How people buy

In theory you could create a retail web site with a
limitless selection; an online store where every kind of
merchandise known to man could be sold. Would people be interested in buying from such a huge enterprise?

Why do people buy online?

Location:
You can shop online from almost anywhere as long as you have
access to a power supply and a telephone connection. You can
shop in the comfort of your own home or you can shop in your
office. You can even shop while on the move, if you have a
laptop connected to a mobile telephone.

Convenience:
You can visit a web site almost whenever you want, you can
browse through it at your own pace and you can make a
purchase at any time of day or night. The internet makes it
possible to shop 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Information:
The internet makes limitless amounts of product information
available to the online shopper. You can access product
specifications, brochures, product comparisons and all
manner of other information with just a few clicks. You no
longer have to wait for a brochure or a catalogue to come to
you.

How do people shop online?

What are the factors that determine the buying decision?

Just like in the real world where shops are built of bricks
and mortar, the online store needs to welcome the shopper
and make them feel comfortable and safe.

Once a shopper arrives at your web site they need a little
time and space to familiarise themselves before being
bombarded with information or choices. If you put too much
information on your home page then the average shopper will
miss a large proportion of your content. Likewise, if you
present too many choices you will overwhelm the shopper and
it is very likely that they will leave straight away.

The purpose of your home page should be to simply tell the
shopper where they are and to ensure that the general layout
of your online store is easy to understand. Your customers
need to know if they are in a vast warehouse or a small
boutique! They need to know where the entrances to each
department or section are located; their question is often
quite simple how do I find what I’m looking for?

Your web site should be attractively designed, with enough
white space to make your content readable. You should choose
a web friendly font in a size that is large enough to be
read on an average monitor.

Navigation is critical. Your web site’s navigation should be
obvious; it should be laid out in a simple and logical way.
Your customer should be able to navigate within your web
site by using the navigation buttons and links that you
provide without having to use the browser back button.
Shoppers should be able to navigate inside your web site
without leaving.

Consider how you could make the online shopping experience
fun and interesting. The technology is now available to
provide live customer support; you can now guide and advice
shoppers as they browse your online store. You can add sound
to welcome people to your store or to add an audio
description to your products. You can demonstrate your
products in action using video technology.

It never ceases to amaze me just how many web sites simply
don’t work. Broken links, missing images, badly installed
scripts. Payment processing that is incorrectly configured;
too many clicks to get from the product to the checkout;
forms that require too much mandatory information. The list
of problems is endless.

Here is a simple checklist for a successful web site:
1. Make it easy for your customer to find what they are
looking for with a minimum number of clicks.
2. Provide accurate and full product descriptions.
Ensure that your images are of good quality and that
they show your product in the best possible light.
3. Make sure that your products are competitively
priced and that you clearly state the total cost of
purchase including taxes and shipping costs where
appropriate.
4. Make it easy for your customer to complete their
order and to process their payment. Provide payment
options where possible. Ensure that your payment
process is secure.
5. Be responsive with your support. Shoppers are
looking for a speedy answer. If you don’t provide
it, then your competitors will. Provide online help
or an Autoresponder. Keep your promises.
6. Deliver your product on time and meet, or exceed,
your customer’s expectations. If you demonstrate a
reliable and quality product delivery you will get
repeat business.
7. Follow up. If there is going to be a delay, let your
customer know. Don’t just make the sale and then
ignore your customer, keep in touch with a polite
follow up message or special offer.

There are a number of very important factors missing from
the online shopping experience. People can’t smell the
freshness or the perfume of your product. People can’t touch
your product and they can’t feel the quality or the texture.
You must compensate for these gaps by making the online
shopping experience for your customers the best it can be.

It is vital that you test and track your visitors’ behaviour
and try to improve the experience through careful analysis
of your testing and tracking results. You have visitors
arriving. Now is the time to take action!


Copyright © John Taylor 2003.

About the Author:

John Taylor is the author of "Learn over Twenty ways To
Improve Your Conversion Rate and Multiply Your Profits" - A
Special Report that contains a wealth of information on
professional testing and tracking techniques that can boost
your conversion rate and generate increased profits. To
learn how testing and tracking can boost your profits click
this link now: http://www.test-and-track.com

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