eCommerce: Web Design Key in Converting Hits.

The Cyber Monday eCommerce Boom

In 2005 the National Retail Federation coined the term "Cyber Monday" to describe an "uncharacteristically high amount of eCommerce" on retail websites, the Monday after Thanksgiving. According to Shop.org, over the course of the last several years Cyber Monday has grown in such scale that nearly 9 in 10 retailers have developed eCommerce marketing, strategies, and promotions specifically for Cyber Monday. A great example of this is found in online retailers like www.icecreammaker.com and www.christmaswreathsales.com with easy to use an SEO optimized website showing how preparation in Q3 can show huge returns on eCommerce in Q4, really closing out the financial year with a bang. For more statistics and information on cyber Monday, click here for an excellent article on Bloomberg.com.

WAS YOUR eCommerce website affected by Cyber Monday?

Odds are if you have a well built and optimized ecommerce website you experienced a spike in both traffic and sales recently - HOWEVER, if your online sales didn’t spike during Cyber Monday, NOW is the time to re-evaluate your website design, the user experience, and likely your eCommerce interface. Many online retailers live by the philosophy “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” – but how do you know if it’s broke?

Market trends like Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the litmus that tell the story of how your online marketing, website design, and eCommerce are REALLY doing; and if you haven’t seen a large spike in the last week it’s time to start asking questions.

3 common eCommerce website mistakes

No Call-to-Action – With comparative shopping only seconds away, having a strong call-to-action is key in capturing the traffic increase that eCommerce websites see during the holiday season. Having thousands of hits to a website doesn’t help a company, capturing those hits does – experiment with different mastheads and strategically positioned links to improve your conversion rates.

No content above the fold – Content above the fold does several positive things, but its primary objective is to hold your audience. If your call-to-action doesn’t convert right away to a sale, it gives your website a chance to build a rapport with your customer and keeps them from immediately navigating away; time converts to money. I’ve always compared eCommerce website sales to Vegas – The longer you keep them in the chair the better chance they’ll leave their money.

Lack of Competitive Pricing – If you’ve got them to your website and kept them on your website and they still aren’t converting then it could be time to take a look at your pricing. Many consumers have a general idea of the “average” price for the product they are looking for, and if the price of your items are too steep then sticker shock can easily guide them away from your website. Take the time to research key products and keep the margins reasonable, remember that a smaller margin is better than no margin at all.

Let us help you make your eCommerce website work!

Let the professionals at Seattle's premier website design and development firm show you the difference between 'good enough' and 'getting results' -contact us today for a free online marketing consultation!

Added on 11/30/2010

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