13 Tips For Handling Web Returns

As anyone whose ever sent a product back to an online retailer knows, the process is almost as fun as going to the dentist.

Some research suggests that even the thought of sending back a return is enough to keep people from buying. As such, it makes sense that an easy, hassle free return procedure will ensure that customers order again. In this article, I'll share some best practices for handling return I've learned from dealing with internet retailers in the past.

1. Answer the Basics: Clearly explaining the process is

   the obvious first step in handling a return. Make sure to answer what, when, where, and how. For example, what products can be returned? How long do customers have to return them? Where do they back the merchandise?

2. Keep Customers Updated: When you receive a return shipment, email the customer. When you begin processing a return, email the customer. When you refund their money or send out the exchange merchandise, email the customer. Constant progress updates will keep customers from contacting you about the status. In addition, they will appreciate the thoughtfulness.
3. Find out Why: A "no questions asked" return policy is great marketing, but tells you little about what's causing customers to return products. Find a non-pushy way of asking them why they're returning the merchandise. This can be a simple question on the return form or an email survey sent out after the transaction. Emphasize the information will be used to improve your products.
4. Include Instructions with every shipment: Don't send customers on a wild goose chase to find out how to return a product. Include instructions along with every packing list sent.
5. Give them a Return Address Label: A peel off address label simplifies the question of "where do I send it?" and prevents shipping errors.
6. Give them a Return Shipping Label: Better yet, send out a return merchandise label from your shipping carrier. Explain to the customer they will be billed for using it. Some companies email customers a printable pdf of the shipping label to simplify the process for them.
7. Pay for Return Shipping: Even better, if you can afford it, pay the return shipping for them. Zappos pioneered this strategy, creating thousands of loyal customers because of it. It's a gesture that's not expected by most customers, but will strongly differentiate you from your competitors.
8. Know your Metrics: What percent of your orders end up being returned? What's the most most common reason people return merchandise? By tracking your return metrics, you'll find areas that need improvement.
9. Brag about your Easy Return Policy: It pays to boast about your hassle free return policy early and often. During checkout, I believe this is one of the most frequently asked questions and stumbling blocks. Linking to your return policy during checkout will assure customers you stand behind the product.
10. Post your Restrictions: To prevent surprises, make sure you post your return restrictions, including re-stocking fees, the length of time merchandise can be sent back, and whether or not shipping costs will be refunded.
11. Streamline the RMA: If your company a return merchandise authorization in order to process a return, don't make it unnecessarily complicated. For example, if the merchandise is inexpensive or defective, don't require a manual review in order to get an RMA. Every day that your customers have to wait creates less chance they will order again.
12. Rules are Meant to Be Broken: Occasionally, customers will send back merchandise that technically doesn't qualify for a return. In these situations, let your customers know you are making a special exception for them. Is it really worth damaging a customer relationship because the customer returns it after 15 days, rather than 14?
13. Multi-Channel Returns: If your business has physical store locations, allow customers to return online orders in-store.

In my opinion, very few online retailers look at web returns as an opportunity. Because most customers expect the process to be arduous, web returns make an incredible opportunity to exceed expectations.

Justin Palmer writes an eCommerce blog and offers eCommerce ebooks and Do it yourself SEO plans. You can contact Justin at Justin@palmerwebmarketing.com

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After You Launch Your Business Website, Then What?

To build a more powerful Internet presence, you should launch your business website, then consider adding blogs, published online articles, social websites and online press releases.

Obviously, the first order of business is to make sure that your website is search engine friendly and you comply with their standards. You may want to use paid search, but you must learn what keywords in your website text are now in vogue with the public and then act upon this information.

While your website can be used to communicate one way with people, blogs allow for two way communication. Never, never use a blog to repeat the same stuff that's on your business website. That's considered duplicate content, not appreciated by search engines.

It's great to ask questions on a blog. That encourages viewers to respond to you. Blogs, properly used, can enhance your search engine rankings.

You can write and post articles online, too. This allows people to read posted articles you have written and reply to you.

I have 56 articles posted online, and they have produced almost 19,000 page views in two years. Now regarding online news releases, the Internet has numerous firms offering these. Mostly, they're free, but some charge modest amounts for assistance or speedy service.

To do this well, you need to learn how to write press releases or use somebody with that skill. Press releases you submit to these firms, when approved, are emailed to news sources. News releases must convey news, not advertising, sales promotion, or hype. Otherwise, they will not be approved and used.

Search engines track online news release activity, and that can help you become more visible online. Readers are allowed to use your articles on their websites and blogs, provided that they attribute the article to you. Search engines take these transactions into account in a positive manner.

What are social websites? They're online places where people hang out and communicate online. I use LinkedIn (which is very business-oriented), Facebook (which is a basic hybrid business and social website) and MySpace (a hip business and social website).

Email promotion can be used to enhance these activities. Let's say your offer a new product. Using your blog, you can state that you provide this product to the public and ask visitor questions about how they like or dislike your new product.

What needs, real or imagined, does it meet? Ask questions on your blog to find out. You could post a bulletin on your MySpace website about this, too. And you could write an article for online publication to get feedback from the public.

One strong caution. If you don't have experience with consumer advertising, public relations, or journalism, get someone skilled in these things to teach you how or use a consultant with these skills. Improperly used, these tools could do you more harm than good. Properly used, they can do lots of good.

John J. Alquist is a professional speaker, author and business consultant. He is an advocate of universal self-employment, including Internet business proficiency. Visit his website at: http://www.tell-it-well.com/page15.htm or email him at john@tell-it-well.com

Quick, What Do Internet Ecommerce And The Waltons Have In Common?

Ecommerce done right. That's certainly the goal, huh.

And as we go about our journey online looking to find the steady almighty dollar, we find ourselves getting more and more caught up in our shorts...which in this case is technology.

We head first into online battle trying to stay ahead of the ones and zeros and the redirects and the cloaking and everything else. We lie awake at night wondering when Web 1900.0 is coming out.

Absurd?

Not really.

But what is needed in this morass of blinding speed and immense electronic landscape is a willingness to remember what it is that REALLY WORKS.

In the old days, like back on the tv show The Waltons, the owners of the General Market actually cared about their customers...not just because their financial lives were dependent upon them...but because they really cared.

"How's your daughter, is she feeling better?"

"If you need anything from the back, or from the other store, let me know and I'll send one of the fells over to get it."

"I know you're pinched a bit this month. Take it and we'll make it all square when you're doing better."

Whoa.

Are you blinded by that integrity every time YOU type in www.whatever.com?

However, there is a resurgence afoot. A business group awareness that maybe, just maybe, it is in giving value to the customers that makes them customers. That is is in being willing and open to the fact that you must bend over backwards to solve your customers issues that keeps them coming back.

What's returning is the knowledge that if Value worked on The Waltons, then by all that is holy, it should still work now!

Get that snippet of learning and you can do wildly profitable things on your website.

After spending 19 years on Madison Avenue, Kevin Browne is now showing web owners exactly how to take ecommerce to entirely new levels. To learn how for your site, visit http://ultimatecustomercreator.com.

How to Start a Successful Online Business And Make Money

Are you making money with your online business? Have you spent hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars on money making schemes only to meet with failure time and again? Over 20,000 people start a home-based Internet business each and every day. And only a very small fraction of them will ever make any significant amount of money.

Why is it that so few people make money? Most people rush into an Internet business ill-equipped to be successful. They have neither the knowledge nor the resources to run a money making operation. Unfortunately, most people fall prey to get rich quick schemes that promise millions for little or no work. These types of programs are almost always destined for failure.

Running a successful business, on the Internet or otherwise, requires a substantial commitment of time and effort. Do not fall prey to programs that make outrageous promises. Regardless of what the sales page says, it is EXTREMELY unlikely that you can make millions by sitting on your duff eating chips and watching TV. It isn't going to happen. Remember the old saying, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If you are considering starting your own business, start out by doing some research. Disregard any program that promises to make you millions overnight. Run from any program that says you will make money without doing any work. Ignore any programs that require a large upfront payment before providing you training, a website, or a detailed business model.

Look for programs that offer realistic expectations and are related to your field of expertise. If you are good at writing, seek out programs in that field; writing articles or ebooks may be perfect for you. If you are interested in a business where you have no experience, make sure that you can learn the money making skills and techniques required before you commit your hard earned money. Seek out free resources first. Do not commit large sums of money upfront. Do your research and find out if you like the business and can commit the required time and effort to be successful.

Have realistic expectations for your business. Expect to start out making a small amount of money, but insist that your business grow each month. If your growth rate is stagnant, find out why. What do you need to do to make more money next month and the month after that?

By following these rules, you can develop a money making business on the Internet. And, if you are willing to work hard, you can join that small fraction of entrepreneurs who make significant amounts of money day in and day out!

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Opening an Online Web Store or Online Business for the Whole World

Online stores and businesses would probably be today's fastest growing market. You could actually revolutionize your life as you set up your own online store. The costs and expenses of setting online stores would considerably be less than those of traditional businesses. This is because you can manage everything as long as you have a computer with internet access at your own home.

You can probably start building your online store or business during your spare time, like in the evening or the weekends. However, you need to know that starting to build one is could be a bit tricky, but with patience and hard work, you would definitely be able to make more money in the long run.

As the number of people who gain access to the Internet increases, more and more are able to realize the great opportunities the Internet offers. Regardless of your gender and lifestyle, you could start doing business online.

Probably one of the best things about conducting business online is your clients could be from all over the globe. If you would be able to design a very effective online business, which would be able to reach out to international clients, you would surely have endless potentials in earning money.

Starting a store or a business online would definitely prove to be a worthwhile investment and a very profitable entrepreneurial venture. You would just need to take a step at a time and put in a lot of effort, hard work, determination and self-motivation.

Interested in setting up an online store for free? Ebay Business Prostores is an ideal ecommerce solution for someone just interested in testing the waters before committing themselves to becoming a full-fledged online business merchant. Whether you have already been selling at ebay auctions, ebay stores or are just new to this online selling business, you get the opportunity to sign up for a free 30 days no-obligation trial

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Best Ecommerce - 3 Keys to Advance in Ecommerce

Internet has indeed changed the way we do business. Today, instead of going to shopping malls to get the items we need, we rely on the World Wide Web. Online shopping has instantly captured the heart of people who want to get their products without leaving their home or office. Because of this, more and more entrepreneurs are trying ecommerce to expand their business and serve the needs of their prospective clients online.

Anybody can succeed in Ecommerce. The key here is putting your customers and their needs as your top most priority. Here are the 3 keys will help you advance in Ecommerce:

1. Create an easy to navigate website. The easiest way to attract and entice visitors to do business with you is to make your website as simple as possible. Uncomplicate the process of getting the information they need and placing an order. When you make their online shopping hassle-free, they will most likely to buy from you.

2. Accept different modes of payment. A lot of people prefer to pay through credit cards. Some would love to do it through paypal, while others will be happy to pay through bank transfer. If you want to do business with as many clients as possible, you have to make sure that you offer the most convenient payment methods for them.

3. Offer 24/7 customer service. If you are an online shopper, wouldn't it be great to know that you have the means to contact the merchant anytime of the day to inquire about the status of your order? Online shoppers would be more confident to transact with you if they can get before and after sales support. This puts them at ease in knowing that they can get help anytime they need it.

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Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1574 articles in print and 11 published ebooks.

Starting an Internet Business for Under $100

Can you really start an internet business under $100? Yes, with a number of turnkey internet businesses you can. Of course, you still have the additional costs associated with starting and maintaining business in general. Examples could include telephone service, business licenses and/or incorporation fees, etc. But in this article we are only going to focus on the cost of purchasing the turnkey internet business itself.

If you are not familiar with a turnkey internet business here is a brief description: An internet business where all of the "heavy lifting" has been done for you. For example, with a number of turnkey internet businesses you do not need your own website, you do not need a merchant account, you do not need your own products, etc.

Compared to setting up your own internet business from scratch, a turnkey internet business can be much less expensive. Here are five areas where it can save you money when getting started in internet marketing:

1) No website is required. This can save you about $50-400 a year in hosting and other fees depending on which provider you use. Most turnkey internet businesses have a professionally designed site you can send visitors to. That means a savings of up to $250 (or more) in web design fees - unless you have the time, software and skills to design your own website.

2) No merchant account is required. If you have a turnkey internet business you probably don't need to set up a merchant account to accept credit cards online. This can save you up to $50 or more.

3) No reseller rights to purchase. The better turnkey internet businesses will come with links that direct your customers to existing info product sales pages. You don't need to pay any "reseller" rights fees, etc. each month. This can save you roughly $25 or so a month.

4) No fulfillment expenses. If your turnkey internet business is directing visitors to your affiliate link then you don not have to worry about setting up a secure download link and "protecting" the information product from theft. If you did, you would probably pay around $100 or more for security software.

5) No autoresponder is needed. Autosresponders allow visitors to your website to subscribe (or unsubscribe) to your ezine newsletter - and you definitely want one if you have your own website. A reliable autoresponder service runs about $20 a month or $240 a year. If you don't have a website then you will not need an autoresponder.

So as you can see, setting up and maintaining a website can run as much as $450-800 up front and about $45 a month for additional services (actual costs may be higher or lower). However, with a number of turnkey internet business you can get started for a one-time payment of less than $100 in some cases - and no other monthly fees (unless you decide a specific service is worthwhile).

When you compare the turnkey internet business's price tag of under $100 to the cost of starting and maintaining your own website, the turnkey internet business doesn't look like bad deal at all.

At this point may be asking: "Why would someone bother creating their own website instead of simply purchasing a turnkey internet business?" That's a valid question, and here's one answer: If you set up your own website, you have more control over how it looks, what products to sell, marketing options, and the potential for more revenue.

So if you're skilled at setting up a websites, writing sales copy, setting up a payment processing system, choosing the right products, writing an ezine newsletter on a regular basis, and installing security software to protect your download page - then setting up your own website may be the way to go. Provided you also have the money to set up and maintain your website.

However, if you're just starting out in internet marketing, and don't have much time or money then let someone else take care of the technical (and costly) aspects - so all you have to do is focus on driving internet traffic to your turnkey internet business. And if you can purchase a turnkey internet business for less than $100, why not?

For more information on turnkey internet businesses, visit:Turnkey Internet Business 411

Article Source: Free Ezine Articles

Tips for Setting Up an Online Ecommerce Business

A lot of people venture into starting up their own online store or business. Though some succeed, there are some that do not. A lot of factors contribute to the failure or success of an online business. Entrepreneurs need to have creativity, patience and sufficient knowledge of their field and should be willing to use different techniques to make their business stand out and appealing. Here are more tips.

1. Set a success timeline that is achievable and reasonable. Instant success is not applicable to online stores and businesses. There are some new entrepreneurs who expect too much and they end up getting disappointed. You would have to set goals that are realistic with a realistic timeline so that you would be able to accomplish them.

2. Allot some time for the maintenance of your website. Basically, your website is the storefront of your business. For this reason, you would need to keep it appealing and attractive and regularly updated so that your clients would make it a point to visit your website. If you do not do this, you might lose the interest of your consumers and damage your credibility. Through continuous website updates, you might even develop new and fresh marketing strategies as you work your way to success.

3. Have sufficient knowledge of your competition. Your competition would be able to always keep you alert. A lot of online businesses succeed and fail and it is vital to learn from the mistakes of others. You would also need to know who are competing for the attention and money of your consumers. The key is to make use of your perspective as a consumer to be able to best your competition.

4. More quantity with more quality. Make sure that you are able to present the most product options with superior quality to make sure that you would get a lot of repeat customers.

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What Is Merchant Account? How To Accept Credit Cards And Accept Credit Card Payments?

If you own your business or are just starting out it is wise to get a merchant account. If you don't, then how are you going to get paid? Are you going to wait on checks to come in that may bounce or do you want to have the ability to accept credit and debit cards? Chances are you would like have all options of payment available when someone wants to purchase an item they can do so any way they like. It will be easier on you and them.

How To Accept Credit Cards?

Did you know that when you accept credit cards online, you can expect your sales to increase by an astounding 50 to 400%? You simply can't compete if you don't accept credit cards. With our free online application, you can start on your web site in less than 24 hours. In addition to accepting credit cards on your web site in real-time, you will also receive our simple-to-use, web-based credit card processing terminal so you can process transactions manually. With our versatile e commerce software, you have a complete solution.

Accept Credit Card Payments

Are you ready to accept credit card payments for your business? Accept credit card payments at industry lowest rates. If you are not accepting credit card payments you are loosing your customer to your competitors. As you know today larger number of customers prefers to pay through credit card and if you do not have the capability to accept credit card payments you are lagging behind the market rends.

A merchant account will help you to accept credit card payments by providing you with the means to have free credit-processing equipment. You can get a combined terminal and printer, a wireless unit, or a debit and electronic check processor. Auxiliary equipment, like pagers, also is available through your merchant services account. It is important to contact a merchant account provider with your business plan as well as a budget for managing the expenses of your new commercial status. An underwriter will want to see that you have thought out your expansion plan and that you are in a position to make it work.

You may think that the process of accepting credit is expensive and you will have to share your profit as transaction fee. But it is not so. There are companies that offer inexpensive merchant account services and lot of free stuff like credit card terminal, payment gateway software for your e-business etc. Just send you query form to us and we will help you set up a merchant account that is lowest in the industry. You will get free merchant account quote to compare and choose. There is no obligation in the process. If you like it - accept it. But we can guarantee you for the industry lowest rate credit card processing rates. Accept credit and debit card and pay minimum processing fee.

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Best Work At Home Opportunities

Daily I get emails from visitors to my work at home web site wanting to know what are the most popular types of work at home opportunities. In this article I am going to give the types of programs that are most popular on my site. Others may get different results, but these are the ones that I have found to be the most popular.

In my articles I always mention that research is the key to being successful in the work at home work place. You either need to use a website like mine, but not necessarily mine or be prepared to do a lot of research yourself.

Now to the nitty gritty. I have listed below the types of work from home programs that I have found most popular over the past (6) months.

1st Place - Data Entry Programs
I have found two programs, one for people who have basic computer skills up to advanced typing skills and another for people with minimal experience to expert level. Both of these are very popular.

2nd Place - Type At Home programs
I have found 3-5 good programs that fit this criteria.

3rd Place - Processing Rebates
I found one program that is very popular in this niche of the market place. I have only had it on my site for over a month and it may very well take over the number one slot in the next 6-month window. I had a doctor who resides in Germany recently tell me this " With your help I bought the program rebate processing and for my opinion it is one of the best for people who wants to work at home". Only time will tell if it will over take the number one slot.

4th Place - Online Paid Surveys
I found (6) six good companies, but two that really stand out above the rest. I wanted Survey Directory companies here that would allow people to choose whether they wanted to take surveys for cash and / or sweepstakes. In my opinion the survey directory companies are the way to go, but it's also important for a user to be able to pick and choose the money surveys as desired. You want to have control and not let them force you to take surveys that may simple give you an entry into a contest.

The above programs do not include the programs that I found for Home Based Business or Moms and Dads programs. I found many good programs to fit what I believe to be all skill sets.

If you have a computer, access to the Internet and your reading this article than you more than likely have everything that is required to work from home.

Several important things to remember are as follows:

1. Either do the research your self or use a site that has done some research.
2. Remember any good program requires that you do some work from home.
3. Put forth the time and effort to be successful.
4. Setup a separate email for you work at home work if possible.

Please feel free to read more of this article by visiting my link in the resource box below. I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles or my site. Your feedback is important to me.

Michael Comeau has been owner of many successful businesses over the years including his current online business which can be viewed at http://www.workfromhome4dollars.com/ArticleBestHomeBus.php You may also find more articles by Michael Comeau at http://www.workfromhome4dollars.com

What Should I Know About E-Commerce Web Hosting?

If you sell your products and services online through your web site or network of websites, you must be aware of all the fundamental concepts about e-commerce and how it relates to your web hosting service. We'll discuss the fundamental and basics of e-commerce web hosting in this article.

It is much easier for a consumer or customer to go to your website from the comfort of his home and buy your products and services. But getting people to buy something online is much more difficult than what it seems to be.

No one would like to purchase anything from a website or portal which doesn't looks professional, secure and safe. The customer is always afraid of losing his money. For him the money transaction should be safe, secure and hassle-free.

An e-commerce transaction performed by a customer should be fast, efficient and secure. For this the web hosting company should provide 24/7 customer support (in case of critical issues) plus it should be backboned by dedicated servers with high performance.

Always check out the credibility, history and testimonials of the web hosting provider before getting into the e-commerce hosting plan. You'll lose your sell and customers if your e-commerce website tends to be slow and painful for the customer during the transaction.

A nice looking product catalog will add up to your website and may help in cross promoting the products and services. Checkout whether the web hosting service offers any product catalog service which you can use on your website.

A great looking shopping cart will be a plus point for your website. It will build the confidence and faith in your service and might help boost the sale. Many web hosting solutions offers customizable shopping carts which you can integrate with your website.

A customer always expects flexible payment methods. Not every person owns a credit card in this world and he or she still want to buy products online. Lack of flexibility might lose your sell and potential customers. It is always better to keep multiple payment options like Credit Card, Wire Transfer, Invoice, Check, Purchase Order and PayPal. After all a happy customer is what is expected at the end of the day.

Ben Huang,

The Web Hosting Review Expert, see who is in the top 10 best web hosting today.

Copyright of this article is reserved by the author, Ben Huang. You may use this article for personal or commercial purposes, as long as the content, author, and links are not altered.

Ecommerce - A Profitable Option

The introduction of internet has given a new means to users to obtain useful information and for purchasing products and services. This avatar of internet has encouraged the formation of a virtual market which is developing like anything. However, the growth of e-commerce has been inhibited by consumer fears and concerns about the risks involved while carrying out the transactions of doing business electronically.

E-commerce and WWW

The WWW has gained the attention of businesses and consumers, encouraging the number and types of electronic transactions to extent like anything. However, it is for sure that the market of e-commerce will not attain its real growth unless and until consumers perceive that the doing businesses online can be less risky. Moreover, consumers have to be really aware about transaction integrity, control, authorization, confidentiality and anonymity.

In this world of growing online commerce, consumers need the assurance of an objective third party. For providing the assurance to the ultimate customers, online stores are taking adequate precautions which ensure the desired results.

Risks in E-Commerce

Business Practices
E-Commerce activities often take place between strangers. So, questions like fair business practices, true business identification, product guarantee and secrecy are always attached with it. Therefore, customers have to be convinced about business practices that need to be followed by companies.

Information Protection
Providing proper internet identification is absolutely necessary for creating confidence for customers for establishing a good business relationship. Therefore, it is necessary to create a website carrying magnitude of information protection and security issues. While transmitting of secret information, extreme steps should be considered and keep in mind to avoid further consequences. Therefore, proper protection is required while shopping from online shopping cart.

Transaction Integrity
Maintaining transaction integrity is really important in electronic commerce activities. Without proper controls, electronic transactions and documents can be easily changed, lost, duplicated and incorrectly processed. These activities further question the integrity of the electronic data transmission.

This article has been contributed by the webmaster of Synapse India - A renowned offshore outsourcing company offering a wide range of services including custom web application development, software development, Website Designing, Search Engine Marketing and Ecommerce Solutions.

Online Shopping Business Growth

It is extremely easy to find and buy anything and everything online. The diversity of the online shopping marketplace is amazing because of its global aspect. You have endless possibilities. For the convenience of online shoppers, the number of discounts in internet stores have also been growing continuously.

As the industry of online stores continues to boom, the level of competition among the retailers also keeps getting higher. This competition makes the online shops to be very alert and updated on what the other stores are selling to make sure that it would be their prices that would be most appealing for online consumers.

There are literally thousands and thousands of online stores that continue to thrive and they all provide businesses and individuals with an electronic method of buying services and products. They provide the access to the widest variety of merchandise in the comfort of their offices or homes.

Here are some of the more popular online stores or marketplaces that truly provide great products offering and service.

1. eBay

eBay is probably the most famous online auction. Consumers are able to find all kinds of items - from books to gardening tools to appliances to clothing to baby products to electronic gadgets and even cars and real estate.

2. Amazon

This would be perhaps the second largest online store, which hosts both online stores and auctions. Although Amazon also offers the same products that eBay sells, their reputation mainly lies on the category of books and video entertainment.

3. Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart is an online store, which offers a wide range of merchandise as well. However, they also offer internet services, as well as questions regarding taxes at the start of the year. This makes Wal-Mart a great place to shop and get information.

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Logging into Net-Savvy Shoppers

The convenience of instant access to products sold over the Internet is attracting tens of millions of people to online stores every month. With its own brand of "bargain basement", the Internet is attracting all kinds of opportunists - good and bad - to take advantage of the multi-billion dollar online retail industry. Discerning the con artist from the real merchant is one of the biggest challenges facing today's online shopper. Confronting this, online shoppers are getting savvier in their Internet habits and they're demanding more from their online experience.

The online shopping market

Despite continued fears over rogue merchants, as well as identity and credit card theft, consumers still flock to the Internet to research and buy products. There's a gamut of research indicating the rise of online shopping. According to eMarketer, 85% of online shoppers will also be online buyers this year. JupiterResearch reports US online retail sales will grow by 16 percent in 2007 to reach $116 billion and over the next five years reach $171 billion. And it's not just the young net-savvy generation that's involved. A joint study by market researchers ThirdAge Inc and JWT Boom, US Third Agers - adults aged 45+ - like to shop online. In fact, 73% of respondents put shopping as their top online activity.

Millions also use the Internet to research products before they go to the local stores. A recent study by Accenture (May 2007) states 68% of survey respondents compare prices online. In January 2005, a survey by ShopLocal.com reports 88.7% of consumers regularly or occasionally examine products on the Internet before going to a local retailer to buy. Armed with product information found on the Internet, informed consumers are pushing local merchants to new levels of customer service and competitive pricing. That, however, is a topic for another time.

Getting back to the topic of the day. Let's take a look at those savvy online shoppers. What trends are they setting? Where do they go online to research the best products/services and best prices? Who do they trust online?

It's so easy

From the "box" in the corner of your living room you can now visit hundreds of thousands of stores, any time day or night, to compare products and prices. Just sit back and think about that for a moment. This kind of research isn't even remotely feasible in the brick and mortar world. Talk about power to the consumer.

The problem facing today's online shopper is, how do you find the online stores that have the product you are looking for? The majority of consumers are familiar with search engines, like google and yahoo. Most of that majority will use these search engines to find products online. Search engines accounted for one quarter of all visits to US shopping and classifieds Web sites in May 2007, according to Hitwise data, of which Google accounted for 15.6% of the visits. The issue with these engines is that they search for every web site that mentions the product in any way, shape and form - often bringing up millions of information sites, blogs, organizations and merchants - among those bogus and real.

And therein lies the problem. There really is too much "junk" on the Internet for a shopper to effectively search for products using a general search engine. Along comes a new category of search engines that focus on product search, the comparison shopping sites. The earliest of these sites were created in the mid-90s for general purpose shopping and the biggest, among them shopping.com, shopzilla.com and pricegrabber.com, attract tens of millions of visitors every month. Savvy shoppers are increasingly using these product only search engines to easily find the merchants that will sell a specific product online.

Setting the trend among today's savvy online shoppers are those that use a growing group of niche comparison shopping sites, such as HealthPricer for health products and kayak.com for travel. A trend set by giants Expedia and CNet, these are sites that provide the specific tools and product information shoppers need to make that key buying decision. We'll talk more about this later.

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

Trust on the Internet is a concern. Despite their best efforts to collect merchants and products in one place, most general comparison shopping sites struggle with two areas of worry to consumers - that of product naming conventions and denying access for bogus merchants to their sites.

There are no standardized naming conventions for products on the Internet and as a consequence merchants designate product names they deem appropriate. General comparison shopping sites either receive data feeds or crawl merchant sites for product data and transfer exact naming conventions used by merchants to their site. The result: shoppers are confused by up to 20 product names for a given search and have difficulty comparing prices.

The more serious concern for consumers is the "big bad wolf" lurking on the Internet. Bogus and illegal sellers are prowling the Internet looking for their next victims. Search engines, including general and general purpose comparison shopping sites, operate to categorize information for people. They cannot guarantee that the information and merchants displayed on their site are real or not.

So how do today's online shoppers safeguard themselves from bogus operators? They go to trusted sources, such as consumer review sites, niche comparison shopping sites that only represent trusted merchants and they trust each other - there's a growing trend of shopping traffic from social networking sites.

According to HitWise, the top 20 social networking web site grew as a source of traffic for shopping and classifieds web sites, accounting for 3.6% of upstream visits in May 2007 - an increase of 86.7% since May 2006. In the wonderful world of Web 2.0, shoppers are taking their consumer power online, sharing, reading and trusting each other's buying experiences.

People read reviews. According to Forrester, 71% of online shoppers read reviews; making it the most widely read consumer-generated content. Marketing Experiments Journal conduct a test of product conversion with and without product ratings by customers. Conversions nearly doubled, going from 0.44% to 1.04% after the same product displayed a five-star rating.

In the niche comparison shopping field, where consumers are looking for specific product information and merchants, trust also plays a larger role. In the field of health shopping for example, there's a growing trend of sites dedicated to delivering safe product comparisons from trusted merchants. vimo.com, PharmacyChecker.com and HealthPricer come to mind. With 55 million people in the US searching for health information online in the first quarter of 2007 alone (source: comScore), more and more are looking for health shopping solutions as well. In May 2007, HealthPricer.com received 284,000 visitors to its health products only comparison shopping site from shoppers looking to buy prescription and OTC drugs, supplements, contact lenses and beauty products.

Turning up the heat

In the competitive online retail world, everyone's turning up the heat. Online retailers and shopping sites are more concerned about getting savvy shoppers to return to their sites versus winning new customers. So they employ new technologies to enhance their sites. Today's savvy online shoppers are fickle, continually searching for the best avenues to look for the next feature that will help them more easily find the product or service they want.

One could say that savvy online shoppers are turning from occasional buyers into intention buyers. They will use the Internet to the best of their abilities to find the best time to buy a product - and they're willing to wait. This is particularly true in industries where prices fluctuate. The best shopping sites in these industries understand the demands of intention buyers and maximize their site functionalities to include flexible search terms and price alerts. Kayak.com with its flexible date search and HealthPricer with its flexible product dashboard and e-mail price alerts come to mind.

Net-savvy shoppers are more cautious about the sources they use for shopping online, looking to reviews and recommendations, as well as flexible search options that help them find the merchants that will deliver the products and services they want. For online retailers it's a matter of meeting the demands of these shoppers and partnering with the online sources consumers trust.

Asa Zanatta is a freelance writer based in Vancouver, BC. You can reach her at azanatta at spiritcommunications.ca

Online Jobs - The World Has Shrunk

Before the onset of the internet, our access to the global market was limited. We had to wait for our relatives and friends who visit other countries to get us curios and gifts. Who wouldn't mind assorted miniature bottles of rich colognes or scented creamy soaps from the perfume factory in Grasse, France? I know I wouldn't.

Well, all that was before, now what ever item you desire is just a click away. You just have to log in to the website and order the item you require and get it delivered at your doorstep, with some extra shipping charges, of course. It does not matter whether the item you have ordered is manufactured at the other end of the globe or right next door, it can be delivered to you.

As expected this advantage of internet did not limit itself to the material market, now it has grown so expensively that the job market too had developed to the realms of a global domain without barriers.

Not only can a job search be made internationally, with the rapid development of the concept of online jobs, the global job arena has become accessible to anyone anywhere in the world, the only requisite being an internet connection and a personal computer.

This means that we all can sit comfortably at home, legs propped up on our table with a coffee mug on the coaster nearby, working busily on you PC on a project provided to us by a person or company from a country a couple of timelines ahead of us. How do we get access to this project? We certainly do not have to get a visa and attend an interview in a different country in order to bag it. It is just a couple of clicks away. Online job sites are not only a safe platform for the service seekers and providers to meet, but these sites make it a steady and simple process.

It doesn't matter that the project owner lives two hours ahead of you unless it is required in the project that you need to work the same hours, otherwise it just means that you have to get the work done within a time frame no matter which hours of the day you work or if you do not work a day at all. The main requirement is that you satisfactorily complete the project according to the directives within the stipulated period mentioned.

The concept not only has shrunk the world figuratively, it provides access to talent across the world and becomes a dais for providing equal opportunity to job seekers on a global level. The color, breed, creed and all other barriers cease to exist. Online jobs are open to anyone who is willing to offer a competitive service as per the requisites of the guidelines set by the project owner.

So it's literally a 'WORLD' of opportunity out there waiting to be grabbed. It would be a shame to let this prospect slip through our finger.

Do you need Online Jobs? If yes, then click here data entry home based, Work from home jobs, Online Jobs Jersey Newspapers, Belize Newspapers, Newspapers

How to Shop Smart on the Internet

The internet is possibly the most convenient and easiest ways to shop. Within a span of 15 years, the internet has grown into the largest mall the world has ever seen. With millions of merchants and items for sale, it can be difficult and time consuming to find the best deals from the most reputable dealers. However if you know how to shop smart on the internet, you can save big.

Price Comparison Sites
One of the best ways to shop smart on the internet is to use the many available comparison shop services. You simply search for the item you would like to purchase and the comparison shop services will return hundreds of results on where to find the item online and the it's price. Many services also include feedback from past customers and you can easily sort by price, customer feedback, shipping costs, etc. A few of the most popular comparison shop sites include; Froogle.com, PriceGrabber.com and Dealtime.com. It is also worth noting that Ebay.com is an excellent place to shop where you can also easily sort by price and feedback ratings.

Coupon Code Sites
Lots of internet retailers offer sales and promotions via coupon codes. While most coupon codes are sent directly to past customers using email, for those that are not on any customer email lists, you can still save by finding coupon codes and entering them at the point of sale. There are many coupon code sites that list coupons for just about any type of item. Before you shop, definitely check out what coupons are available. Some popular coupon sites include; Retailmenot.com, Couponchief.com and Couponshack.com.

Deal Aggregator Sites
Looking for a great deal? First check out deal aggregator sites. These sites are one of the best ways to be alerted to great deals on almost any categories. Whether you are looking for electronics, clothing or groceries, deal aggregator sites can alert you to the best deals on the web. Some deal aggregator sites include; Slickdeals.net, Feedbite.com and Bestwebbuys.com.

Secret Circular Sites
Another great way to find great deals on the web is to use secret circular sites. These sites publish circulars from the top retailers in advance- usually alerting many to super deals. It should be noted that these sites are especially helpful during the holidays to alert customers to the best deals for black Friday or Christmas. Some secret circular sites include; Bfads.net and BlackFriday.info.

Connie Barker is the owner of several financial websites including those dealing with Bad Credit Loans and Personal Loans

Online Payments - Choosing the Best Option

When you ask your customers to pay online the method you choose can be the difference between making the sale, or not. And the right payment processing option can determine whether processing your orders is efficient, painful, or simply not viable.

The most popular options are Internet banking and credit cards. Internet banking is simple enough - your customer places an order, pays via internet banking, and you send the order when the money arrives.

There are so many options for accepting credit card payments that you may be inclined to use the first option you find that you can understand. This guide explains the most popular options, and shows you the complete costs, so you can make an informed decision that saves you time and money.

Internet Banking

All the major banks now offer online banking and this allows people to make payments directly to your nominated bank account. All you need to do is give customers your bank account number - usually on your web site.

Payments are typically processed over night so you will usually see the funds in your account the next day. Internet banking is less efficient for processing payments than credit cards.

There's a misconception that it's not safe to show your bank account number on your web site. This is not true - the only thing people can do with just your bank account number is deposit money.

Advantages

• Free or very low cost to set up
• Easy for your customers to use
• Payments can not be reversed

Disadvantages

• Payments can not be confirmed until the next day
• You need to check your bank account for payments (or use automated accounting software)

Credit Card Options

If you have a credit history with your bank you can usually get a credit card merchant account, which allows you to accept credit card payments using mail order forms, an EFTPOS machine or even an old Zip-Zap credit card machine.

Payment Gateways

To maximize efficiency you can use a real time payment gateway such as www.paystation.co.nz, which processes (accepts or declines) credit card payments immediately. When an order comes through from your online shopping cart you know it's already been paid for.

While this incurs additional set up and monthly fees, it can save you a lot of time and money if your order volumes are high enough.

Manual Processing

Most banks won't tell you that you can process credit card payments from your web site manually (using mail order forms) because they prefer to have everything automated.

If your order volumes are low this can be a good option, especially if the average value of your orders is high. With low volumes and low average order value (less than $50) commissions are high (up to 8.9%). With higher average order values (over $250) the bank's commission is lower (about 6.2%).

Manual processing can also be a good option if you have a retail store with an EFTPOS machine, and if you want to use your EFTPOS machine to process payments. This is just like when a customer pays by credit card over the phone. The shopping cart on your web site collects the credit card number (securely), and you get the credit card number from the shopping cart and process the payment using your EFTPOS machine.

Bank commissions are lower for EFTPOS payments than for manually processed payments.

Online Payment Services

If you have no credit history, or if you're in a hurry, you can use a credit card payment service such as www.paymate.co.nz or www.paypal.com.

The main advantage of these services is that there are no set up fees and you can set up an account in a few minutes. This is a great option when you're starting out and want to avoid monthly overheads.

Having your own merchant account means when customers pay you the name of your business shows on their credit card statement, so there's no confusion about where they shopped.

When you use a credit card payment service such as Paymate or PayPal, your customer sees 'Paymate' or 'PayPal' on their credit card statement. This can be confusing if they expect to see the name of your business on their statement.

Shopping Cart vs One Off Payments

Once you've chosen the right payment processing option you can process credit card payments. Now you need somewhere on your web site that your customers can visit to shop, or to initiate a payment.

An online shopping cart allows customers to browse through your web site and add the products they want to buy to their shopping cart. When they've selected all the products they want to buy they visit the checkout and enter their details and credit card number to pay.

In Summary:

Here are 3 suggestions to help you choose the best option quickly.

1. Small/Start Up Business, $500 per month - use Internet Banking and Paymate. Main benefit: low cost to set up. Main disadvantage: for Internet Banking you need to check your bank account for payments. For Paymate, customers see 'Paymate' on their credit card statement, not the name of your business.
2. Medium Online Business, $5000 per month
   • If you have a retail store with EFTPOS facilities use manual credit card processing. Main advantage: low cost/effort to set up. Main disadvantage: you need to manually enter credit card details in to your EFTPOS machine.
   • If you do not have EFTPOS facilities use Paystation or similar online service Main advantage: payment is in the bank before you receive the order, with no involvement from you. Main disadvantage: monthly fees are relatively high until sales reach a few thousand per month.
3. Large Online Business, $20,000 per month - use Paystation or similar online service Main advantage: payment is in the bank before you receive the order, with no involvement from you. Main disadvantage: if you have a retail store you may need to import a daily list of orders into your till software.

Web site design Wellington
Anyware provides the simplest web design solutions for business owners who often have complex problems and don't know where to start.

Start Your Own Business with a Reliable Dropship Wholesaler

Finding a reliable and trustworthy dropship wholesaler for your business is as essential as establishing a good reputation in your market niche. If you have been in the reselling business for some time, you know how many scammers are there. If you are just starting out, the last thing you want is to kill your business at the very beginning by choosing a fraudulent dropship wholesaler.

Obviously, the first source you will want to check in order to find the right dropship wholesaler for your business is the Internet. However, don't fall under the illusions that the top companies listed in the search results are actually what you need. The sad truth is - fancy websites and loud promises have nothing in common with genuine distributors. Usually, it is middlemen who are behind these much-advertised websites and their goal is to cash while you do all the work.

Then, there are directories of dropship wholesalers available at varying prices online. But again, it is hard to tell which directory is a real source of trustworthy businessmen, and which is just another scam. The latter is likely to provide you with an outdated list of distributors, basically useless for your business. So, the bottom line is - the Internet may help in your search for reputable dropshippers, but you will have to spend a lot of time rummaging though the sites and checking how reliable they are.

Remember that not every dropship wholesaler will have a website, so expand your search beyond the cyber space. Trade exhibitions and associations are ideal places to meet your potential suppliers personally and establish a base for a long-term relationship. Try to learn about the company as much as possible, get to know what people think about their products and services.

Once you found a few potentially good dropship wholesalers, compare the prices and the quality of products. You also need to know how and where they ship their goods, what refund policy they have and what their payment terms are. Remember that your reputation will largely depend on their honesty and professionalism. No matter what kind of selling platform your business is based on - eBay, shopping website, or actual retailer store - if your wholesale supplier fails to provide good quality, timely delivery and overall customer satisfaction, so will you.

Discover more great tips on finding a good dropship wholesaler from my blog.

Discover how you can supercharge your profits and grab deep wholesale discounts from the best dropship wholesale distributors. Also learn several useful tips on finding reliable dropship wholesale distributors.

Online Store Preparation For The Holidays

Here are a few tips in making your online store more appealing to generate interest from clients during the holidays.

1. Try to sell products that you already have available.

Particularly on your online store's primary web pages, make sure that the products displayed are readily available. Make sure to update your product information so that those which are no longer available would not be taking up any space that could be used by your other products.

2. Make sure that you will be able to ship the products on time despite the holidays.

Make it a point that the products would be delivered on time, as your clients might be using them for the holidays. Have your delivery rates, seasonal delivery schedule, as well as your premium delivery services clearly posted on your online store so that your employees would be able to fulfill these published delivery and shipping commitments.

3. Give away and send.

As you give free gifts to clients, include some of your product information like the product's selling price, shipping costs and category where the product could be found. During the major holidays, it would be good to send two mailings - the first one a month before and the second one a week before. This would certainly attract visitors.

4. Be easy to contact.

On holidays, ensure that your clients have clear directions on when and how they can contact you. For instance, make sure that you display any toll-free numbers you have, along with your regular numbers and fax numbers.

5. Do not underestimate customer feedback.

Base your planned improvements or maintenance on the feedback and suggestions that you receive from customers. This would be able to make your online store business a true success.

Interested in setting up an online store for free? Ebay Prostores is an ideal ecommerce solution for someone just interested in testing the waters before committing themselves to becoming a full-fledged online business merchant. Whether you have already been selling at ebay auctions or are just new to this online selling business, you get the opportunity to sign up for a free 30 days trial.

eBay Or A Web Site? The Optimal eBay Strategy For Launching A New Ecommerce Web Site.

I am a professional Internet marketer. I deal with the issue of driving traffic to web sites and converting that traffic into customers. My wife runs an eBay-based business selling vintage clothes. She likes using eBay. It has a built-in user base of well over 100 million users and offers the tools to allow her to accept several different forms of payment, including credit cards and PayPal. eBay also allows her to operate a Web store, while also selling items via auction. eBay allows anyone with a computer and Internet access to go into business for themselves. A lot of people are making a lot of money on eBay.

However, a letter my wife recently received from eBay has bothered her to the point where she is seriously considering pulling out of eBay and running her business through her own standalone site. eBay claims that it is losing money on the stores that it hosts, because so much of eBay's inventory is now contained in the stores rather than in the auctions. To counter this, eBay is dramatically raising its fees for items listed in eBay stores.

The argument that eBay is losing money by hosting stores sounds like crap to me. Web hosting is dirt cheap. Web hosting for a small business can be purchased for $5 per month, with more hard drive space and bandwidth than a typical web site would ever need. eBay store hosting starts at about $16 per month for the basic store, which is heavy in mandatory eBay-branded top level content. eBay is raising the base fee to list an item in a store from 2 cents to 7-10 cents - up to a 500% increase.

So the question is: is it worth it to continue to do business on eBay when it is so much more cost effective to do business with a standalone web site?

I believe the answer is to use a combination. eBay delivers customers. It is a great way to build a customer base. If you are just establishing your online business, the following would be a strong formula for acquiring customers:

1. Set up an eBay store. Make it look as good as you can. Stock it with products.

2. Start running auctions. Use the auctions to drive eBay traffic to your stores. Do this consistently, placing some number of items up for auction every week. I suggest ending your auctions on Sunday night.

3. Maintain consistent inventory in your store. Try to get visitors to your store to leave their email address. What you want to do is get people returning to your store on a regular basis to check out what you have.

4. Build a standalone web site, outside of eBay. Populate your new store's inventory with the same products you sell on eBay.

5. Contact your eBay store customers and tell them about your new web site. If your ecommerce platform allows, give your existing eBay customers a coupon to use at your new site.

6. Use search engine optimization, pay-per-click marketing, articles, etc., to drive new traffic to your site. This step will be a lot of work and will require a lot of planning, but it is critical to your success.

7. Gradually phase out your eBay store. When you are confident that all of your old customers now know about your new site and the new site is picking up customers on its own, then shut your eBay store down. Give yourself a pat on the back.

OR

You may choose to continue to run your eBay store in addition to your own web site. If eBay continues to generate business for you and the fees still allow you to show a good profit on the items you sell, then you might as well continue to use it.

When all is said and done, you will have used eBay as a stepping stone to establish your online business. If you already have an eBay store and have been running auctions, then you may start at Step 4 above.

Now...this is probably not the way eBay wants its customers to operate. The company has built an incredible platform to allow anyone to conduct business online. But the fact is, with its recent hike in fees, it is becoming less and less economically feasible to use eBay as a way to conduct business. We believe that using this kind of strategy is a good way to take advantage of eBay to build your business, but then shift to a more economical ecommerce platform to maximize your profitability.

This article is a very high level sketch of a way to establish an ecommerce business. There are many details to fill in. You might want to seek the help of an experienced web site designer and Internet marketing professional.

About The Author

Call Jerry Work at 1-888-299-4837 or email info@workmedia.net for help maximizing the effectiveness of your online marketing campaign. We help businesses: drive more traffic to their web site, convert more traffic into customers, and make more money. Contact the Work brothers or get more Internet marketing advice at http://www.workmedia.net.

 

eCommerce Fundamentals

eCommerce can be VERY complex. To offer a world class customer experience, retailers must incorporate technologies and functionality that exceeds rising customer expectations.

On the flip side however, site fundamentals still play a very large role in converting visitors into customers. Many retailers surprisingly lose sight of these site basics and leave significant sales on the table. This brief examines 4 quick "fundamentals" every eCommerce manager cannot afford to lose sight of.

Think Fast

Speed has become less of a problem due to the penetration of broadband, but don't forget that a significant number of people still shop by a dialup connection. When creating a site framework, designers and e-commerce teams should ensure that the site is developed with pages loading in less than 9 seconds (over a dial-up connection).

Our recommended page size is within 60-70k in bytes. At that amount, sites will likely load within the maximum wait time of 9 seconds. Online retailers should avoid flash at all costs within their transactional site. Flash's artistic aspects may help you establish a brand presence – but it will likely lose potential customers before they have even searched within your store.

Image is important

Images are a very important aspect of selling online and are often neglected. All product images should be of the highest resolution possible, be much larger than the product page original, and have

multiple views. Dynamic imaging capabilities can improve the user experience to an even higher level by increasing interactivity (zoom & rotate). At a minimum – retailers should have at least two additional views outside of the product page image to help build emotion.

Be my guest

Shoppers do not like being forced to do anything, especially when they are ready to open their wallets. Forcing a shopper to register on your site before purchasing is a sure way to drive a portion of your traffic to your competitors. Too often, shoppers do not have the time or the inclination to fill out a lengthy form explaining what types of information they desire.

Always offer the ability to checkout as a guest. You will see less customer leakage within the checkout process and can still offer the option to register when the sale is completed.

Make sure it's "above the fold"

Your homepage is the most important page within your eCommerce store. It sets the initial tone for the shopping experience and offers your best promotions and products to your visitors. Users typically visually scan a web page from top to bottom and then from left to right. All critical content and navigation options should be obvious to the shopper without having to scroll down. If you have your best promotions "below the fold" – you can bet that a large percentage of browsers are not scrolling down to see it.

Craig Smith

Trinity Insight LLC

http://www.trinityinsight.com

About The Author

Craig Smith

Trinity Insight is a leading consultancy for the online retail sector.

http://www.trinityinsight.com

csmith@trinityinsight.com

Create Your Own Web Site for Information Purposes or Ecommerce

Creating your own web site can be extremely quick, easy, and affordable. Today you can find plenty of tools that can help you create the perfect web site whether it is for pleasure or for commerce. If you are interested in creating your own web site, then here are some great tips that will have you up and running in no time.

Many people that have never created a web site online are usually overwhelmed by the know how and tools that it takes to create a great online presence. Most computer newbie's take the easy way out and choose to sell on Ebay or have a small personal page on AOL. These people are actually missing out on the importance and huge rewards of developing their own web site.

If you are just starting out and consider yourself a computer novice or have been online for years and want an easier way to create your own web site, then you will be happy to know that complete web building solutions exist. With today's technology, you can easily create a quality, customizable, and profit producing web site in minutes.

Creating your own web site is simple if you have the right tools. There are a few services available that not only give you great tools and services that will create a complete personal or business web site in minutes but make your web site stand out from the crowd with hundreds of quality templates, easy and fast technical support and reliable web hosting.

If you are building an ecommerce site, then you will want to create your own web site with ecommerce capabilities such as an easy to use shopping cart, secure server certificates, ability to accept payments online, and integration with top auction sites.

There are many services that can help you create your own web site fast, easy and full of extras that will add value to your customers or viewers online experience. However, some offer more value than others. When choosing a service, select a service that offers a complete solution, so everything is integrated and you don't have to worry about compatibility problems or over complicating your web site by relying on several different services working together in order to have one web site up and running. There are many complete web development solutions that can help you create your own web site by offering you everything you need to develop and run your web site from one source.

Another important aspect to consider when creating your own web site is to experience the service with no risk. Make sure you can see the product or even better use the product first before buying it. You know a service is reputable when they allow you to use their service to make sure that they fit your needs before payment is due.

Creating your own web site can be fast and easy when you choose a great service that guides you step by step through the entire process.

About The Author

Jay Peterson web designer, marketer. TicTacWebsites is the easiest do-it-yourself online website builder. Get your business online in just 5 minutes with www.tictacwebsites.com loaded with 30+ business features.

 

Ecommerce Information, Advice, News, Statistics

Free ecommerce information and advice to help businesses sell on the internet. Latest e commerce news, e-commerce shopping cart suppliers, web design and hosting, online payment processing

About Free-ecommerce-information.com

This site provides information, advice and resources for businesses wanting to sell goods and services over the internet.

The site provides help through all stages of the process of setting up an ecommerce site.

• Planning an ecommerce site and online business
• Choosing products and services
• Ecommerce site construction and development - whether self-built or outsourced
• Selling online
• Marketing your web site
• Ecommerce case studies

Ecommerce and Shopping Cart Optimization

WebmasterWorld PubCon 2007 Las Vegas
Ecommerce and Shopping Cart Optimization

Moderator: Joe Laratro
Speakers:
Rob Snell, Managing Partner, Rob Snell
Ethan Griffin, CEO & Founder, Groove Commerce
Panelist:
Jimmy Duvall, Director, E-Commerce Products for Yahoo! Small Business, Yahoo!

Expert ecommerce panelists take a look at ecommerce sales specifically designed to sell products. Topics include optimization, as well as shopping cart, monetary, presentation, and traffic issues.

Ethan Griffin, "7 Habits of Highly Effective Shopping Carts"

1. Designing for Success

- The top 100 eTailers prefer a 2 column, centered designed. The next most common design is 2 column, left justified design. However, there is no one size fits all solution. You have to test to see what converts best for your product.

Example sites:
-- KineticFountains.com
-- Cafepress.com
-- ATouchofBrass.com
-- EpicDental.com

Make sure your proceed to checkout buttons are highlighted and easy to find. Make sure you have contact information easy to find, same for shipping info.

Try to have a mini-cart show up in the sidebar after users have begun adding items to the cart. This gives them easy access to the products they've already selected.

Take people through specific funnels to optimized product pages. (Checking analytics and seeing what keywords people are searching for is helpful for this).

2. Internal Site Search

It's not an option, it's a requirement. Make sure your site search is displaying relevant results. Check the Google Analytics site search report. People that utilize site search convert at a rate 5 times higher than other visitors. If you're not doing your site search well, then don't make it prominent.

No results page is your chance to save a customer/sale. Offer the visitor other options... best sellers, links to similar categories, etc?

-- WallysWine.com (Site Search Results Page)
-- EpicDental.com (No Results Page)

3. Why Should I Trust You?

Establishing trust with your visitors is important. Assure them your site is secure, your business is solid, responsible and fair. Footers are a good place to put all of your assurances... again, years in business, security, guarantees, credit cards accepted, etc. Remind users that you value their privacy and personal information.

4. Make Buying Simple

-- Show progress
-- Eliminate distractions
-- Reduce shopping cart abandonment
-- Relay error messages in a friendly, useful manner.

Single page checkouts often help conversions by reducing distractions and generally making the process more simple and quicker.

5. Let Your Site Be Known

-- Internal Linking
-- Header Tags
-- Page Titles
-- Anchor Text
-- Image Optimization

6. An Image Says a Thousand Words

-- Your images sell your products
-- Telling a story with your images
-- Multiple images
-- Comparing product images; make sure you're using the most enticing photo available. If you only have blah pictures, get new ones shot.

7. Climbing the Ranks

Pay attention to your off-page SEO. Increase your inbound links through:

-- Online Press Releases (PRWeb.com is used as an example)
-- Directory submissions
-- Blogging/Link Baiting
-- Shopping Feeds (make sure you optimize your data feeds)

Rob Snell, "Pimp Your Products, Sell More Stuff"

The more content we put up, the more our sales went up. First, we got a spokesmodel (Rob's brother Steve), then we wrote buyer's guides. The buyer's guides answer the questions the buyers are going to ask before they call us and ask. We're also starting to add videos. We haven't seen an increase from this yet, but it's new and I think it's going to really help things.

The problem that people run into with their ecommerce sites is that most retailers copy and paste their vendor information right onto their sites. So everyone sounds the same. Exactly the same. These retailers are being lazy. They're not adding any value to the customers.

So how do you pimp your products?

Be an expert. You know so much more about your products than your customers do, and in general retailers aren't doing a good job conveying their knowledge to their users.

Offer your opinions on your products. Offer testimonials. Tell the users what to buy.

Make your own images. Again, you don't want to look like everyone else; but, make sure you're making high quality images.

Get all the content from the manufacturer. Get stuff from on the box, in the box, advertising, instruction manuals, etc. The more content the better. Remember, it's easier to get forgiveness than permission. I'm not telling you to violate copyright... but I'm not telling you I'm not doing it, either. I've never had a manufacturer call me up and tell me to quit promoting their product.

Use the keywords the customers will use.

Just remember, pimpin' ain't easy.