Don't use technical terms or clever names. Use the names online shoppers would use and have come to recognize as standard on the web. Unfamiliar words will confuse shoppers. Use phrases like "Add to Cart" or "Buy Now" that consumers are used to seeing. Don't label that button "I Want It" or something out of the ordinary. People won't understand what that means and your sales will suffer.

Most people are used to shopping offline where they can hold, touch, feel, and smell a product before they buy it. So why are there so few online stores trying to replicate the traditional shopping experience by providing better and more detailed product images?

It's been proven that well-planned product images increase online sales. Sites with image galleries get 15% more activity that those without, while including photos that enlarge show an average increase in sales of approximately 25%.

Where do you start? Begin with your top 20 products and upgrade their images. Test and monitor the results to see what matters most to shoppers. Test the following:

Each product description should answer all the questions shoppers may have. Things to include are:

Has a review ever influenced your decision to make a purchase online? Studies clearly show that shoppers value the opinions of their peers.

Shoppers are looking for credible reviews which means they look for:

Most online retailers cringe at the thought of a poor review but it can actually have the opposite effect since shoppers understand that products aren't always perfect. This is valuable information that can help you identify poor selling products and replace them with better selling items that your customers will appreciate.

Most retailers think that once they get a shopper to add something to their cart their job is finished. Actually, it's only half done. You also need to keep them moving forward though the checkout process. You can do this by:

While shoppers move along the buying process they'll have numerous questions. Make sure to anticipate those questions, answering them in a way that doesn't distract from the buying process. A simple shopping cart that works in unison with prominent customer service info makes shoppers feel confident in their purchase knowing you are there to assist them.

Not everyone that comes to your site is ready to buy. They may be looking for more detailed info or looking for a customer service phone number. Understand what's important to shoppers at teach stage of the buying process and create content geared to them. They trick is providing info for each of these scenarios while convincing them that you're the best place to make their purchase.

There are so many things to consider when operating an online store during tough economic times that it can be a bit overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. It's important to start somewhere whether it's examining your checkout process, working on better product images or overall improvements to customer service. Optimization is about working to find weaknesses in your website and continually improving them.

We're here to help you. The web experts at Think Tank Designs can perform a detailed evaluation of your website and make recommendations on how to make it function better. Call (909) 393-6363 or fill out our quote request form.

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