I'll be honest. The key elements for increasing traffic and sales this holiday season should have been put in place by October 15th. That doesn't mean, however, that all hope is lost for those who've procrastinated or otherwise failed to implement seasonal changes. Whether you didn’t get that head start you needed, or you're looking to tie up a few loose ends, here are … [Read more...]
PeC: Convert Visitors by Engaging Them
Converting visitors into customers is about more than just supplying great product information. It's about more than a great design, simple navigation and customer service links. The basics–such as page design and content presentation–are certainly necessary. But if you want to grow a loyal customer base for the long term, you have to reach even further. Read more at … [Read more...]
Want More Comments? Can the Registration
There's a reason why you won't see me commenting much at some high-profile sites. They require registration. Count me among those who feel registration is just another word for "prepare to be frustrated" when it comes to commenting on a story or blog post. Sadly, so many sites still don't get it... Here are the top reasons people don't comment at sites that require … [Read more...]
PeC: Conversion: 10 Ways to Make Category Pages More Shopper-Friendly
Most conversion articles focus on a store’s product pages. After all, those pages are most visited by search engine spiders and internal search results. Customers who browse, however, use category pages, and those customers need buying nudges, too. Every store needs conversion-ready content on category pages. This means category pages should be built with both search engine … [Read more...]
Why It Pays to Ask Customers What They Want
Dedicated users of the story submission and rating site Digg.com are still revolting against the site’s new design and features. Adding insult to injury, they aren't just voicing their disapproval with comments and direct posts, either. Users are "digging" stories that are auto-submitted from Reddit - Digg's major competitor. Digg.com is a site that tracks popular web content … [Read more...]
PeC: Pros and Cons of Four Checkout Methods
This month's conversion article for Practical eCommerce focuses on four common checkout methods and how they work. There are hundreds of studies on the subject of shopping cart abandonment. Companies offering recovery-type services often rely on these statistics to tell us how their products can help. What are missing from the big picture, however, are the various reasons … [Read more...]
Most eCommerce Sites Ignore the All-Important
I've been working in the world of ecommerce for more than a decade. I've watched technology change the rules, and rules change technology. One thing, however, has remained pretty consistent. Sadly, it's the reason so many online stores continue to struggle while, even in a crippling economy, others are meeting or exceeding previous years' sales totals. I'm talking about … [Read more...]
PeC: Eight Copywriting Rules for Increasing Conversion
When merchants talk about ecommerce conversion, it usually centers around design, button placement and ease of checkout. The process, though, actually starts the second someone lands on any web page. This is why textual content is so important. Here are eight rules for using text on your ecommerce site that eliminate confusion, welcome your new visitors and otherwise … [Read more...]
PeC: 9 Techniques to Improve Conversion Rates
With the ever-growing popularity of social media, online sweepstakes and contests, just how important is the actual conversion rate of an online store going to be in the future? In simple terms, the conversion rate is a measure of the number of unique visitors (potential customers) that actually make a purchase. The result is in percentage format - thus, if five of 100 … [Read more...]
PeC: Usability Report Card: How-To-Plans.com
Starting June 2010, each month I get the honor to tear apart an online store and provide a quick report card on usability (shopability). June 2010: How-To-Plans.com Read my report at Practical eCommerce … [Read more...]
PeC: Conversion: Technology, Customers, and ‘Embraceability’
Conversion rates of an online store rely on many things, and that includes the technology used for graphics, video and interactive content. When it comes to ecommerce, the question isn't if you should adopt new technology, but when. Read the entire article at Practical eCommerce … [Read more...]
PeC: Shopability First, Then Social Media
Social Media is taking the Internet by storm. So much so, that I'm noticing a decline in focus on the usability and functionality of a site. This begs the question: Are online retailers attempting to use social media as the sole means to build or rebrand their business overnight? If the answer for anyone reading this is yes, then ecommerce, as you know it, is about to take a … [Read more...]