When describing products and services, remember that consumers want to know why they need those items. Use bullet points and lists to present need-to-know information in an easy-to-read format. Furniture stores, for example, would use bullet points to display measurements, color and material. A site selling iPods would use bullet points to list storage capacity, included … [Read more...]
PeC (ED): The Case Against Developing in Open Source Software
This is my first article for Ecommerce Developer (part of Practical eCommerce). Developing an ecommerce site using open source software may be very attractive on the surface. Open source software can usually be uber-customized, allowing developers to implement features as they are needed. Open source software frequently advances more quickly, addressing growing needs in an … [Read more...]
PeC: 10 Ecommerce Checkout Strategies
When we hear the word “conversion” we often think landing pages, category and product page layouts and overall navigation. Let’s not forget the final point of conversion: the checkout process. The checkout page(s) are your last chance to seal the deal and complete a sale. The process itself can make or break the transaction. Confused shoppers may contact you for assistance, … [Read more...]
PeC: Volume Discounts – The Right Words to Boost Sales
Websites like Groupon, which allow people to “crowd purchase” products and services from local retailers, are becoming popular, mostly due to current economies. It makes sense for online stores selling items normally used in bulk to offer volume discounts, but what about specialty or high-dollar items? Groupon is proving that there’s power in numbers, and despite many … [Read more...]
PeC: Selling Last-Minute Gift Certificates
For years, gift certificates have been a difficult sell for the majority of small online stores. Despite consumer-advocacy laws that now require retailers to impose no fees and that limit expirations on gift certificates and gift cards, consumers are often reminded (especially during the holidays) that a good percentage of these popular gifts are never redeemed, which … [Read more...]
PeC: Last-Minute Holiday Sales Boosters
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...]
Small Biz Needs to See the Big Picture, and Look Beyond
Decades ago children learned about neat toys and gadgets by watching Saturday morning cartoons. Parents learned what was safe and worth their money from key publications like Consumer Reports, as well as from local shop owners. When I was a kid, there was more trust in advertising, and salesmen, though still trained to "push" products, seemed to know more about how things … [Read more...]
PeC: Usability Report Card: Old Will Knott Scales
“Go ahead… hurt my feelings.” That was the subject of the message request by online store director Will Knott. He obviously understands my no-holds-barred approach, as his message concluded, “Punch me in the eye and bloody my nose…” His site sells all types of scales, from postal and food scales to devices that measure our dreaded body weight and mass index. Manual, … [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...]
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...]
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...]
Misattributing Quotes: Common Practice By Bad Companies
Part of my THE WAY I SEE IT series, where I quick-hit a few topics per week. This week Practical eCommerce contributor Armando Roggio brought to light a common practice by shady companies, calling out BigCommerce in the process. In his article, An Eye on BigCommerce, Roggio shone the light on the issue of misattributing publications and news agencies when it comes to … [Read more...]