15 Steps to E-Commerce Success (Part 3 of 3)

15 Steps to E-Commerce Success (Part 3 of 3)
Proven strategies for increased sales,
which most store owners repeatedly overlook,
and when utilized make customers of visitors.

Last month we looked at the transition from the product page, to the beginning of the checkout process. (Last months article can be reviewed at: http://www.websitecm.com/news/26/15-Steps-to-ECommerce-Success-Part-2-of-3.html). Once in the checkout "funnel," you need to guide potential customers through the process and keep them on track to completion.

We highly recommend the use of Easy Checkout, a ready-made xcart mod that installs in minutes to provide a visual "funnel" and a streamlined checkout process for increased order completion:

PROVIDE ASSURANCE

Every customer is hesitant at some level to purchase items over the Internet, so it is extremely important to assure them of their security through the process. Always use https with an SSL certificate, and ensure they know the details of your security. Certified Secure and Hacker Safe logos are excellent reassurances. Place these assurances in areas where visitors are going to take action. Prevent popups such as "This page contains secure and unsecure elements..." from appearing. If the user has any hesitation that your site is not secure, they may look elsewhere for a company that makes them feel more at ease.
EASY ABILITY TO REPORT PROBLEMS

No matter how air-tight and streamlined your checkout process is, you will inevitably have users who have difficulty. Providing easy access to support will greatly increase the chances of maintaining the sale; the more immediate the support, the higher the likelihood it will be used. Consider posting a support phone number, using live online chat, a link to contact information and/or frequently asked questions in the header of your checkout process.
USABILITY

Stores in need of special settings or programs, such as Active X or flash, are likely to have lower conversion rates. Keep it simple. Ensure your site is cross-browser and cross-resolution compatible, because if they can't navigate your site, they can't purchase!
WEB ANALYTICS
Testing is required to know what works and what doesn't, and measurement tools provide you that ability. Web analytics programs can provide you exact information about your visitors browsing tendencies, and among many things determine your source of customer acquisition and conversion rates associated with keywords, search engines, marketing campaigns, pay-per-click campaigns, etc.
XCart Mods for web analytics:
Marketing Manager
HAVE A CONVERSION BACK-UP
A conversion rate of 1-5% means 95-99% of your visitors are lost. Research suggests that most people research products online prior to making a sale, so give them a reason to provide you information to maintain contact with them. Reasons may include a newsletter, a free e-book or audio file, or easy to access sales support to answer their questions.

Effective customer conversion is by no-means a cut and dry topic, and will vary from site to site and industry to industry. While no means an all encompassing solution, following these steps as they relate to your business will improve your profit margins significantly.