Congratulations now you have visitors on your website!! Now what do you do with them?

So you now managed to get traffic onto your website and people are browsing it. This is a critical phase- all the hard work done in running search engine optimization, ranking your website and all the money spent on pay-per-click advertising could be for nothing. The next obvious step for any eCommerce merchant is how to now get them to buy or “conversions”.

Think beyond keywords and titles

It may seem obvious but make sure that the products your customers are looking for are clear and well layed-out! You need to structure and layout your site so that your potential customers stay interested in your products and services and do deeper browsing. Your website must have direct and unambiguous “key messages” – what is your value proposition? What sets you apart? What are your key offerings? Now that they understand what you do – what are your products? If you have a large range or products ensure you that your navigation menus, banners are intuitive and well categorized. Your key messages should reinforce and assure your visitors that they have found exactly what they are looking for. More crucially, ensure that your products have a good level of detail in the product description – where applicable lots of images! You don’t want your potential customer going off to do further research on another website and allow the opportunity to lose that sale!

Who are your customers?

A nice web design helps – but to really maximize your conversions you have to know exactly who your customers are and what they are here to buy. In other words – you must be very clear in terms of who you target. An ecommerce website (shopping cart or otherwise) is little different from a physical store – in that different décor, ambience and “vibe” attract different customers. When was the last time you’ve seen your local hardware store deck out their joint like a department store? (But then there is Masters who are about to shut their doors after losing over $700M.) When it comes to ecommerce – function needs to take precedence over form. That is not to say you should not worry about the form: layout and choice of colours are critical in delivering conversions. If you are starting out new – you have the opportunity to review your competitors – at least those that are similar to your business. When reviewing, answer these questions honestly:

• Why do they like about their products?
• Do they offer discount prices or offer coupons?
• Are their prices consistently lower than others?
• Is their shipping price cheaper?
• How well do they respond to customer feedback and questions?
• Are their product descriptions adequate?
• How would you rate their return policies and guarantees?

These form a solid basis when communicating your requirements to your web designer/ developer. A word of caution – it is rare for an ecommerce merchant to excel in all areas. Those that attempt this without adequate resources are not likely to be competitive (or even be a competitor) for long. Pick your strengths wisely and stick to it for the long term. The worst experience is inconsistency and if you are active in social media – be prepared to be hammered.

Make it simple for your customers

Depending on the phase you are with your ecommerce business – it is often a good idea to start with only a select range at the beginning. Despite claimed “savings” from not having a physical store and maintaining a store front with salespeople- effective logistics makes or breaks most ecommerce businesses marketing physical products. I cannot stress the importance of detailed product information, specifications and images enough. You do not want your potential customers leaving to do further research – a large majority will not come back! Ensure you make your contact information clearly visible. If your ecommerce business does not have a complimentary physical location – it is critical that you respond quickly to queries. Not having a physical store front can also be a weakness! Make FAQs. Layout your terms and policies clearly – make your website as user friendly as possible and push your customers towards self service.