Posted on Sunday, 31st August 2008 by Jeff
When starting an e-commerce store the first word that should come to your mind is “TRUST”. Will people trust your e-commerce store enough to make a purchase? What most people don’t understand is that low prices alone does not constitute TRUST. You need to go “all out” when starting an e-commerce store and should NEVER cut corners.
Your E-commerce Store’s Design
The first thing somebody will notice when visiting your store is your website’s design. Does your design’s theme match up with your product line? Does it give people the impression that you’re a legitimate company? If it doesn’t, then you should definitely consider a re-design. Go to a website such as Guru.com and hire a professional web design company or freelancer to give your e-commerce store a makeover. While this may cost you up to $2500, it should be worth every penny in the end.
Professional Customer Service
One thing every e-commerce store should have is a toll free number. Unless you run your store off Ebay, this is extremely important because it gives you a “big business” image. When people call your toll-free number they should be greeted in a professional manner starting with your business’s name. If your name was Tom and your store was called CheapestGolfClubs.com, you could greet them with something like, “Thank you for calling Cheapest Golf Clubs. This is Tom speaking, what can I do for you?”. If a customer calls around hours when you’re not available, they should be greeted with a professional voice mail service to take their message. Other forms of customer service you should consider are Live Chat and basic email. However, most people will contact you over the phone to make sure your company is legitimate. Especially if they’ve never purchased from you.
Website Reviews
When somebody is unsure whether they should purchase from you, they often search the internet to see what other people are saying about your business. Not having any customer reviews is just as bad as having lots of bad reviews. Get your e-commerce store listed on several “review” websites such as ReviewPage.com and ask some of your customers to leave a good review. You should also have “customer testimonials” on your main website for potential customers to read. This will usually build enough confidence in some people to make the purchase.
Low-Price Guarantee
Even though price isn’t everything, it certainly is an important factor when making a sale. Even with superior customer service, people will often compare your prices with the prices of your competitors. Having a “low-price guarantee” is the best way to keep people on your e-commerce store. You can also offer to match the price of any competitor even if it means making very little profit. Remember, your goal as online retailer is to build up your customer base and to get your customers to spread the word about your online business. More customers increases “word-of-mouth” which can lead to a successful viral marketing campaign.
Posted in E-commerce | Comments (1)
September 8th, 2008 at 6:39 am
Another important point is to make sure your product page provides a clear product picture. Shipping costs, Product policies and any other applicable information should all be easily accessible from the product page.
Also make sure your website has a search box. People don’t usually have much patience and will use direct search to find what they want. Besides that your search should provide category refinements that urge your customer to continue shopping but at the same time make sure you help your customer find what they want as quickly as possible!