Improve Your Site
Questions to Answer for the Online Shopper
Added by Geoff Ford. June 23, 2009
The Shopping Cart: How to Answer the 5 Unanswered Customer Questions
Good discussion of "unanswered questions" an online shopper is likely to have before making a purchase. Definitely worth a read. Here are the 5 questions they identify ..
Good discussion of "unanswered questions" an online shopper is likely to have before making a purchase. Definitely worth a read. Here are the 5 questions they identify ..
Here are 5 key, unanswered questions (beyond shipping costs) of the shopping cart:
- Do you offer alternate forms of payment (aside from credit card)?
- Are you safe and secure?
- Why are you asking for this information?
- Do I have to set up an account to buy?
- Do I get to review my order before we transact?
Category(s): Selling Online, Improve Your Site
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Top Converting Online Retailers
Added by Geoff Ford. May 03, 2009
Top 10 Online Retailers by Conversion Rate: March 2009
An interesting list of top converting online retailers. Check out these sites for new ideas for your site.
An interesting list of top converting online retailers. Check out these sites for new ideas for your site.
Category(s): Selling Online, Improve Your Site
Permanent Link to Top Converting Online Retailers
Improving product descriptions to increase conversions
Added by Geoff Ford. February 12, 2007
Traffic isn't the answer to increased profitability for many online stores. Which is more difficult? Getting 50% more traffic to your store or selling to 50% more of the people already visiting your store.
I have mentioned this site here before, but the whole GrokDotCom site is worth checking out. They specialize in increasing conversion rates, that is the percentage of people who come to your store who actually purchase. There are lots of elements to this and something that can be continually tested and improved.
Many sites skimp on writing product descriptions that really sell the product or even help the buyer find the product they desire. The article quoted below is worth a quick read for the good point it makes.
Poor Conversions? Discover Great Products Descriptions:
With a busy store the rush is often on to add a product. Take the time to think about what different kinds of customers would want to know if they were standing right in front of you. Answering those questions and addressing the desires of your customers can set you apart from your competition.
I have mentioned this site here before, but the whole GrokDotCom site is worth checking out. They specialize in increasing conversion rates, that is the percentage of people who come to your store who actually purchase. There are lots of elements to this and something that can be continually tested and improved.
Many sites skimp on writing product descriptions that really sell the product or even help the buyer find the product they desire. The article quoted below is worth a quick read for the good point it makes.
Poor Conversions? Discover Great Products Descriptions:
Retailers are missing incredible opportunities to sell more product. All they would need to do is simply commit to writing better product descriptions, descriptions that would not only help prospects make a buying decision, but actually lust after products.
With a busy store the rush is often on to add a product. Take the time to think about what different kinds of customers would want to know if they were standing right in front of you. Answering those questions and addressing the desires of your customers can set you apart from your competition.
Category(s): Improve Your Site
Permanent Link to Improving product descriptions to increase conversions
Inspiration for your shopping cart icon - 87 examples
Added by Geoff Ford. November 27, 2006
300 Images from 1800 Sites
Designer, Ro London, has collected together examples of various kinds of icons from major sites. The shopping cart icons are most relevant for osCommerce store owners. There are a variety of shopping carts and shopping bags icons for inspiration.
Icons are available for sale at iStockphoto. Here are some Sets of Web Icons at iStockphoto.
Designer, Ro London, has collected together examples of various kinds of icons from major sites. The shopping cart icons are most relevant for osCommerce store owners. There are a variety of shopping carts and shopping bags icons for inspiration.
Icons are available for sale at iStockphoto. Here are some Sets of Web Icons at iStockphoto.
Category(s): Improve Your Site
Permanent Link to Inspiration for your shopping cart icon - 87 examples
Streamline osCommerce shopping carts: Update product quantities with the Checkout button
Added by Fi. August 08, 2006
It makes sense to eliminate unnecessary barriers between product selection and successful checkout. This includes reducing the number of mouse clicks required to buy your products.
When customers adjust product quantities in their shopping cart, it takes extra time for them to click the Update button before they click 'Checkout'.
For some customers it's not obvious that quantity box changes aren't accepted without clicking 'Update'. Small details make a difference when a customer is moving towards a sale, and this distraction can be frustrating and extend checkout time.
Attitude can modify your cart to bypass the Update button and make product quantity changes as the customer clicks 'Checkout'.
This is a simple change that improves the customer's shopping experience and streamlines your checkout process.
Contact us for more information.
Category(s): Improve Your Site
Photos and Buttons for your osCommerce site
Added by Geoff Ford. November 08, 2005
iStockphoto.com
Many online stores stop short of using images effectively. A photo of a product isn't always as exciting as seeing it in use. Photos of people can provide a great tool to communicate the value or benefits of the product, potentially allowing the viewer to imagine using the product more easily.
This article provides an interesting case study on the use of "lifestyle images":
eBags learns that lifestyle images work better than product images
Where can I get the images?
A tool I have been using alot recently is iStockphoto.com. They provide royalty-free stock photos, most only $1 for a size suitable for the web. As well as being amazingly affordable, the powerful search and filter functionality allows you to find relevant images quickly.
Selling books? How about an image of a woman reading a book?
Selling cellphones? How about a man with a cellphone?
As well as great photographs, the site has sets of web icons or buttons suitable for creating your own buttons for osCommerce.
There are lots of possibilities!
Check out some examples ...
Every week at istock there is a free download available to members. These images were previously available as free downloads for members.
Many online stores stop short of using images effectively. A photo of a product isn't always as exciting as seeing it in use. Photos of people can provide a great tool to communicate the value or benefits of the product, potentially allowing the viewer to imagine using the product more easily.
This article provides an interesting case study on the use of "lifestyle images":
eBags learns that lifestyle images work better than product images
Where can I get the images?
A tool I have been using alot recently is iStockphoto.com. They provide royalty-free stock photos, most only $1 for a size suitable for the web. As well as being amazingly affordable, the powerful search and filter functionality allows you to find relevant images quickly.
Selling books? How about an image of a woman reading a book?
Selling cellphones? How about a man with a cellphone?
As well as great photographs, the site has sets of web icons or buttons suitable for creating your own buttons for osCommerce.
There are lots of possibilities!
Check out some examples ...
Every week at istock there is a free download available to members. These images were previously available as free downloads for members.
Category(s): Improve Your Site
Permanent Link to Photos and Buttons for your osCommerce site
Learning from the best: examining Amazon.com to improve your osCommerce site
Added by Geoff Ford. January 31, 2004
Amazon.com
A while back I wrote about how interesting Amazon.com was to me from the perspective of learning about selling online.
I thought I would reiterate/repackage the main point specifically for osCommerce Watch.
If you are running an ecommerce site - using osCommerce (or any other package) - learn from the best. Amazon.com has a huge budget, they invest heavily in research and development and improving their site down to the smallest of details. Most shopping sites on the net are run by small businesses or indviduals and have limited time and money to dedicate to improving their sites. So - why waste time when you can look at what Amazon.com and the other large internet shopping sites do to sell online.
Examples of things to look at:
In terms of implementing what you learn in your osCommerce cart - some of this is very easy. Buttons are one of the most basic changes a site owner can make to individualize and improve their cart and simply requires replacing the existing buttons.
Removing distrations from the checkout process is also relatively easy. Create two new files ... column_left_checkout.php and column_right_checkout.php. Include some text and graphics in them to explain the process and encourage the user that it is secure. To all pages in the checkout process change the references to column_left.php and column_right.php to the new files.
A considered look at Amazon.com or any major shopping site will give you ideas and save you time in improving your site. Even if you hate the way they do certain things - it will help you think in creative ways about the way you communicate and sell.
A while back I wrote about how interesting Amazon.com was to me from the perspective of learning about selling online.
I thought I would reiterate/repackage the main point specifically for osCommerce Watch.
If you are running an ecommerce site - using osCommerce (or any other package) - learn from the best. Amazon.com has a huge budget, they invest heavily in research and development and improving their site down to the smallest of details. Most shopping sites on the net are run by small businesses or indviduals and have limited time and money to dedicate to improving their sites. So - why waste time when you can look at what Amazon.com and the other large internet shopping sites do to sell online.
Examples of things to look at:
- Start with the homepage, what appears on the homepage is the result of years of research and tweaking to see how best to increase sales.
- Look at buttons on the site, their color, shape, and the text that appears on them.
- Look at the individual product pages - where are the buttons placed? what inducements are made to buy? what information is provided? where is this placed on the page?
- Look at the checkout process - see how distractions are removed and the process is clear and orderly and designed to push the buyer forward to the sale
In terms of implementing what you learn in your osCommerce cart - some of this is very easy. Buttons are one of the most basic changes a site owner can make to individualize and improve their cart and simply requires replacing the existing buttons.
Removing distrations from the checkout process is also relatively easy. Create two new files ... column_left_checkout.php and column_right_checkout.php. Include some text and graphics in them to explain the process and encourage the user that it is secure. To all pages in the checkout process change the references to column_left.php and column_right.php to the new files.
A considered look at Amazon.com or any major shopping site will give you ideas and save you time in improving your site. Even if you hate the way they do certain things - it will help you think in creative ways about the way you communicate and sell.
Category(s): Improve Your Site
How did you improve your site?
Added by Geoff Ford. January 11, 2004
I want your feedback! What changes have you made to your osCommerce cart to make it better? Are there any particular contributions that have increased sales? made your life easier? improved your relationship with your customers? Are there changes you have made yourself that you think others would benefit from?
We want to use this section of osCommerce Watch to feature ways store owners can get more out of your osCommerce site. Your feedback will help us deliver value to other osCommerce Users.
How to Contact Us
We want to use this section of osCommerce Watch to feature ways store owners can get more out of your osCommerce site. Your feedback will help us deliver value to other osCommerce Users.
How to Contact Us
Category(s): Improve Your Site
Permanent Link to How did you improve your site?