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Engineering The Bridge To A Successful E-commerce Homepage
The concept of the 5 Ws, followed by an H, is regarded as much a basic information-gathering technique in homepage building, as it is in journalism. People want to see credibility. They are curious about you, and as obvious as it may seem to provide the answer to Who, Where, What, Why When, and How on a homepage, you would not be the first to forget. Who Taglines and logos often explain plenty about the type of business that is being conducted, but most likely do not give complete details about who you really are. Are you a local businessman, or do you live halfway around the world? Mentioning an address on your homepage is vital. It will increase your chances on being pulled up by local search engines and it will tell your audience about your background. They want to know what language you might speak, how much you know about your products, and if they are manufactured by yourself or in your area. You also may want to mention sales representatives and other staff. Where Your website visitors see your business location as more than just a building. Believe it or not, there still are patriots out there who would rather order from a local entrepreneur than going across the border. They know your language, trust your products and services and can easily verify your credentials. It also means that product shipping time will be less and they have access to local sales and discounts. With news reports of diluted drugs, harmful toys and toxic drywall, customers want to know if your products are safe. Registering with independent, non-profit, consumer research companies such as the Better Business Bureau will not only give you peace of mind, but will also tell your customers you have nothing to hide and are committed to provide the best service possible. If you do not want your privacy invaded because your company is small or home-based, you can always rent a postal box in your area. What Manage your client's expectations and tell them exactly what you are offering. This means more than just listing your merchandise and services on the homepage. The more information you offer, the bigger your advantage over your competition will be. Go over your entire website and ask yourself numerous questions starting with what...' What are my payment options? What are my sales items? What will attract visitors to my site? What kind of products do my customers like? What are my long-term goals for the company? What is the quickest way to go from product viewing to sale completion? Indeed, customers do not like to click around to find their way around a website. Like in real-life stores, they like to pick an item, pay and go. A poorly designed website is like a badly managed store with poor signage and no clerk in sight to assist you. As you would walk out of such a store, customers would be equally quick to click away and log off. Why What' and Why' are often related: what are you selling and why? Explaining the reasons why you started the business, launched a website, picked that particular name for it, chose these kinds of products to sell, can all help your customers to understand what makes you and your company so unique. Of course, you do not have to tell your entire life story on your homepage, but can weave the information into other pages. If you have many pictures on the site, add text and let your customers know why this digital camera is the best, why a specific diet works best for diabetics, or why the gemstones in that turquoise necklace are so precious and valuable. Answering these questions and being rich in descriptions is not about showing off, but about bonding with the customer. When Even though frequently underestimated, the when' factor is as important as any other website related aspect when it comes to usability. Time is relevant in so many ways and not just when it comes to shipping information. Customers like to know your business hours and when you can be reached. They want to know when they can expect a reply to an inquiry, when your next sale will be, and when they can expect the next lot of new bestsellers. As you can see, these questions relate to your entire e-commerce site and not just the homepage. How Focusing on how' you can make your website perfect is an absolute necessity. Research not only your homepage, but the entire site and find the questions you have missed so far. Keyword repitition is an important seo factor. How many more keywords do you need to climb the search engine listings faster? How many times should you update the site's content and blogs? How many clicks does it take to get from the homepage to the merchandise and shopping cart? How long do you leave feedback on the site? How long does a shipment take to get from you to the customer? How safe and appealing are your payment methods? How long will this list of questions be? It will all depend on the information you have already provided, how much more you want to reveal, and how much time and work you are willing to invest. In conclusion: websites are like bridges. They are the links connecting you and your customers. Like with any structure, bridges need a good foundation, sturdy materials, and a well-designed construction plan. If any of these elements are missing the bridge will collapse. Building a successful website is no different than erecting a bridge. Just think about it! If your building blocks don't fit, or pieces are missing, do you think your e-commerce website will bring you fame and fortune? I didn't think so! Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Bliss Media is a cutting edge web design agency. We have conducted web design projects from small start ups to some of Australia's leading sites. |
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