If you've ever considered selling products online then you need to consider the following:
Why do people buy online?
Location: You can shop from the comfort of your own home, your office or you can even shop while on the move if you have a laptop connected to a mobile telephone.
Total convenience: Unlike high street shopping, the internet makes it possible to shop 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can visit an online shop web whenever you want and make a purchase at any time of day or night.
Information highway: The online shopper has access to information immediately. You don't have to wait for a brochure or a catalogue to be sent through the post. Product specifications, brochures, product comparisons and all manner of other information are available with just a few clicks.
How do people shop online? What are the factors that determine the buying decision?
Online stores need to designed to welcome the shopper and make them feel comfortable and safe. An online shop with a great web design is vital in todays ever more competitive market
Your home page is the most important page of your online shop. Not enough information will result in customers missing a large proportion of your content. Likewise, too much information will overwhelm the shopper and it is very likely that they will leave your site straight away
The sole purpose of your home page should be to answer this simple question; "how do I find what I’m looking for"? Customers need to know where the entrances to each department or section are located.
Your web site design should be attractive, with content that is readable. A web friendly font in a size that is large enough to be read on an average monitor is vital.
Navigation is king! Navigation should be obvious and laid out in a simple and logical way. Your customers should be able to navigate within your web site by using the navigationthat you provide without having to use the browser back button. Shoppers need to be able to navigate 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 and you can guide and advise shoppers as they browse your online store. You can also use video technology to demonstrate your products.
The whole shopping experience should be as painless as possible. Broken links, missing images, too many clicks to get from the product to the checkout, forms that require too much mandatory information are all major turn offs that will only drive prospective customers away.
Here is a simple checklist for a successful web site:
- Make sure it is easy for your customer to find what they are looking for with a minimum number of clicks.
- Images should be good quality and show your product in the best possible light. Always provide accurate and detailed product descriptions.
- Ensure that your payment process is secure and simple for your customer to complete their order details.
- Your roducts should be competitively priced, clearly stating the total cost of the purchase including taxes and shipping costs where appropriate. Customers do not like it when their order total is suddenly much more than they thought they were going to pay.
- Provide online help or an Autoresponder so that you can be responsive with your support. Customers are looking for a speedy answer to their questions. If you don’t provide it, chances are that your competitors will.
- Always deliver your product on time and meet, or if possible exceed, your customer’s expectations. If you can demonstrate a reliable delivery service you will get repeat business.
- Make sure you follow up a sale. Try to keep in touch with a polite follow up message or a special offer.
Hopefully this has given you something to think about if you are looking to sell products online. Our Kent based web design and development team can provide you with a professional solution within your budget. If it's a new online shop or a redesign of an exiting one, Mode Nine can give you the tools that you need to succeed. Call us on 0800 014 8602 for a no obligation quote.
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