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:
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