Ensuring That Your Website Works For You
By: Edie Nims
In all my years as a professional web designer, it has never ceased to amaze me to
see the number of businesses that have websites that make it nearly impossible for a potential
customer to even recognize the product or service being offered, let alone complete an online
transaction.
Following is a list of sales minimizing mistakes and their solutions.
Not making the service area clear to the site visitor:
For a website promoting a service, it must be made clear where the service will be provided. If
the business is located in New York and the site visitor resides in California, it's highly doubtful that
an e-commerce site promoting groceries delivered to your door will be able to deliver in the promised 1 hour.
The opening page of the site must clearly state that this service is limited in area.
Perhaps not so obvious, is the error of an e-commerce site not stating that they are not willing or able to ship to another
country. It's easy to forget that the world wide web is just that. It is a global marketplace.
If a business can't fulfill and ship an order to Japan, then it must be stated.
Is the order process clear and easy to navigate? Many sales are lost because a website
visitor could not "find" the order link, could not understand the ordering instructions,
could not complete the order because of a malfunction in the site, or simply did not have the time
to navigate through pages of steps to get the order sent.
It's important that all links be tested
through, not only by the designer and the owner of the site, but also by other parties that do not
have a vested interest in the site. Ask a colleague at work, a neighbor, even a child to try to order something from your site. Listen
carefully to any critique and make
the necessary changes. The web opens the world to users of all ages, types, and abilities.
This must be kept in mind during the design process.
Does the site provide full shipping information? Recently, I visited a site that
had a product that I seriously needed to order. After navigating through the shopping cart pages, I
stopped short and did not complete the
order. The reason? A simple sentence explained that the cost of shipping would be emailed to me on
completion of the order. I promptly continued my web search to find the item I needed on another site.
I, like most people, would not walk into a store filled with untagged merchandise, take something
off the rack, hand over my credit card, and then sign a blank credit card authorization. To order
an item on the web and not know until after the order is submitted how much it is really going to
cost me is, in my mind, similar to suicide.
A business site must give its visitors all the information needed to have the confidence necessary
to actually go through with an order. This includes not just the item price, but shipping methods
and costs, and sales tax. An informed site visitor is a content repeat customer.
Does the site provide an easy means of contacting and asking questions? In a brick and
mortar shop, there is always a sales clerk, a manager, or a "Customer Service" desk
available to answer questions. Your website provides clear and concise descriptions of all services
offered along with photos of tangible goods. The site should also include a contact page as well as an
email link on each page. To increase customer confidence, emails must be answered promptly and clearly.
An easy contact form provided on-site simplifies the question process.
Has the site owner made every effort to ensure that information passed is kept
confidential? - One of the things I will do before ordering online is search the site for
information regarding how my personal information will be handled. I want to know that my name,
credit card information, email address, and other identifying information will not be passed or
sold to third parties. In this world of the web, there is nothing quite like the realization that
the T-shirt you ordered caused you to have countless numbers of minutes spent deleting spam email
from your inbox, or answering 30 spam phone calls a day.
A full privacy statement containing all elements of your handling of personal information is a
necessity on any website that gathers information. If you sell your email list, be honest about it.
Sure, some visitors will never return, but you may be surprised at how many will appreciate and,
more importantly, remember that you were up front in your privacy disclosure.
In summation, providing your site visitors with understanding, ease, informed choices, and confidence will help to ensure that your business is an online success. The extra effort and time spent now will reap the profits for the future.
Copyright © 2003-2004, JCWW Web Design. All rights reserved.
Edie Nims is the founder of JCWW Web Design, a design, development, and web promotion company in Watertown, NY. Permission to reprint this article is granted as long as credit, link back, and copyright are clearly displayed.
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JCWW
326 William Street
Watertown, NY 13601
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