Why would anyone set up an e-commerce website that doesn’t sell? Of course people don’t do it on purpose, but the truth remains that there are e-commerce sites that do not sell anything! I find myself going through the same basic tips and advice with people when they come to me for advice. So I thought I would impart some of my wisdom in a series of articles.
My experience with e-commerce sites started with soapcraft, which made a sale within half an hour of the site going live. I have since put together quite a few. I have used a number of carts; Cartloom, Rapidcart, Mal’s e-Commerce, Cubecart and the WordPress plugin Shopp, and have researched countless others. I want to get the best solution for the job and am not tied to one particular product over another, each has it’s strong points and weaknesses.
The secret is not in the cart, although the shopping cart is part of it. There are a number of elements involved, and I will go through them one by one, but be warned – there is no easy fix.
The most important thing to always remember is the consumer. The person who comes to your website wanting to buy your products. At every change test the process out as if you are your own customer making a sale or looking for a particular product. Now with that mindset ask yourself “How many roadblocks are between me and my desired goal?”. This will actually unlock the secret of a successful online store.
I’ll split this up into smaller subjects to cover the steps needed to set up a successful online store.
- Preparation – getting ready for success
- Payment gateways and the cart experience
- Visual Impact – how important is it
These articles will follow soon. Stay tuned
(If you are interested in finding out about my website costs click here. I have listed some packages.)
Awesome article Alison, cant wait to see the rest of the series.
Hey thanks Mr G – Commenter numero Uno!