Mar 12 2010
It's easy to set up an online store these days. With "quick and easy" solutions ranging from WordPress plugins to osCommerce to Yahoo! stores and even Intuit (makers of QuickBooks) giving small businesses an easy option, getting started is the easy part. But having an online store that's set up and optimized for conversions and maximum potential isn't quite as easy.
Too many site owners simply grab their free or ultra low-cost e-commerce software, find a template and create their storefront with little to no consideration for design, organization, click-through rates, conversions and even analytics. And frankly, in many cases, the easy start-up solutions just don't provide enough flexibility for tweaking and optimizing for higher conversion rates. Much of what makes an online store successful is these very things I just mentioned that flat out don't happen overnight. They require time and proper testing and measurement.
So what's a store owner to do? The obvious answer is to hire a design agency that knows how to optimize e-commerce sites (and non-e-commerce sites) for click-throughs and conversions. But, here are a few tips that you can use now.
1. Avoid home page clutter
It can be tempting to put every one of your products on your home page but it's a good idea not to, lest you become like Costco.
If your e-commerce site's home page looks like Costco's, you're bound to lose some customers by simply confusing them.
Think about a real brick-and-mortar store: they don't dress up their windows with every product they sell. An online store shouldn't be any different. Focusing on a few products up front and making your product categories and links easily accessible will garner you a lot more click-throughs, not to mention give you better credibility.
2. Have clear calls to action
If you're not familiar with what a call to action is, stop here and get in touch with us. Every site, regardless of what kind of site it is (e-commerce or otherwise) needs to have at least one clear call to action. That may be enticing a visitor to purchase the latest and greatest widget you offer, persuading them to fill out your inquiry form or getting them to pick up the phone and schedule an appointment. Whatever it is, calls to action are arguably more important on e-commerce site. They help drive pathways throughout the site. The key to having an effective call to action though is to make sure it's not a hard sale. Instead, your call to action should be geared toward guiding the user through.
3. Make sure your copy is compelling
A fancy site is no good if your copy is dull and boring to read. This is especially true on your home page since the copy there sets the tone for the rest of the site. Avoiding typical phrases like "Whether you need x, y or z, we're your choice" will help you differentiate your business from your competitors. If you're in a market where it's appropriate, getting witty or assertive or funny with your content is a good way to engage the visitor.
4. Keep buttons and links clear
Despite its relatively young age, the Web does have its conventions, especially when it comes to buttons and links. Having a button or link that looks too much like the text on your page will immediately get overlooked and could possibly frustrate your visitor. The language you use for them is just as important as making sure they function as expected. There's a difference between having a link that reads, "In Bloom" and one that reads, "Flowers". The latter is much more obvious than the former and will likely result in a lot more clicks. Oh, and "click here" should be avoided".
Keeping your buttons & links clear will greatly help improve your click-through rates.
5. Ensure your logo is clear and legible
While its true that unless you're Nike or McDonald's, your logo and overall brand are likely not as immediately recognizable. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't display it proudly - and clearly. A lot of websites have logos that suffer from serious legibility problems, either because they were designed poorly in the first place or they weren't designed with web/online usage in mind. Your logo should be read easily and quickly, even at smaller sizes. Any good logo designer would agree (and provide a logo ready for just about any application).
6. Have a navigation structure that is intuitive and easy to understand
Remember those conventions I mentioned earlier? Navigation links fall into that category. While some sites have gotten away with using non-standard navigation schemes (especially in the realm of Flash-based websites), chances are their audiences are much different than yours. When visitors arrive on your site (any page for that matter), they should be able to quickly understand how the site is organized and how to get to where they need to go. If they're not able to, the experience gets frustrating and they become less likely to explore the site.
7. Don't forget search!
Having even a basic search functionality on most sites these days is almost a requirement. This is especially the case with e-commerce sites that have more than a handful of inventory items. Not every visitor will sit there and click through your navigation and category links. And thanks to Google, Yahoo! and similar companies, virtually everyone who hops online is familiar with searching. So make sure your site has a search box and make sure it provides good results.