Is YOUR Web Site Ready For Christmas?

It will soon be Christmas. Whether Christian or not, that

means one thing to online vendors everywhere: BIG SALES!



But is your site *ready* for Christmas?



Let me explain what I mean.



As webmaster of a UK shopping directory I get to review many

online shopping sites. I take about 60 seconds to decide

whether the site gets added to my shopping directory (or

not).



And what I look for, in those crucial first seconds, is what

YOUR site-visitors look for too. They're thinking:



-> 'Can I trust you?',

-> 'Do you sell what I'm looking for,' and

-> 'Do I want to buy it from here?' or

-> 'Do I just want to somewhere else?'



The bad news: I am more patient than your site visitors!



The good news: you just need to make a few common-sense

changes to your site, for it to be ready for customers this

Christmas.



(Results from a study on online shopping habits help

illustrate my point. The figures are a couple of years old,

now, but I don't think the needs of online shoppers have

changed too much.)



So what do I look for?





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1. Is Your Site Safe AND Secure?

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'Of course our site is safe AND secure!' you say. 'We're a

member of a safe-shopping scheme, and we pay lots of extra

money for secure servers!'



You know your site is safe and secure, but does your site

display the safe-shopping logo proudly on the home page,

where it's easy to find, easy to reassure?



Do put any safe-shopping logos high-up on your home-page,

or even the logo of your secure server provider like

Worldpay or Verisign! (And the same goes for customer

testimonials!)



Safe shopping schemes/providers include:

- http://www.trustuk.org.uk/Default.asp

- http://www.shopsafe.co.uk

- http://www.verisign.com

- http://www.worldpay.com





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2. Does Your Site Look Professional?

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(26% said the [shopping site] was too difficult to navigate

- Anderson Consulting.)



How do I decide whether a site is well-designed and

professional?



Maybe it's a great color-scheme, or site layout. Maybe it's

clear images, good use of fonts, or an impressive Flash

movie. Maybe it's all of these things (or none of them).



Basically, for me, a professional website:



* is easy to navigate (so you never get 'lost')

* is quick to load (no unnecessary 'splash' screens)

* contains clear and immediate benefits for your customer

* does not rely on obscure browser technology



Yes you can break these rules, just as long as you make

sure that your site is CUSTOMER-FRIENDLY.



(At the very least do a site-usability study. You'll be

amazed at what you learn!)



These sites/resources may help:

- http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com

How NOT to design a website



- http://www.sensible.com/buythebook.html

"Don't Make Me Think!" philosophy of site design





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3. Does Your Site Contain Great Content And Offers?

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(16% of online shoppers said the site didn't offer enough

gift-giving ideas to help them make an appropriate purchase

- Anderson Consulting.)



Is it REALLY worth shopping at your site?



Do you offer a great choice of goods at low prices? Can

visitors read reviews of the products you sell? And can they

create a Christmas wish-list for their friends or family?...



What's compelling about shopping online at your store?



(For ideas about compelling shopping, just visit Amazon!)





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4. Does Your Site Display Delivery Details & Costs?

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(40% said the product they ordered was not delivered in

time -- Anderson Consulting.)



I'm sure your site has delivery details and costs, but...

is it easy to find them?



Don't force a customer to buy an item, before they can find

this information!



Make your delivery details and costs as easy to find as

possible -- especially if you offer free delivery! Don't

give a potential customer a reason to go somewhere else!



And as for late delivery -- if you can't avoid this, at

least keep your customer informed at all times. This keeps

the customer as happy as possible, encourages positive word-

of-mouth (i.e. new customers), and helps you achieve the

holy grail of online shopping -- repeat business!





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5. Does Your Site Display Contact Details?

------------------------------------------



(25% said the [site] did not provide enough information

needed to make a purchase.)



"A site without contact information is a site with something

to hide!" That's what a potential customer thinks, anyway!



Your site should state WHO you are, and WHAT your business

is about. Include information like name, address, and phone

number on an about-us page, and mention a little about your

business (a photo of you and your business is very

reassuring).



If you need an example, why not look at the about-us page

I've created. It's not brilliant, but it's a start. (Hey, I

don't even sell anything online!). Find it at

- http://www.shoptour.co.uk/about.shtml



And here is a really professional contact page which does

the same job of reassuring the potential shopper

- http://bedstar.co.uk/shop/customer/help.php?section=faqs





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Congratulations... Your Site Is Now Ready For Christmas!

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Follow the advice above, and your site should be ready for

the demands of Christmas.



You can probably think of more common-sense ways to make

your site more 'customer-friendly' e.g. customer

testimonials -- do whatever needs to be done.



--



More and more money is spent online each and every

Christmas. Your site can have its piece of the pie -- just

make sure your site is ready.



Season's best wishes to you!





PS If you want some more basic advice then feel free to

read my free ebook titled: '3 Super-Tactics to build,

promote and profit more from your website'? Download

it here --> http://www.wise-buys.info/bonus.shtml





© Copyright 2001-2004 Steve Nash. All Rights Reserved.