subject: Web Marketing Strategy Advice For Ecommerce Businesses [print this page] Ecommerce is a seductive medium in which to do business. Tiny overheads compared to the cost of a conventional shop, the ability to automate much of the selling process, the opportunity to sell to customers far outside your normal geographical range ... the benefits are huge. The multi-million dollar success of Amazon is the proof of the pudding. However, there are just as many failed ecommerce sites in web-land as there are successful ones.
In fact, ecommerce stores that make little or no money are surprisingly prevalent. If you are starting an ecommerce business, here are some internet marketing, search engine optimization and web analytics guidelines for ensuring that the benefits of ecommerce for you don't get lost among the pitfalls.
1. Professional website design is paramount
When it comes to handing over their money to somebody that they can't see, customers are very discriminating. If your website design has a hint of unprofessionalism about it, your customers won't be handing over their credit card details ... even if you are more honest than the Dalai Lama. Ensure that your website design constantly reflects the highest industry standards of the time - outsource a firm to ensure that this is the case.
Make sure you don't skimp on development testing and solid technology when building the site either. Dropouts, broken form fields and other anomalies can send customers and their credit cards running.
2. Don't forget video
There is little advice about ecommerce video utilization in the world of internet marketing. Perhaps because it is a relatively new phenomenon that the bandwidth to quickly receive video has become widespread. However, video helps break down one of the last barriers that ecommerce faces - actually seeing a product in action. Many people will still go to brick and mortar stores, and pay extremely inflated prices, simply because they can't get enough info about a product from its seller. Ecommerce consulting firms advise hosting your own video, rather than relying on Youtube's idiosyncrasies.
3. Keep your store clean
There is an enormous temptation for store owners to litter their pages with additional offers, Google Adsense ads, links to related products and 'special one time only!!' promotions. However, ecommerce consulting firms see time and again that less is more in the design of a site. Keep your pages clean, and keep them low pressure, to avoid scaring away your customers and negating your search engine ranking optimization and internet marketing efforts.
4. Don't upsell at the point of sale
If people feel pushed and hassled, the negative association with the store can often outweigh the internet marketing savings you make by 'warm' selling. A better tactic is to email your upsell offer at a later time - give people a discount for becoming a repeat purchaser, just don't make that offer at the point of sale.
by: Gregory Smyth
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