| Ecommerce websites has been growing steadily for | | | | And if you only have local delivery, state it from onset |
| the past decade already. It is soon going to rival the de | | | | and not until the shopper reaches the checkout button! |
| facto method of shopping. Why? For the pure simple | | | | It will fry him or her forever and will increase bad |
| fact of convenience and being around 24 hours-7 | | | | ratings for your website... it is a small world my friend. |
| days a week! Does your retail outlet or company | | | | 4) Are you opening up to the world? |
| sales department work the graveyard shift? No? Why | | | | Certain websites just want local buyers but many a |
| not? There are people slogging it out in front of their | | | | times we tend to disregard the universal fact that |
| desks at weird hours and chances are that they will | | | | most businesses sometimes can tend to come from |
| probably spend some time of the well earned money | | | | outside your own domain. For example, especially |
| buying stuff online. Well, it could be your goods! | | | | businesses in UK and USA and even sometimes in |
| Festive seasons like Christmas, New year and other | | | | Singapore, they always state their area codes and not |
| local festivities are spaced out every few months but | | | | country code which means they are strictly looking out |
| more important than that are minute appreciation | | | | for business from their own country and not overseas. |
| gestures like a small gift for your client, spouse, kids | | | | I feel that this is wastage because why restrict your |
| etc to show your appreciation. You don’t have to | | | | business to just a local sphere? Let’s just say I |
| wait for festive seasons to take the initiative! | | | | have my wife who is visiting her family or I have a |
| I am not going to go into the whole showdown on the | | | | client who is in USA and I am in Singapore with little or |
| already much covered aspects of | | | | no knowledge of calling overseas? And if I directly call |
| ecommerce…hmm.. Well I might keep it for another | | | | the number, there is no way I can call a US number |
| cold day. But here are some important aspects of | | | | without adding a +1 in front. And if it doesn’t go |
| Ecommerce website which you may want to get your | | | | through the first time, chances are I am moving on to |
| team or any Singapore Web Designer or Singapore | | | | another company to get the gift sent to the desired |
| Ecommerce Website developer to consider before | | | | destination. It doesn’t matter if your website is |
| implementing an ecommerce website solution. | | | | probably the best looking ecommerce site in the world! |
| 1) Give your website a warm presence: | | | | What I need is simple instructions on how I can get my |
| It is not about putting warm colours but it is about | | | | gifts sent. If you do not have it, then my money is not |
| ensuring that you are there for your visitors and they | | | | going to you. |
| feel at home. Contact availability and online chat | | | | 5) Have Google analytics installed: |
| functions can be considered important so that they | | | | Well lots of statistics companies just went bust |
| know they are talking to humans after all and not | | | | because Google came up with their infamous and |
| some robot! The website can be often perceived as a | | | | superb analytics tool. Install it and then you can analyze |
| cold sphere if you are not careful about ensuring | | | | on where the drop out is. You can then analyze where |
| whatever information is needed for them to purchase | | | | your website needs tweaking. For example if you can |
| is not there. Shipping, terms and conditions, privacy | | | | see that when the dropout rate is high in your member |
| policy as well as your contact details should be seen | | | | registration page, you may want to reevaluate your |
| easily. | | | | methodology. Why are they dropping out here? Should |
| 2) Do usability and accessibility testing: | | | | I eliminate my mandatory registration fields? Should I |
| Most web developers avoid this. They create the site, | | | | reduce the number of questions I should ask? Does |
| ensures its looks fancy and “wham bham thank | | | | the page take too long to load? |
| you ma’am”! You should ensure that your | | | | Are the shoppers worried about my lack of web |
| website can be used by a real un-savvy person as | | | | security or credentials? |
| well as to the mavens as well as to people without the | | | | Get a web developer to assess this and he will revert |
| normal abilities. It should be cross browser compatible | | | | to you on why it happens. Get an experience |
| and coded with the proper language so as to ensure it | | | | company and not some freelancer who does this for |
| is optimized for the web and to the audience from all | | | | some part time cash! Oh.. by the way Google analytics |
| spectrum at least to most. It may cost a little more but | | | | is free so give it a shot even if you don’t have an |
| it is worth it because at the end of the day you want | | | | ecommerce website! It can tell you lots of stuff even |
| to make more money with your websites and so to | | | | for a plain vanilla site. |
| ensure that you have to make sure that usability | | | | 6) Reply fast: |
| testing is adhered strictly! It doesn’t mean that you | | | | Turnaround time as well as delivery is important for |
| need to ensure its AAA W3C because even AAA | | | | businesses all around the world be it if you from New |
| websites do not satisfy everyone, but do ensure that | | | | Delhi or New York! Ensure that your customers’ |
| minimal accessibility is practiced. | | | | requests are handled immediately and SLA should be |
| 3) Know your target market: | | | | informed upfront. Many web design companies do not |
| If your target market is from overseas then I suggest, | | | | program dual way receipts for customers and |
| get a server or hosting service which is located there. | | | | companies alike hence it goes haywire. This is a |
| Lots of time is wasted on lagging and it is more than | | | | problem if you do not do dry run before you release |
| likely in today’s highly competitive world of business, | | | | the site to BETA. There should be minimum standards |
| they will move on to someone else if your website | | | | to web practice and at De Mellows, we follow a no |
| lags or has too much of flash! It is a “NO,NO!” | | | | nonsense 24 hours reply guarantee. We reply emails |
| for an ecommerce website to have Flash unless it is | | | | within 24 hours to adhere to best web practice. To |
| part of a small banner which is fine. Otherwise, ensure | | | | increase your trust in your clients, you have to ensure |
| that your web loads fast by doing routine testing | | | | all these are set in place and the sooner you reply |
| especially if your clients are from overseas. If you | | | | your client, the better trust you will engender. And that |
| target market are children, you may want to partner | | | | will say a lot about your company and its Ecommerce |
| with some maternal sites selling maternal paraphernalia | | | | policies. |
| and vice versa to cross link each other’s sites. | | | | |