Putting your customers first is tricky. Businesses seem to fall into the “it’s all about the business” trap no matter how hard they try to avoid it. You want to make it easy for your customers to understand what your business is selling without being too pushy.  If you are going to include a demo of a product on your website, the demo should be easily accessible. It is also a good idea to be available for assistance if your potential customer has questions or troubles with your demo download.

Doing business with your company should be easy. Every company has struggled with ways to attract customers. They make it difficult for hard-earned prospects to do business with them which results in losing customers.

Websites have broken links or links to the wrong place.

Websites do not provide contact information, maps or directions

Web forms do not ask for correct information. If you need to provide your zip code, you need to fill in your city and state as well.

Are your products easy to use? If your product requires assembly, provide the tools necessary. Does your product require batteries? Include them.

Where to start:
If you think about it, the golden rule is a pretty good place to start when thinking about customer satisfaction. Ask yourself, would you like your business to do unto you as you do unto your customers?

Blogs are excellent marketing channels for many online businesses, but is this true for online stores specifically? Are blogs worth it? The answer is yes. Here are several ways a blog can boost sales for your e-commerce store.

Shopping carts have become much savvier about SEO in the recent years, but blog SEO is outstanding. In a products page, you cannot have a headline that is the exact wording of a question your customer might have.  You easily can in a blog post headline, however.  Exact match keywords get searches all the time.  One of the best ways to snag traffic is with a blog post headlining the question.

Hook your readers. Products do not sell themselves. If a customer thinks of your product as part of their lifestyle, you have a much better sales pitch. For example, if your customer’s live a “green” lifestyle, your blog can provide tips and highlights of ecologically safe products and how your customer can live an ecologically conscious lifestyle. You will not come across as being pushy.

Valuable feedback means better sales. Blogs provide a two-way window into your customer’s minds. Based on what sites they visit, comment on, ignore, and share, we start to build up a good idea of what they do and do not like and, most importantly, what they will and will not purchase.

Comments are the jack pot. Many businesses are afraid of blog comments because the truth is there for the world to see. Instead of avoiding blog comments, jump on the opportunity to take a customer complaint and show how you handle things. You will impress and win over others. These situations are a blessing in disguise. Take advantage.

There you have it. A few ways a blog can improve ecommerce sales. Are there other approaches you have taken that have worked? Please share your stories in the comments.

From the importance of being found on Google, and connecting with brands on Facebook, consumer research data helps merchants identify the best strategies for connecting with online shoppers. The world of online shopping is never-ending. When you think you have a handle on what’s new, along comes a new or revised trend.

One trend which remains at the top of consumer’s purchasing decision choices is product research. Consumers invest a lot of time in online research before making a purchase. The important take away for merchants is knowledge of where consumers start their product search.  Search engines like Google still remain the starting point for research, followed by gathering information from retailer and manufacturer websites. This goes to show, search engine optimization is still a crucial task for online retailers.

Another trend that still remains popular is social shopping and customer reviews. Social shopping has been a huge topic for online retailers for the past year. What mediums of social media do customers use? Facebook Business Pages and Facebook newsfeeds are the top picks. Consumers still favor writing product reviews as an activity which is why Facebook comes out on top.

Last but not least we have mobile phones. Mobile phones give consumers immediate access to research, price shopping, and promotional coupons for immediate redemption. If you are smart, your e-commerce site is mobile friendly. As a merchant you should be interested in the mobile phone and the tablet audience because these are the consumers who are going to shop and consume.

In the end it all comes down to researching your target audience and knowing what they want. Mobile phones and social tools will grow in importance as more consumers use these mediums for product research and shopping. Find what works for you and sell away!

Call to action buttons need to jump out at the shopper and leave them with no other choice but to make a purchase. Visitors can have a short attention span, and an effective call to action which catches the customer’s eye can make it clear what the next step should be.

There is no correct answer, it is best to test different combinations of color, button size, wording, and placement to see what is most effective. As a general rule, if your call to action doesn’t stand out distinctly on the page, there is room for improvement. Read on for several tips on designing and displaying calls to action.

Test.

Unless you test your call to action there is no way of knowing whether you have chosen the best option. Simple changes to design, color, wording, and size can produce impressive results.

Color.
The button must stand out from the background, as well as from any other icons or images on the product page. The color should contrast with those being used on the rest of the page, preferably a bright color that catches the eye. Besides choosing a contrasting color it is also important to consider that some colors may create certain associations in shoppers’ minds. Some colors have certain connotations attached to them. Some associate red with danger or debt, while green can signify ‘go’.

Wording of Calls to Action.
Your choice of wording should leave shoppers in no doubt about what will happen when they click the link. Users expect to see phrases like ‘Add to Basket’ and ‘Buy Now’. It is a good idea not to deviate too much from this kind of language.

Size of Calls to Action.
The call to action is the most important link on a product page. Shoppers must see it instantly without having to search around for it. Your call to action button should be the largest link on the page. The bigger it is, the more chance it has of being noticed.

Space is good.
Even the brightest and most clearly worded call to action will struggle to stand out on a cluttered page. You want to make sure there is some clear space around the call to action button. This will avoid the risk of being drowned out by the rest of the elements on the page.

Create Urgency.
Creating a sense of urgency in the customer’s mind can nudge them into a purchase decision right then and there. This may not be applicable for every site, but if you have a sale on, or limited stock, then this can be a powerful technique.

You want readers to stay as long as possible on your blog and come back periodically to learn more about the products and services you offer. Using analytics tools to track and measure the average time that visitors stay on your site, you may start to feel discouraged if the number is lower than you want. Listed below are three tips that can help:

1. Relevant Content

This one is obvious, but there are blogs out there that attempt to cover a wide variety of topics all at once. This makes them seem to have no real focus. This does not mean that all of your posts need to be about the same topic, but you should have a basic overall theme that is directly relevant to your industry.

2. Adding Categories

People expect to be able to locate the information they want quickly, without a lot of extensive searching. By adding categories to your blog, you are allowing visitors to see which types of information you offer and allow them to find what they are looking for quickly and efficiently.

3. Include Media

Adding photos, audio clips, and/or short videos to your blog is a great way to break up text. It gives your blog a polished and professional look and feel.