In spite of the downtrodden economy, Bill McKiernan, founder of Cybersource says, “Broad, secular trends are benefiting ecommerce businesses currently. The recession has created more bargain-conscious consumers who are seeking better prices from online merchants versus, say, what they get in the local mall.  We’re also seeing more individuals supplementing their income with niche online start-ups, which are creating more products for online consumers to choose from.  And larger merchants are recognizing that it is more cost effective to sell online than in a physical location.  In short, we’re seeing more shops online, more products online and more consumers shopping for them online.” What exactly does this mean; it means that you better get your Ecommerce store in shape because the competition has just heated up.

Show, Tell, Engage
So, you have an ecommerce store, but you are wondering whether or not you have what it takes to succeed online. Well, the good news is you can always turn to a trusted designer to improve what you feel may be lacking. One trend that is distinguishing good shopping carts from the not so good is the design. Online shoppers turn to the Internet for cheaper prices, but keep in mind they also go online for a different experience. The online shopping experience must integrate technology, it should be more than just an online directory.

Seal of Approval
The look and feel of your online store is of great importance; equally as important is the opinions of your customers. Many online retailers have reached success by having their customers spread the word through: product reviews, product recommendations, and additional product suggestions. What does this mean, take a look at: www.barnesandnoble.com as an example of this trend.  When you allow your customers to voice their opinions, you can acquire first hand knowledge of what products are selling, why these products are selling, who is buying them, and what other products these customers are likely to buy. While you can get some of this information from monthly sales reports, there is another benefit to this method. Good product reviews and recommendations spread like wildfire, customers end up doing the sale for you. This is certainly a feature that can be of great benefit to your ecommerce website, definitely one you should discuss with your design provider.

Instant Resolution
While we all strive for rave reviews and consistent customer satisfaction, this is not always the case. Customer service is an important part of any retail or online shopping experience.  For this very reason, many online shopping stores have the chat feature on their websites. What does this mean? If a customer is experiencing difficulty or has a question, the customer can easily access a customer service representative to answer questions. This is a huge advantage over physical store locations, shoppers can now access customer service without waiting, fighting for attention, and most significantly only when they need and want it. This trend toward instant customer service is not going away and customers are letting us know – they want to chat.

*Did You Know – the week of May 11th, 2009 registered 68,485,609 new website domains?

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