number of very important factors missing from the online
shopping experience. People can’t smell the freshness or the
perfume of your product. People can’t touch your product and
they can’t feel the quality or the texture. You must compensate
for these gaps by making the online shopping experience for your
customers the best it can be.
It is vital that you test and track your visitors’ behaviour
and try to improve the experience through careful analysis of your
testing and tracking results. You have visitors arriving. Now is
the time to take action!
John Taylor is the author of "Learn over Twenty ways
To Improve Your Conversion Rate and Multiply Your Profits"
- A Special Report that contains a wealth of information on professional
testing and tracking techniques that can boost your conversion rate
and generate increased profits. To learn how testing and tracking
can boost your profits click this link now:
http://www.test-and-track.com.
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