The Essential Christmas Web-store Makeover
Ten great tips to turn online holiday shoppers into eager
buyers - and satisfied customers. When meeting potential clients, you wouldn't dream of
showing up late in a mismatched outfit, hair disheveled,
with food on your tie and no business card, would you? And
if they asked for testimonials or explanations about your
company policies you'd hardly say, "Sorry, I don't give out
that information." So why do it on your website? Just like in person, Internet shoppers look for clues
(consciously or not) that suggest you are credible and
professional - and they make that judgment call inside of a
minute or two. That means you have a small window of time
to impress would-be buyers and gain their trust. Unlike in
person, however (where you can apologize for tardiness or
charm customers with funny tales about how that mustard
landed on your lapel) you have zero opportunity to redeem
yourself online. One click and they're gone for good. But fear not. As Web-goers gear up for their Christmas
shopping sprees, there are things you can do quickly and
easily to inspire confidence. Here are some surefire ways
to turn browsers into buyers and buyers into regular
customers: 1. Put on your best Web-suit. You don't need to hire
Armani to redesign your site, but make sure it's clean,
organized and error-free. Check for typos, broken links,
inconsistencies in graphics, repetition, cluttered
appearance and the like (think of it as good grooming
habits). Such lack of attention to detail sends a message,
however untrue, that you will be equally careless in your
business dealings. 2. Put your best logo forward. Provide familiar visual
clues on your site, such as well-known brand names and
logos. Also, list any other trusted brands, including
suppliers, business partners and customers - and always
display their logos to make a stronger impression. When
shoppers see recognizable names, it increases their
confidence level in your store. They'll be more inclined
to buy your goods knowing FedEx was shipping their
Christmas gifts instead of Joe X. 3. Proudly wear your credentials. If you have attained a
standard of excellence or have met minimum certification
requirements, such as for service or security, let
customers know about it. Credible trust marks* displayed on
your home page will instill confidence in shoppers so
they'll stay on your site and discover all you have to
offer. (*TrustGauge.com has a nifty utility for measuring
the trustworthiness of your website. Simply type in your
URL and get instant results. By filling out their form,
you can improve your score - and build credibility with
customers. Subscribing to certain trust marks is also an
easy way to increase your TrustGauge score.) 4. Pass out your virtual business card. Make sure your
contact information is visible and indicate all the ways
that you may be reached - including your physical business
address. Besides being convenient for the customer, it
helps assuage fears that you will take their money and run
into cyberspace, never to be found again. 5. Don't be a Grinch. Offer freebies (such as trial
software, free advice, money-back guarantees, etc?). This
allows customers to experience doing business with you
before they actually buy anything. Similarly, if your
website is easy to navigate (again, see tip #1), it tells
customers they can expect their buying experience to be
just as pleasant. 6. Insure - and assure - customers. The single most
effective thing you can do to build customer confidence in
the short-term and transform reluctant shoppers into
spenders is to provide a third-party insurance policy.
Payment services such as PayPal provide Buyer Protection
programs that assure your customers they are protected from
loss or damage caused by shopping on your site. 7. Deal with privacy matters. Shoppers now know that
inappropriate use of their personal information can be
devastating. Address privacy issues explicitly whenever you
are asking for any information. Tell customers why you are
collecting the information, how you will use it and how you
protect it. Use clear, concise statements. Legal wording
and fine print make people think you're trying to hide
something. For those customers expecting compliance with specific
privacy laws and regulations, explain why you are in
compliance and back it up with relevant third- party
assurance. A well-recognized privacy seal, such as from
TRUSTe.org, assures them you are taking care to protect
and respect their privacy. 8. Be transparent. Online fraud is growing at an alarming
rate and people are becoming increasingly sensitive to the
threat. Unlike when shopping in a store, online shoppers
have no way of witnessing what's really going on and often
feel vulnerable. Your website should include easily
accessible information on why your store is a safe place to
shop. Tell customers how you protect them with safe
shopper policies. Consider joining the ePublicEye.com Safe
Shopping program. 9. Hold the customer's hand. Once the customer is ready
to buy, walk them through each step of the online
purchasing process. Assure them at each prompt that you
are sensitive to their concerns and deal with each concern
or issue as it comes up. Provide a clear link to your
mission statement, customer service policies and other
aspects of your business that may need explaining. Even
better, follow tip #10. The objective is to eliminate
those moments of hesitation - especially in the final
stages of the sale. 10. Offer a personal touch. One way to instantly endear
your customers is by having a real person assist them prior
to and during their purchase. Use today's Internet
technologies that provide a variety of communication
channels ranging from IP telephone to instant chat. For
higher value transactions, provide a 24- hour toll-free
telephone number - with prompt, friendly service. It's
often the last touch that sways hesitant holiday shoppers
to buy. At the end of the day, it's all about building trust.
Following these tips will definitely improve your online
credibility and create more satisfied shoppers at your
site. It will also prepare you for the next critical step
in the trust process of winning clients over the long-term,
which will yield even higher returns for many seasons to
come. Let me know about your experiences implementing each of
these recommendations. I'm confident you'll see a
difference. Happy e-tailing this holiday season! Sidebar: A Christmas bonus Five easy ways to please your online holiday shoppers 1. Add a touch of holiday spirit to your site. Don't be
excessive. Just add a few colorful graphics to let shoppers
know you have Christmas gifts to offer. 2. Categorize products to make shopping for gifts easier:
Use catchy phrases like "For Her", "For Him", "Gifts under
$50" and "Holiday Specials." 3. Alleviate clients' worries by communicating well with
them - online, by phone and/or e-mail - and assuring them
their gifts will arrive on time. 4. Be clear about shipping fees and return policies. The
last thing you want is to surprise clients with unexpected
fees and conditions regarding your return policy. 5. Flash a Smile. Tell a joke. Last but not least, have
fun with your customers whenever you get a chance,
especially at Christmas. Clients may not see you smiling
but they can certainly feel it. And they'll remember you
for it too. Alex Todd is president and founder of Trust Enabling Strategies,
a management consulting firm that helps organizations to excel
by codifying trust as a critical success factor. Comparative
Trust Enablement Assessments help online businesses to improve
their competitive advantage and increase sales by identifying
processes that boost customers' confidence throughout the online
transaction lifecycle. For more information visit
TrustEnablement.com/Web-store_Assessment.html CONTACT INFORMATION:
Trust Enablement Incorporated
Alex Todd
Tel. 416-487-1497
Fax. 866-271-5372
http://www.trustenablement.com/ ** Attention Ezine Editors / Site Owners **
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your
ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in
place, do not modify the content and include the information
contained in our resource box above.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Intranet Project Names - Some Ideas
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet."
Getting Started in ECommerce ? Part Two
In Part One we talked a little bit about what Ecommerce is, getting a domain name and setting up a merchant account. Ecommerce is more than that, much more. To have a really good online presence that gets people to stop and shop you need a strategy for success. Your strategy must include your USP or Unique Selling Position in the marketplace. What makes you stand out from all the other online entrepreneurs looking for the same type of customers as you? Can you stand out from the competition based on quality, price or benefits? Once you know your USP, you can begin the monumental task of telling the world about your site. A really unique selling position will give you an advantage over all the competition ? well that and a lot of planning and investing of your time and money.
Chinas Online Shopping May Be Booming In The Next Few Years
Data from China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) shows that till June 2004 Chinese online user has reached 87 million, of which, 7.3% has experience of online shopping.
Top Ten Qualities to Look for in an Online Pharmacy
As you may have noted, there are thousands or even hundreds of thousands of websites selling pharmaceutical products or drugs. These are called ONLINE PHARMACIES or PHARMACIES ONLINE.
Writing Web Pages: Get To The Meat Faster
Much of my consulting work comprises writing 'Outside Opinion' reports on the sites of large companies and organizations. Sometimes I review just a few pages, sometimes fifty or more.
Intranet Project ? RAD or Waterfall?
Building Bridges
Electronic Commerce Tax Jurisdiction and Principles of Permanent Establishment
The principle of "permanent establishment" is very important for avoidance the conflict of law of matter connected imposition of taxation. In the absence of a permanent establishment, a country where goods or services are sold has no jurisdiction to tax the resulting profits. A permanent establishment means a "fixed place of business through which the business of an enterprise is wholly or partly carried on. " The notion "fixed" means attachment of physical property to a geographic location where the territorial jurisdiction of a state can be exercised. The concept of e-business permanent establishment means attachment of various components of computer or other devices having attached to earth. The concept of permanent provide the foundation for imposition of taxation and limits the ability of a state jurisdictions to tax profits derived from sales or service performed by electronic commerce means through a Web site or their electronic devices. But the establishment of servers and other computer technologies do not meet the physical requirement, but only to the extent that they are established in the jurisdiction in question. The application of this principle of permanent establishment has been clarified by the OECD in its Commentary on Article 5 of the OECD Model Convention, which provides that a web site in itself does not constitute a permanent establishment and a server where the web site has been uploaded can only regarded as permanent establishment.
10 Compelling Benefits of Having A 3rd Party Merchant Account
If you have been wrestling with the idea of applying for your own 3rd party merchant account then take a look at the following compelling benefits of using a 3rd party provider to mange all of your credit card processing needs.
How to Boost Conversion Rates, While Lowering Merchant Account Fees!
Using an Address Verification System (AVS) when processing your online credit card transactions can help to reduce the number of fraudulent transactions you receive. However, most online merchants don't know that using AVS can also reduce your number of legitimate orders.
Cost Effective Ecommerce Solutions
Ecommerce use to be about spending thousands of dollars on setting up your shop and hundreds of dollars on getting a merchant. My, how things have changed over the years. Now anyone with a few hundred of dollars in their pocket(or less if you have the time to learn it yourself) can have a great working ecommerce system up and running in the matter of days. This also includes the full ability to accept payments from Credit Cards, manage customers, create invoices and more.
Using Drop Shipping for E-commerce
Thanks to the ubiquity of the internet, online virtual businesses have become very popular business opportunities. Online retail stores are gradually playing a more important role in our lives than the traditional 'brick-and-mortar' retail shops. Over the last few years, a new concept called 'Drop Shipping' has emerged with the coming of the internet. Drop Shippers are basically wholesalers who are willing to ship their products directly to your customers. This article aims to provide readers with an introduction to the current state of the E-commerce industry, Drop Shipping and its benefits, and the promise it holds for the online retail community.
E-commerce: Is It Right for You?
The birth of the Internet and the mass availability of personal Computers in the late 80's changed peoples life forever, Everyone now has had the potential to be their own boss whether you are mother at home looking after your children or a manual laborer there are opportunities in abundance . Just a search on Google for business opportunities will bring up more offers than your parents would have had in their whole life. So it must be easy to make a living from the internet right? No it's not, you need a firm business plan and you need to work hard at it.
Mr and Mrs Smith Go Online, as Internet Technology Moves from Fantasy to Normality
According to NOP World, 48% of all Internet users have researched or purchased financial products such as insurance and loans on the internet, or used online banking facilities. In April, NOP World had already recorded estimates of 28 million people online in Great Britain, with 13.5 million exploiting the Web for their financial requirements.
Looking For Free Advertising, Here It Is!
There are lots of ways to advertise for free but they are time consuming so I guess technically, they are not free because your time is worth something! But if you have the time and not the money this is for you.
The Origins of E-Commerce
What is the Internet?
10 Second Internet Person, sound familiar?
Some people do not understand the Internet idea of online commerce, but then again some people do not understand themselves either. To fully understand Internet Commerce you really only need to monitor your "clicking habits" for a few days to see where you are going and what if anything you are buying. The modern Internet Consumer is there and gone, in a click of any eye, if you do not grab us with good stuff, SEE YA, we are out of here and the speed of light. However you can also make money on that fact and Google AdSense is just one way. Before you go hog wild on the Internet concept of making money in a virtual world you need to educate yourself a little; one of the books I recommend is:
How E-commerce Web Site Design Differs From Normal Web Design
When it comes to e-commerce everything is a little bit different, even the web site design for an e-commerce site as compared to a normal web design. If you are interested in developing an e-commerce site, then it is important to learn about the differences between the two types of website designs and how you can design the best e-commerce website with your resources.
Effective Management Of Your Customer Services
With a third party merchant account you will have a dedicated 24/7 support team to handle your credit card payment on your behalf as part of your package.
You will also need to provide your own support for issues relating directly to your product.
Google Catalogs - Old Gashioned Mail Order Meets High Tech Search
In addition to Google's Froogle shopping service (still in beta), which features a searchable database of online merchants, Google is also beta-testing their Google Catalog service. Google Catalogs provides a searchable central repository of hundreds of mail-order catalogs.
Coupons & Rebates
Yes, it's true, coupons are not just for newspapers anymore. Not to be a downer, but I personally hate the things. I can't imagine ever voluntarily wasting a perfectly good Sunday morning, getting paper cuts from cutting out the darn things: but to each their own. My opinion aside, there is no question that coupons and rebates are an effective sales technique. Printable coupons can be added right onto your website and cash rebates can be offered on your products (EVERYONE loves getting cash back.) The process of putting the little guys on your site is very simple and will definitely help boost your sales.
|
