Best Practices for Selling Online Through a Website
Your website is a showcase for your products and services, so it's imperative that you get the design and functionality right. But just what are the main characteristics of building a great e-commerce site?
Here are six of the most crucial elements to consider:
1. How your product information is displayed
Potential customers make their purchasing decision based on the information you provide to them. Your item description should be clear and easy to understand, with any tech specifications shown in bullet form. Also display a high quality picture if possible.
2. Offering multiple payment options
Make it as easy as possible for your customers to make a purchase. Some people are more than comfortable giving their credit card details, while others may not even own one. Look into the benefits of offering different options such as credit, BPay, PayPal, post-paid and direct bank transfer.
3. Providing telephone support
Some customers may be new to the online world. If they're confused about how to buy an item over the Internet, you could lose them if you fail to give them the option to speak with someone at your business. Similarly, lots of regular online shoppers need to feel secure before they hand over their personal details to a business.
Clearly display the company contact number on each page of your site so all your customers have peace of mind knowing a real person is there to answer their concerns at every step.
4. Including postage & GST in the displayed purchase price
When choosing your shopping cart software, make sure you opt for one that includes tax calculation and postage within its functions.
This not only saves you a lot of time on the back end in relation to manually working out taxes, but also provides a better buying experience as people don't feel they've been not lured in with a small product cost, only to be stung by high delivery charges at checkout.
5. Giving customers a money-back guarantee
Providing a money-back guarantee is a great way to get potential customers across the line — the ones who need that little bit more convincing to buy your product. Display the guarantee in prominent areas on your website and clear explain how long the offer lasts.