No matter how profitable your eCommerce website is, there is always room for improvement. You should constantly search for new ways to make your website more user friendly and a big part of this is related to the shopping cart. This software will turn your visitors into buyers and you have to make sure that those who decide to place something in their shopping cart can checkout easily without any kind of problems.

Basic Functionality Improvements

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After you install a shopping cart system, there are a few little tweaks that need to be made. You should take a look at what the software has to offer and see if your online store is truly functional. Your buyers should be able to modify the quantity of the product directly from the cart, instead of having to click on the “add to cart” button over and over again. A link that goes to the product page should be placed below each item and it should open the page somewhere in the background. Another important thing is the total price, so find out if this information is available and clearly visible.

Increasing Sales through Your Shopping Cart

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Increasing sales is quite easy if you know how to add a few important details next to your shopping cart. A good strategy is to add links to similar items; this will keep your customers interested and they will eventually find a product that they didn’t intent to purchase in the first place.

Once they reach the checkout page, many people won’t like their long list of items and they will be surprised by the total price. Their analytical side of the brain will kick in and they will try to get right of the products which have unfamiliar names. A good way to stop this from happening is adding thumbnails next to the name of each product. If you can see exactly what you’re buying, you won’t feel the need to take it out of the shopping cart.

As a final method of increasing sales, you can add a “free shipping if you order x more products” button. This way, some people will prefer to save on the costs of shipping and they will add a few extra items.

Reducing Shopping Cart Abandonment

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The number one reason for shopping cart abandonment is a high shipping price. This is exactly why the total costs should be displayed on the same page as the products. This will reduce the shopping cart abandonment rate drastically. Another strategy is to keep the process as simple as possible. This way, even those who are not interested in registering for your website will still be able to place their orders rapidly and effectively.

If you manage to get the email address of your potential buyers before they abandon their shopping cart, you might want to send them an email with a special discount coupon for their order. This will help you gain a few customers if you make the right offer.

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Any eCommerce website owner should struggle to offer the best buying experience for his customers. A big part of purchasing a product online revolves around the checkout process. If placing the actual order is too difficult, some customers will get frustrated and others will even drop their order, so it is your job to make sure that each and every one of your clients can make an order rapidly and without too much hassle. Here are some of the things you can do if you want to make the checkout process simpler.

Reaching the Checkout Page

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As a rule of thumb, once the visitor enters the product page, he should be able to reach the checkout page in one click only. You should never add unnecessary pages between the product and the checkout page, so make sure that your online store has a clear, large checkout button for those who want to end their shopping session rapidly.

Checkout Accessibility

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As soon as your visitors click on the checkout page, they should have access to a simple checkout form and the secure payment form on the same page or, worst case scenario, on the next one. Adding a registration form between your products and the checkout page will prove to be a deterrent because people don’t want to spend their time validating email addresses and choosing usernames and passwords for their accounts. Many people will drop their shopping cart on the spot if they don’t have the time to register or if they don’t know how to do this. You should focus on requesting the pieces of information you actually need for the shipment, such as the name, address, email address and credit card information.

Payment Options

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Offering multiple payment options on the same page is the best way to keep your customers happy. They will simply choose the most convenient option for them and they will complete the checkout process easily. If you place the payment options on multiple pages, some potential customers might leave your website before they reach the page that contains their preferred payment option.

Offer the Right Pieces of Information

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Before your customers reach the checkout page, they should have enough information about the products they are interested in and the shipping costs that go along with the order. Once they reach the payment processing page, you should offer a few extra pieces of information about your product return policy and anything else that might be relevant. The more information you offer, the higher the chances that your customers will complete the order.

Conclusion

In the end, customers will put a lot of though into choosing the right products and adding them to their shopping cart. Once they’re done, they will expect the checkout process to go smoothly, so try your best to optimize your eCommerce website to their needs and start making the changes that will keep your customers happy: add detailed product descriptions, include more payment options and don’t add a registration form.

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One of the main benefits of running an online store is that you can get instant access to one billion potential customers. This is the number of people who currently have access to the internet and more and more people are entering the online world as we speak. Instead of limiting yourself to your city or country, you can easily increase your profit by going global. Here is what you need to think about before making the decision.

Market Research

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When you are setting up your marketing budget, you need to analyze the market and pin point your target buyers. If you assume that more clients will come from France than from Poland, you should focus your financial resources on French advertisements and banners. However, you shouldn’t neglect Poland either. You need to offer world wide shipping because even if you don’t receive many orders from a country, there is no reason to exclude it from your list. Even without advertising in a specific country, people will start finding out about your website and you shouldn’t restrict their access.

Shipping And Handling

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The most complicated part is finding a shipping company that can handle your needs at a reasonable price. This depends on what you are trying to ship, but you will eventually find a reasonable solution if you spend some time researching. No matter which company you choose, focus on offering a tracking service for your customers, so that they always know where their product is.

Optimizing Your Website

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Any online store can work perfectly with one or two thousands visitors per day, but those who plan on going global should focus on a better hosting package. You need to be prepared for growth, so try to focus on how many visitors can surf your website at the same time without causing it to slow down or crash. Those who want to expand their business to a different continent should consider getting a dedicated server for their off shore needs.

If you are focusing on a few countries in particular, you might want to offer the option of changing the language of your website, but this is not always necessary. A more important step is offering a conversion page if you are using imperial units and your visitors are interested in metric measurements.

Understanding The Market

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Online shopping is popular in most of the countries that have access to the internet, but you have to understand their needs if you want to bring your products into their homes. Make sure that you specify how much shipping costs, that they might have to pay extra fees at their customs office and include all of the payment options you have at your disposal.

Conclusion

There is no reason to limit your online store by offering your services and products in only one country. You should take the first steps and inform yourself on what it takes to ship products oversees and figure out if making this change can prove to be beneficial for your business.

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From time to time, sending an email to each and every one of your customers is recommended. But before you press the “send” button, you need to take a few steps back and figure out exactly how to create a successful email marketing campaign. This way, you won’t disturb your customers and the result will be a success.

Email Marketing Basics

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The first things that you need to figure out are why you are trying to start the email marketing campaign and your main objectives. No matter what you are searching for, make sure that you are creating an email that will help you obtain what you need. For example, if you are trying to convert visitors into buyers, focus on writing a sales letter more than a regular email or if you are simply trying to get some attention, try coming out with a few special offers or prizes.

Writing The Email

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When you are writing the email, you should focus on the overall format, the pictures you decide to include, your tone and the information that needs to go through. Sometimes it is best to keep it concise and leave them wanting more, but other times you might want to go into detail. The most important part is coming up with an original subject line; if you can’t write something attractive, most people will ignore your email or consider it spam. This is exactly why, most of the time, it is better to hire a professional for the writing part of the deal. Keep in mind that most people are not interested in regular updates, so try focusing on a clear and valuable message. This way, the person who is reading it won’t feel like you just wasted his time.

When to Send The Email

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The best moments for starting an email campaign for an ecommerce website are when you first launch it, when you are offering major discounts and during the holidays. Other than that, there really isn’t much reason to send an email, at least from the consumer point of view. Because you are trying to keep your visitors happy, make them feel like you are offering a deal and that they are lucky to receive your emails. The best way to do this is by offering free shipping to those who make an order as a result from reading the email or by including a discount code in every promotional email you send. If you try to be creative and you know how to put yourself in the customers’ shoes, you should figure out what they want and you will know how to make it happen.

Conclusion

As long as you know why are you trying to start an email marketing campaign and how to attract the attention of your potential customers, you shouldn’t have any problems creating the right email and reaching your objectives. Just focus on every step of the process and you will obtain great results.

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When people make an order on any website, they are counting on it to deliver on more than one level. They are expecting the payment to go through, their information to be kept secret and their product to arrive in perfect condition. A person won’t give out his or hers credit card information to any website out there; if you want to make sales, you have to make people trust you first.

The First Impression

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Searching for the product you want or need is quite easy on the internet. You simply have to use a search engine, click on the first results and close the websites that don’t seem reliable. The only way to prevent people from closing the tab that contains your website is by offering the right first impression. No matter what you’re selling, the design needs to be at least somewhat attractive, the pages need to be properly organized and your website should always be online. If you don’t have the professional look figured out yet, you need to hire another web designer or at least wait until you are confident before you make the website available to the masses.

Making the Website User-Friendly

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A user-orientated website will always be better than one that treats its visitors as strangers. There are a few things that you can do if you want to make your website more appealing. You can add a small contact form next to your products for those who have any additional questions. You should also include your Facebook fan page if you have one, your twitter account, blog address and any other social media link that might strengthen the connection between you and your visitors. Make them feel like their opinion is important because it actually is. The more you know about your visitors, the easier it will be to satisfy their needs.

You should always encourage communication, not only between you and your clients, but also between customers. If you add a page for testimonials or reviews, new visitors will easily gain trust in your website.

eCommerce Website Security

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People won’t be tempted to make transactions if you don’t offer a secure shopping cart system or some other tools which guarantee the security of their private data. After you install your credit card processing software, make sure to add their logo on the checkout page and in any other relevant location. Each and every one of your visitors should be aware that your website handles transactions securely.

The About Us Page

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Confidence can be gained if you have the right About Us page. Here you can add personal information about the founders and show people that the website is out there because you want to offer the best products and make customers happy. You should have a familiar tone and always be friendly. This is the easiest way to create a strong connection between you and your customers and it will make your website look much more trustworthy.

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Some people say that it is 10 times easier and cheaper to make a customer return than to attract a new one. Because of this, you should focus on making your current clients happy and see if they will return for other products in the near future. Of course, you should also run marketing campaigns with the goal of attracting new clients, but that’s a whole other story.

The Secret Behind Returning Customers

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There are a lot of things that can go wrong when owning an eCommerce website and you need to make sure that none of them happen when your website starts getting noticed. If any one of your clients has a problem with a product, shipping, warranty or even your website, he will most likely leave and never come back. This is why you need to focus on making your business work like a well-oiled machine.

Each visitor needs to have access to every product without struggling, your customer service needs to be online 24/7 and you should make the buying experience as pleasant as possible. If everything goes well, you have won yourself a happy client. But how to remind him that he can always come back for more?

Adding Incentive to the Equation

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Just because a client bought something and everything went well, it doesn’t mean that he will return anytime soon. You need to know how to make people feel like they need your products and how to remind them that you have what they are searching for. A good way to do this is by maintaining your presence in their life after the purchase. You can send promotional emails, coupons and other offers through email, regular mail or even on the phone. Keep in mind that no one wants to be harassed, so make sure that every contact you make is accompanied by a special offer or opportunity. This way, even if the person is not interested, he will appreciate your gesture.

What You Shouldn’t Do in eCommerce

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Running an eCommerce website is hard enough, but if you are making mistakes, it will be even harder. Always think about any action you take from the perspective of your visitors. Would they like to receive an email from you that often? Will they be interested in your offers? If the answer is no, you should focus on making contact only when you have something important to offer.

You should also make sure that your customer support employees are respectful even if the clients are not. Always make your customers feel good and try to create a familiar relationship by being friendly in every circumstance.

Conclusion

Any business owner should try focusing on making customers come back for other products after they make their first purchase. With a little bit of knowledge about human psychology and some basic techniques, your company will maintain a pleasant relationship with each and every one of your clients. This way, your sales will increase and everyone will be happy.

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No matter how much you try to keep your eCommerce website up to date, there will always be a way to improve and optimize it even more. The fast-paced world of the Internet won’t give you a single minute to relax, so if you want to make sure that your website is user friendly and figure out new ways to increase sales, here is what you should do.

Navigation and Usability Tips

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Because there are so many online stores out there, you have to make sure that each one of your visitors is not going to leave you in favor of your competitors. The best way to do this is by offering a complete website; if your visitors are happy with your store, they won’t bother searching for a better one.

Any ecommerce website should load rapidly on any type of browser, so keep that in mind when you are hiring a web designer. He needs to keep the graphics to a minimum; even though most people have high-speed internet connections, some are still struggling and they won’t wait more than a few seconds for your website to load.

Searching For Products or Information

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Each product needs to be easy to find, so try including simple categories and an effective search bar. This way, potential clients will find what they need by searching for products that fit their budget or through other advanced criteria. Your visitors should find anything they need in just a couple of clicks. If the website is already user friendly and you are happy with the design, just make sure that you have a simple contact page with all the required information and move on to the next step.

Learn How To Sell Through Merchandising

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After you do everything you can to make the buying experience easier, you have to focus on making people want your products. You need to come up with incisive descriptions for each product, allow customer feedback and you need to consider offering some extra incentive. You might have to offer free shipping for some orders and you should also think about rewarding regular buyers.

You also need to add some of your best offers on the main page and make sure that your visitors can take a look at some products recommended for them just before they plan to check out their order. This way, they might find something they like and add it to their shopping cart.

Create call to actions for new products and for the items that are close to selling out. This is the easiest way to attract attention without too much trouble. When a product is out of stock, you have to make sure that your customers can’t add it to their cart, so keep your website up to date at all times.

Conclusion

When you first visit your eCommerce website, you should go to the main page and pretend you are a visitor. Figure out how fast you can buy a product and if anyone can do it without struggling. If not, make the necessary changes until you find the perfect balance.

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Owning an online business, through which you sell products/services nationally and/or internationally, makes the merchant account a must have. This means you can accept payments made via the credit/debit cards, and you don’t have to worry about anything else. The customer pays, you ship the order, and your business rolls fast and efficient. But in order to know that you contract with a reputable merchant accounts provider, you need to make sure that you understand the role of each fee you pay.

Additionally, you must pay attention to the following:

• Carefully read the fine print and make sure you understand all the specifications there
• Make sure the provider offers you top notch customer service – so that you can contact a team member whenever you need information
• A reputable e-commerce and online payment services provider will also offer you fraud protection (i.e. SSL secured server for your transactions)
• You are able to accept all payment methods (e-wallet, debit cards, credit cards, etc.)

Discount rates, surcharges, hidden fees and more…

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When you search for the perfect merchant account provider, make sure that the company provides you with a very clear description of the fees they charge. When something is not clear, and if you ask and receive no prompt answer, it most likely means that you are paying hidden fees that are unjustifiable.

Knowing what you pay for will always help you keep track of your entire business, and will also allow you to foresee the profits/losses, etc., according to the sales number and traffic to your website.

Fees you can expect to pay with a merchant account

Transaction Fees – this a unique fee charged ever time a transaction occurs. It does not matter whether the transaction is authorized or declined, the fee will be charged. Transactions fees vary depending on whether they are swiped, keyed or wireless (usually more expensive than the other two options)

Address Verification Fee – called AVS, allows you, the merchant to lookup the address of the card holder, thus the service helps you stay away from fraud. The merchant pays somewhere around 5 to 7 cents for this service.

Batch Fee- you are going to be charged this fee, whenever you settle your transactions (forward the money to your account). It will cost you $0.50 the most.

Discount Rates – depending on the percentage you are charged by your provider, this is a fee you will pay after each transaction. If the discount rate is set at 1%, and someone makes an order of $50 in value, you are going to pay a $0.50 discount rate for that transaction.

Account setup fee- is a one-time payable fee, when you open your account with the provider (some selected providers may not even charge you this fee at all).

Early Termination Fee – this is charged by the provider in case you wish to step out of the contract terms sooner than agreed within it. It is similar to an early redemption charged on a typical personal loan (risk management fee for the provider)

These would be the most important fees charged by a merchant account provider, and some extra fees include: the annual fee, customer service fee, monthly minimum fee, or statement fee. All the merchant account fees differ from one provider to the other.

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In order to get the most out of your online business, select a merchant account service that is reliable and be careful in the selection.

Online Payments and Merchant Account Services

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Businesses on the World Wide Web necessarily require an account to process online payments. Such an account is known as merchant account. This merchant account is special account with banks or online website and these are members of organization such as Visa or MasterCard. The business or online provider of merchant account services is an authorized provider of merchant account services for online businesses. Merchant account enables your website to receive payments of offers or services that are purchased from your website.

The process of online purchases

Customers who visit your website make a request for payment of services and offers on your website. This process is sent to merchant account provider’s network and the verification of credit card takes place at this stage. Once verified, an electronic response is sent to your website with a six digit authorization code that guarantees the payment and stores the transaction in the system. At the end of the day, a final request is sent to merchant account processing network where a systematic settlement report is made which lists the payments and card type. All the errors are reviewed and must be corrected here. After the completion of this process the funds are electronically sent to your bank account after deducting the rate that has been agreed to be paid to merchant account provider. At the end of the month, you receive a consolidated statement that lists your activities and associated fees charged to your throughout the month.

Merchant account fees

Setting a merchant account can be really easy once you have found a reliable source of online merchant account services. Selecting a reliable source is the most important factor while you select merchant account services as you are going to suffer a lot in future if you choose an unreliable source. While you set up your merchant account, there are a number of basic things that you must check. Merchant accounts charge customers with a fee for their services. These fees include discount rate, transaction fee and a monthly fee for using the services. Discount rate is charged from 2.5-5% depending on the type of business. The discount rate is low for low profit businesses and high for high profit businesses. Transaction fee is predefined without any changes and is from 30-50 cents per transaction. Monthly fee are charged for the services that are being taken by you from your provider and is decided before the agreement is signed.

Setting up Your Merchant Account

Setting up a merchant account isn’t a difficult job and needs some of the following information to be provided to the merchant account services provider. These include your name and business nomenclature. Merchant account services also need details of your business checking account and a copy of voided check. The merchant services also take some other details about your online business and a copy of return policy and business structure. Other information includes latest tax returns and other social security details.

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Ecommerce and shopping cart integration has been into the business for quite some time and many companies have maintained their online store. This has given an excellent boost to the scope of their businesses and attracts a lot of customers from around the world.

ECommerce and Shopping cart:

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The integration of both these features has to be harmonious in order to make shopping online an excellent experience for the consumer as well. Everyone certainly does not like to go to a store that has an unfriendly organization. The stores need to be simple and easy to manage and that is the key to sales going high and higher with time. Most of the merchants are interested in a nice and friendly integration so that the eCommerce and Shopping Card usability matters more than anything else. The best way to get this done is to follow certain guidelines while you are setting up your eCommerce and Shopping Cart.

Usability guidelines:

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With some simple usability guidelines, you can get your eCommerce and shopping cart integrated in the best possible way:

• Headings: Using headings in your online store is a great practice as this can help people guide themselves with the section of products that they are surfing. The site will become a lot more usable in case you have got each thing at the right place.
• Contact details: Make sure that you have provided contact details for your store on the online market just to make sure that customers can access you round the clock with no problems at all. This will set you open on phone and fax based business compared to just the online business.
• Search Function: Try and integrate a search function on your site so that the user can straight get to the products of its interest. You certainly want to attract customers to buy more and the first step to do that is to give customers the thing that they are really after. Once they get the desired product, they will certainly browse some other. Even the division of search into search by category will help.
• Filters: Give your customers all the possible filters that you can. This will help them filter their desired products through different checks to get exactly what they want. Size, weight, color and price are some examples of such filters.
• Page Management: Let your customers design the page for them. Make sure that you have your page designed in a way that it gives customers to customize their page and show the number of products on a page in the quantity that they wish.
• Related products: Showing related products will certainly help you get something better then the customer wants and once you impress the customer with your collecting the first time he visits your online store, he will always visit it again in case he needs something.

Simple usability guidelines in your eCommerce and Shopping Cart will make sure that you attract more people towards your online store ultimately increasing your sales and revenues at the same time. Make your online store a friendly experience for everyone who visits so that they visit again.

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