MICHELE NEYLON offers advice on best practice for business websites
No matter how much experience you may have in the offline world it does not automatically translate into a successful online venture and some goods and services are not really suited to e-commerce due to their very nature.
For e-commerce to be effective you need to be able to reach and exceed your customers’ expectations. As broadband usage increases people’s expectations of a speedy response and instant gratification does also.
So if you want to be successful in selling online you may need to make some changes to your modus operandi in order to reach your clients as quickly as possible.
There are several ways to achieve this and some are simple and inexpensive. Common mistakes that can prove fatal include:
>> Too much text. Reading off a screen is harder on the eyes than reading a newspaper
>> No tangible contact details
>> Not responding to emails or not replying fast enough
>> Delivery speed
Some e-merchants try to engage with their clients and prospects directly on their sites using live chat applications. This means that a visitor to the website can engage in a virtual chat with one of your staff without leaving the site. A prospective customer can also send a message to your sales team too.
Other options include setting up self-service helpdesks and public bulletin boards to foster a community spirit. Bulletin boards can work well, but you need to be prepared for criticism as well as praise. No matter how you do it people will notice when a forum is being censored and it will not work to your advantage.
If these ideas seem to complex then maybe you could start with something simple like a feedback form on your site. These can be very useful in gathering information from sales prospects including critical information such as how they got to your site.
For further information see:
Subscribers 0
Fans 0
Followers 0
Followers