With the digital world constantly updating e-commerce websites often find themselves changing their ordering process in an effort to stay up-to-date with the latest and greatest technology. No matter how well designed and interactive your website may be if the ordering process is not straightforward and easy to operate your e-commerce site is destined to fail. Having a great purchasing system not only helps boost sales, but also helps your business gain a better reputation in the market (which can ultimately lead to more sales). When developing or updating your e-commerce site take the following two tips seriously. Though they may seem obvious, millions of e-commerce sites often forget these two simple strategies that can help make or break a business.
Appeal to the consumer
For e-commerce websites enticing the consumer to make a purchase is vital to their success. A given website’s policy can either help or hinder overall sales. For instance, having only expensive shipping, or having purchased items take longer than two weeks to reach the consumer, can quickly deter your target market from shopping on your site.
When it comes to online shopping appealing to the consumer should be your #1 priority.
Consider revising your corporate policy to optimize the experience consumers will have shopping on your page. For example, perhaps offer free shipping, free returns, or simply an easy, hassle-free return policy. This will attract consumers to purchase on your site because they will not only feel that the process was stress-free, but that they were fiscally responsible as well. Given today’s shaky economy making a consumer feel that they are making smart purchasing decisions is imperative to a business’s success.
Provide strong customer support
This point coincides with our first tip. How a consumer views a given e-commerce site, or business as a whole, can either work to heighten a given reputation, or conversely, ruin it. Ensure that your customers always feel supported on your e-commerce site and truly trust the brand/product you are selling. Consider offering a live chat service where consumers can ask questions and voice concerns in real-time. Also, have a hotline and email address readily available on your website that will allow consumers to easily find out how to contact you regarding any questions and purchasing issues. Having a strong customer support network helps to build a trusting relationship with your target audience and ultimately establish brand and business loyalty.
