Paul Brooks | 11 Sep 2007

An online store can be compared to a stall that sells fruit and vegetables in your local market. If the stall doesn’t look clean or the produce doesn’t look fresh, people won’t buy.

If your eCommerce website attracts visitors from search engines, but doesn’t close as many sales as you would like, you need to take a close look at its design and features.

Pay attention to the factors that will influence a buyer’s decision and you will find ways to increase sales performance.

When a visitor first arrives at your online store, they will be filled with reasons not to buy. They have probably never heard of you, they don’t know if you sell what they want, they don’t know if you can deliver on time and they don’t know how your prices compare. You need to overcome these objections if you want to close the sale.

The first area to consider is how your website looks. First impressions count and customers expect an online store to look modern and attractive. They want to know that they’re dealing with a reputable company that takes pride in its shop-front.

If your site hasn’t had a facelift in the last twelve months, perhaps its time to make a change. You can improve a site’s appearance without replacing everything else.

Next, make sure your website is updated regularly. Customers want to see that your online catalogue is up-to-date and they want to see your latest special offers. You should aim to change something on your website every week – ideally every day.

You should also think about the information a customer will want. Whilst it may be easier for you to include only small amounts of information on each product, you are likely to close more sales if you display more details. Include all features, benefits, sizes, weights and anything else you think is relevant. You should also try to include multiple photos for each item, if applicable.

Lastly, you should review the way in which your customers actually make a purchase. How easy is it to find a product, add it to a shopping cart, change quantities and checkout? If you can make it simpler, do it. The less time it takes a client to complete their purchase, the better.

The poor performance of an eCommerce website could easily be blamed on the products it sells, but before you revise your stock, see if the website itself could be the problem. A few small changes might deliver a substantial increase in sales.

To find out how attract more customers and convert more sales please get in touch.

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