The Short List:
Incorporate a perpetual cart: A perpetual cart is just what you think…a shopping cart that is “perpetually” apparent on every page and every view. It stays with you at all times. An excellent example of a perpetual cart can be found at www.collectiblestoday.com. Collectibles Today incorporates a cart three times on their page. Because the page is long and the user has to scroll, the use of a perpetual cart ensures that the shoppers see their cart wherever they are on the page.
Use “C” navigation: This means navigation on the top, left and bottom of a page. “C” navigation provides an expected, user friendly and intuitive way to navigate a site, thereby increasing conversion.
Buy Now: This seems obvious but is a missed opportunity many times. Ask for the order and ask for it over and over on any product page! Adding the word “now” dramatically increases response rates. Use the color red for this call to action. Let the customers know you want their order!
3 Column Architecture: A 3 column format provides the best functionality and user friendly layout. The left hand column is used for navigation, center column for text and photos and the right hand column is used for specific promotions. The right hand column is the last place people will look before leaving a page, therefore it is a great place to put promotions to guide the shopper back into the site, often with a “click here now” call to action.
Search: The best place to incorporate the search function is the upper right hand corner of the page. Offer a refined search function which can include: Search by price, favorites, newly added, highest priced, lowest priced.
eMail sign up: Incorporate an email sign up for promotions. Have this on every single product page in your site. Use an icon by the email sign up for quick visual location. You can also get people to sign up via a promotion such as a sweep-stake or give away.
Top Products & Pricing on Home Page: List your top products right on the homepage with pricing and a buy now link.
Text/Graphics: A couple of points regarding text and graphics on your homepage. Remember that shoppers are in a hurry and usually don’t stop to read the text, therefore don’t use alot of text. People see pictures but not usually the text. When you do use text – keep it live vs. graphic or it won’t be picked up by search engines. If your website has a “hero” or feature shot which rotates out, don’t rotate the shot too fast. This can be annoying and casue people to flea before shopping. If you are running promotions, feature the promotion in your “hero” shot section.
Navigation: Entire volumes can and should be written about navigation alone. Navigation has been proven to be responsible for 40% to 60% of your website’s success. Therefore getting it right is critical. Don’t reverse navigation out to white. Use live text for navigation (seo). Have no more than 100 links on any page and no more than 25 links in the left hand navigation. The shopper should be able to get to a specific product in as little as one click. Rollover or drop down navigation can be incorporated, as well as detailed prime and subnavigation in the left column. Offer general category navigation in the center under the hero shot, e.g. “top sellers, newly arrived, for him, for her, etc.”
If you would like to have your site critiqued for free, please send your “URL” to diane@harpinteractive.com with a short message and request for free web site critique.
Article by: Diane Rayfield www.harpinteractive.com
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Great advice! Just what I needed to read while building my own web store.
Just starting the web site. This is a great article. I will probably use your “site critiqued” once I am more advanced on my site.
Thanks,
Aude.
I was missing the key goals but I hope not to suffer for the rest of my web-life now.
Thanks for the thought.