Building a Successful Ecommerce Web Site

So what makes a successful ecommerce site?

In our experience most people would define a good site as one that makes plenty of sales.

So how can we achieve this? The answer is obvious but so little practised. It’s simply that a sales site should sell from the moment that you arrive. You’ve got to answer the question that everyone has in their mind when they get to your site. What’s in it for me?

Sell on benefits. Why should people buy from you?

Are your prices the lowest? Is your service the best? Do you have the largest range available? They won’t buy just because the design looks cool, although they might be put off if it’s so bad that you seem incompetent.

Also, not surprisingly, the one thing successful ecommerce sites have in common is that they are well marketed. How you market your commerce site must be foremost in your mind and this means knowing who your customers are and understanding their needs.

• Keep the clicks to a minimum. Every time you ask someone to click again, they have the option to forget your site and go elsewhere
• Start selling and get “Add to cart” buttons in front of them as soon as possible.
• Address people’s concerns. Some people are worried about credit card security, so reassure them. Some won’t ever buy by credit card over the net, so give them an alternative. Provide a physical address and telephone number as this builds confidence and trust.

The key to success is to think of the customer. Your online shop will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so the convenience factor will lead to more sales. People will also buy because of the couch potato syndrome. There are no parking problems or rainy days buying on the Net. Keep on asking the question, what would I want if I was the buyer?