You have a product or catalogue of goods that you are trying to sell online. But sales are not great. Why not? Assuming your prices are competitive, there are just three areas that you need to address.
First, make sure your customers can actually see your products: I'm talking about good quality images at a reasonable size, with an option to zoom.
Also, consider providing multiple images for alternative views. Take a look at how ShopComposition handles products at shopcomposition.com.
Second, don't ask potential customers to sign up or get a membership before they buy. How many physical shops ask you to join something before taking your money? You can ask people to sign up for things after they have bought something. Sell first and get a customer; don't try it the other way around.
Third, clearly show users what your delivery charges are and the expected delivery times for the products, especially if you ship overseas. This is also a good time to let people know your exchange and refund policies, as well as any other relevant information about what happens after an order is placed.
Most online shoppers are heavily swayed by price, so service will not always be your most crucial selling point. However, as consumers shift from high street queues to online purchasing, taking a good, hard look at your ecommerce site could give you the edge that so many online retailers just fail to get.
Rob Ford is founder and principal of TheFWA.com (favourite website awards) and author of Guidelines for Online Success
