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Is YOUR Web Site Ready For Christmas?

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<html> <head> <title>Is YOUR Web Site Ready For Christmas?</title> </head> <body> <h1>Is YOUR Web Site Ready For Christmas?</h1> <div class="info">Author: <a href="http://stevenash.articlealley.com/">STEVE NASH</a></div><div class="body">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 <click> 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? -------------------------------- 1. Is Your Site Safe AND Secure? -------------------------------- '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 ------------------------------------ 2. Does Your Site Look Professional? ------------------------------------ (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 --------------------------------------------------- 3. Does Your Site Contain Great Content And Offers? --------------------------------------------------- (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!) --------------------------------------------------- 4. Does Your Site Display Delivery Details & Costs? --------------------------------------------------- (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! ------------------------------------------ 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 ---------------------------------------------------------- Congratulations... Your Site Is Now Ready For Christmas! ---------------------------------------------------------- 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.</div> <div class="source">Article Source: <a href="http://www.articlealley.com/http://stevenash.articlealley.com/is-your-web-site-ready-for-christmas-773.html">http://www.articlealley.com/http://stevenash.articlealley.com/is-your-web-site-ready-for-christmas-773.html</a></div> <div class="author"> <div class="authorBio">STEVE NASH is the author of many popular articles aimed at webmasters, affiliates, even complete beginners. Read them here! <a href="http://www.wise-buys.info/webmaster-articles.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.wise-buys.info/webmaster-articles.html </a> HIS BEST TIP? Use Site Build It! to develop a profitable business online! Learn more! Visit <a href="http://site-buildit.com" rel="nofollow"> http://site-buildit.com </a></div> <div class="authorUrl"><a href="http://www.wise-buys.info/webmaster-articles.html" target="_blank">http://www.wise-buys.info/webmaster-articles.html</a></div></author> </body> </html>

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Is YOUR Web Site Ready For Christmas? Author: STEVE NASH 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? -------------------------------- 1. Is Your Site Safe AND Secure? -------------------------------- '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 ------------------------------------ 2. Does Your Site Look Professional? ------------------------------------ (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 --------------------------------------------------- 3. Does Your Site Contain Great Content And Offers? --------------------------------------------------- (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!) --------------------------------------------------- 4. Does Your Site Display Delivery Details & Costs? --------------------------------------------------- (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! ------------------------------------------ 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 ---------------------------------------------------------- Congratulations... Your Site Is Now Ready For Christmas! ---------------------------------------------------------- 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. Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/http://stevenash.articlealley.com/is-your-web-site-ready-for-christmas-773.html About the Author: STEVE NASH is the author of many popular articles aimed at webmasters, affiliates, even complete beginners. Read them here! <a href="http://www.wise-buys.info/webmaster-articles.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.wise-buys.info/webmaster-articles.html </a> HIS BEST TIP? Use Site Build It! to develop a profitable business online! Learn more! Visit <a href="http://site-buildit.com" rel="nofollow"> http://site-buildit.com </a> http://www.wise-buys.info/webmaster-articles.html

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by STEVE NASH
STEVE NASH is the author of many popular articles aimed at webmasters, affiliates, even complete beginners. Read them here! http://www.wise-buys.info/webm aster-articles.html HIS BEST TIP? Use Site Build It! to develop a profitable business online! Learn more! Visit http://site-buildit.com
URL: http://www.wise-buys.info/webmaster-articles.html

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