eCommerce Website Development Information
Make your e-commerce website more than an electronic catalog.
by Gregg Kell *
Kell Solutions
Everyday
thousands of people are purchasing products on-line from the comfort of their
homes. This “arm chair” shopping has become the most popular way for thousands
and thousands of consumers to purchase everything from vitamins to luxury
automobiles.
The Internet is
the greatest marketing opportunity ever. If you do not have your business
on-line, you are missing a golden opportunity to reach millions of potential
customers everyday.
Every major
business has an e-commerce
storefront on-line. This new business opportunity gives everyone the chance to
make money on the Internet, and has created a growing opportunity for e-commerce website
designers.
A company that
specializes in e-commerce
website design can also be your source for e-commerce hosting,
e-commerce website
development, e-commerce
solutions, and business-to-business
e-commerce.
A website that
offers products for sale is not just a simple electronic version of a catalog.
These interactive “storefronts” give you a visual impression of the products
that they sell. They also provide the customer with a shopping cart to purchase
multiple products. Besides selling your products on-line, a well designed e-commerce site
will help promote these products through advertisements, track order status,
ship goods and manage inventories.
Making an online store a success is an
ongoing process, recruiting a professional e-commerce website designer can
almost guarantee success.
Here are a few simple rules to follow when
building your e-commerce website.
1. Keep the shopping process simple and limit the
number of steps involved in the checkout process. It’s very important for your
customers to find it easy to locate what they want and easy to buy those
products on-line. A good example of this is Amazon.com. They make it easy for
customers to locate, select, and checkout.
2. Include tax
and shipping costs in your customers shopping cart: Make certain the customer
is aware of all the costs included in the purchase.
3. Add gift
ideas like cards, gift certificates, and wrapping paper options before your
customer checks out. The is the kind of personalized service that will turn
visitors into returning customers. You can ask them what color wrapping paper
they prefer, they can key in their gift card message, click the submit button
and checkout.
4. Clearly
displayed privacy policy information and other rules and guidelines in pop-ups.
5. Don't force
registration. Allow customers a chance to fill in their shopping cart with your
products first, and then ask them to register.
6. Offer your
customers on-line order tracking features, online customer help and multiple
shipping options.
E-commerce has created new
and exciting opportunities for everyone to have his or her own on-line
business. Thousands of people every day are finding new ways to make money
on-line. But the simple secret for business success has never changed. Treat
your customers with respect. Provide them with a quality product at a fair
price and you’re likely to build a successful business.
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