E-Commerce
Creating an online store front has quickly become an essential part of retail business. Unlike a bricks-and-mortar store front, an e-commerce business is competing in a much larger arena where you can easily be buried on page 157. Making sure you have high exposure to potential clients is crucial for success.
Although the buying experience online is different than in a traditional store, customers are looking for the same level of service and ease of locating what they are looking for. Making sure that all of your products are easily accessible to customers and that they can reach a representative of your company quickly are two ways you can achieve loyalty.
Additional items to keep in mind are:
• Make sure you have reliable hosting so your e-commerce site is always accessible
• Focus on functionality and the ease of finding the products
• Streamline the check-out process with only pertinent information needed to fulfill the order
• Give your customers the opportunity to register as a user or member with the ability to view past orders and see the progress of current orders
• Incorporate “Live Help” on your site in case your customers have questions regarding your products and services
• Obtain an SSL (Secure Socket Layering) Certificate to ensure your transactions are encrypted and increase customer confidence