subject: 4 Tips For E-commerce Sites [print this page] More than 40% of people in the UK now shop online, on average spending about 70 a month purchasing products and services online. Total UK spending online is likely to reach over 57 billion for 2010, a more than 10% increase from 2009's 49.8 billion. E-commerce is clearly lucrative, especially since it is still growing. But how do you make your site stand out? Here are a few e-commerce site tips to get you started.
1. Important information on the homepage should be above the fold.
Above the fold on the homepage is the first part of your site people see. They decide whether or not to continue based on what they see in the first few seconds. Things to have above the fold are:
Link to checkout, with a call to action like 'Add to basket'
Easy ways to both search and navigate the site
Delivery offers--these often prompt purchases
Show off your most popular/most important products, including special offers
Security logo promising secure transactions
2. Keep 'choice paralysis' in mind.
Don't overwhelm your customer with too many choices and customisation options, unless that is your USP. Studies have shown that even people with a choice in mind may become overwhelmed when faced with too many options and end up not buying at all. Keep your site streamlined by highlighting the most popular product types, while making the other versions of that product available if the user is actively looking with a certain option in mind.
3. Make your site friendly to international e-commerce.
Only 43% of UK e-commerce sites offer worldwide delivery; this is clearly a way to stand out.
Delivery options: Offer overseas delivery, with clear information on a variety of shipping fees and timescales.
Give users an option to view the site in their local language.
For a UK company, offering versions of the site in Swedish, French, and German would be a good start. In 2009 the Europeans most likely to use a foreign e-commerce website were 40% of Swedish buyers, 21% of German buyers, and 23% of French buyers. 29% of overall European online buyers order from outside their own country.
4. Make your product pages interesting and different.
User reviews: Reviews build customer trust. These are also great for SEO purposes, as they are likely to use the keywords that your customers are looking for.
Images of products: Again, customers will trust your product more if they have a quality picture. Also good for SEO since it builds links as people link to the pictures.
Great product copy: If the copy is interesting and informative, it suggests your confidence in what you sell. This will in turn increase consumer confidence, as they are more likely to feel that they are getting an honest description of the product.
