The dos and don'ts of selling online

If you are selling online you need to make sure your online store is user friendly, otherwise visitors won't buy and they won't come back. But did you realise that you could actually drive customers away if you don't take the necessary precautions? Here are some dos and don'ts of selling online...

Do your research

Research is absolutely necessary if you are thinking about selling a product or service online. Ask yourself if there is really a niche in the market for your business and will surfers buy your product online, is it worth your while in shipping and handling or will it work out too costly. Research your target and formulate a business plan before you take the next step and start selling online.

Don't make it difficult

Once online don't design your website so that it is obscure and difficult to use. If you keep your site simple but attractive then you will get the most out of it. And by simple we mean everything from layout to content, how to place an order, your terms and conditions, how to contact you and your customer service policy.

Do use special offers

Promotional offers that make your customer feel they are getting a great deal is a sure fire way of making sure that visitors buy and return to your store so make sure you advertise any special offers prominently on your site. Check out when your competitors offer special offers and what they offer too.

Don't make your visitors wait

No one likes to wait around for things and if your customers have to wait a few minutes for a high-tech flashing banner ad to download on your site then they will soon go somewhere else for the same product. So don't make images too big/high resolution and be mindful of your use of Flash.

Do let your customers contact you

Letting customers contact you with a query is a great way of building a relationship with your buyers, and will help establish trust too. You may want to consider having a 'contact us' function on your website so that at the very least customers can email you with queries or problems. If you are going to do this you should make sure you answer customer queries promptly and professionally in no more than 3 working days. If you are going to put your telephone number on your website, make sure you have enough staff to answer calls, and that you respond to voicemails within 1 working day.

Don't forget about security

With the threats from hackers ever increasing you have to make sure your site is completely secure and remains hacker proof if you want your customers to buy online. For this you will need to get and display your secure sockets layer (the software that scrambles and encrypts sensitive credit card information), and your privacy policy (which should explain to your customers how you will safeguard their information) or choose a store hosting company that will take care of all your technical security needs.

Do make your site polished

Visitors will want to see high quality photographs and have a detailed description of the products. Do spend time on the small details - make your content informative and up to date, and your photographs polished - but again remember that customers won't wait 5 minutes for an image to download.

Don't get lazy

If you ignore the competition the chances are that customers will start ignoring you, so check out your competitors regularly, especially to see if they are offering any kind of special offer or new products or services. It is also a good way of getting new ideas on how to make your site better.

Do market your site

If you want customers to come to your site they have to know where it is, for this you need a well thought out marketing strategy as part of a marketing plan or business plan. If you'd like help with writing winning plans, visit our Business Manager pages.

Don't use too many click throughs

Research conducted in the United States found that when ordering, customers were put off if there were more than three steps involved in the ordering and buying process. So try to make it as simple as possible for customers to order and buy from your site. Check out other sucessful online stores such as Amazon to see how they've done it.

Do update your site

Whether its new products, new offers or general information about your business and where it is going, maintaining your site will keep visitors interested and ensure they come back for more.

Don't forget your number

If your visitors are using your website as an online shop window to browse through your products then don't forget to display your number somewhere prominent on each page so they can call and place and order personally - not all customers will be comfortable with online ordering.

Your customers will make having a website worthwhile, so make sure you make it a worthwhile experience for them.