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"Cyber Monday" 2005

by Eric Nagel , Eric Nagel & Associates

December 2005

Recommend this article

Brick & Mortar stores worked through a slightly slower Black Friday compared to last year, while e-tailers experienced a 29% increase in traffic over last year. We’ll have to wait & see what the numbers tell for those selling online, as today was the big day: Cyber Monday.

If you’re selling online, you still have time to convert browsers into buyers with some simple changes to your shopping cart:

1. Be secure
Transactions at your website should be secure, and you should let your customers know that, too. Simply having a secure certificate isn’t enough. First, it must be properly applied, meaning that the proper pages are encrypted, so eavesdroppers don’t steal your customer’s personal information. Next, let your customers know their order is secure by stating it when they enter their payment information, and show icons that represent a secure transaction (like the secure seal from your certificate, or a lock, like you see in your browser). Finally, your privacy policy should confirm that financial records are kept safe.

2. Be descriptive
Even when shopping, content is king. A user will be more likely to purchase an item if it is accurately and vividly described. While the description is important, a picture is worth a thousand words. And pictures on the web, with the ability to zoom and rotate, can be worth a million words. At minimum, your customers should be able to see a larger version of the product; kudos to you if your customers can view multiple angles or even rotate the products themselves.

3. Looking good!
While proper functionality is key, the more professional your site looks, the more trust users will have in you and your product. While what looks good to one person isn’t the same as what looks good to another, there are some key similarities. 1990’s spinning “WOW”s are a clear turnoff. When I ask any of my clients how they want their graphics to look, the answer is always the same: “clean and crisp”. Your customers want your site to look like that, too.

4. Let your customers sell for you
Internet Retailer reports “69% of consumers who receive a web site recommendation from a friend pass it along to at least two to six friends”. Do your customers have the ability to sell for you? Quickly post a “tell a friend” form, and let your website visitors tell their friends about your site.

These are four quick & easy tips that you can use to increase your 2005 holiday sales. Make it through the holiday shopping season, and then plan ahead for 2006, so you won’t need my last minute tips.


Eric Nagel has been working in the Internet industry since 1996 and is a veritable wealth of programming knowledge. Eric's broad base of knowledge about programming and systems environments is invaluable, and necessary to helping clients understand the intricacies of the project.

Eric is a graduate of the University at Buffalo with a Bachelor's in Computer Science, which was awarded Cum Laude. He has also earned his MBA focusing on E-Business from the University of Phoenix. In addition, Eric is a CIW (Certified Internet Webmaster) Master Designer, has been designated a Certified E-Commerce Consultant by the Institute of Certified E-Commerce Consultants, and is a member of the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants.

Email: eric@ericnagel.com
Company Profile: Eric Nagel & Associates
Company URL: http://www.ericnagel.com

 

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