The 5 Requirements of Any Great E-commerce Site

In case you haven’t noticed, e-commerce has gotten seriously competitive.

I’m managing a pay-per-click campaign right now where I’m bidding $7.15 per click for a 9^th place listing on Google Adwords. When you’re spending $7.15 for a click, you become HIGHLY conscious of what it takes to turn that click into a sale.

So, let me offer you five things that make an e-commerce site great – and turn a $7.15 click into a high-yield marketing investment.

#1 – Show me your stuff.

Broadband is quickly killing the load-time argument against displaying a lot of products within a given category on a single page.  So at least give people the option of seeing it all without having to advance through 20 pages each displaying 10 items.

#2 – Tell me EVERYTHING.

Your online customers can’t pick up your merchandise, try it on, touch it, taste it, or smell it, so you’ve got to compensate in other ways. Go overboard… WAY overboard on providing great information on what you’re selling.

Remember, folks get hung up on the details. Online conversion is about resolving the issues that keep visitors from buying, so your job is to be sure that your customers can find the answers to their questions and reach a sufficient level of confidence take action online.

Offer the following… in abundance:

Product details. Feed the nerds.  Give them the weight, dimensions, battery life, warranty details, return policy… whatever the fanatic comparison shopper might need to make a decision. And if “fit” or compatibility is a key factor in the purchase decision (as is the case with clothing, toner, cell phone chargers, and laptop cases to name a few) be sure to address those specifics.

Savings. Especially for sites that boast discount prices, if you’re saving me money, tell me how much.

Stock and delivery. Tell me you’ve got the product I’m falling in love with. And let me know how fast I can get my hands on it and what the shipping is going to cost me. There is a segment of online shopper whose purchase decisions hinge heavily on shipping specifics. Tell them what they need to know WITHOUT requiring them to get to the final stages of a purchase transaction.

What others have to say. Who doesn’t love to have access to some candid product reviews from real people who purchased before you?

#3 – Show me EVERYTHING.

I’m losing count of the number of times it has been demonstrated that a wide array of product images increases sales online. You can’t have too many pictures… from every angle… up close… from a distance… in use….

If size matters, offer perspective by showing the product in someone’s hand rather than hovering before a white background. If texture is important (clothing), zoom in for an ultra-close up of the fabric.

#4 – Speak with personality.

You can always tell when a retailer copied the manufacturer’s boring, sterile product description. Manufacturers make stuff.  You inspire people to buy it. Look to the manufacturer for the specs, and generally elsewhere for a memorable and inspirational description of the product and why I should own it.

#5 – If I can’t be in control, at least keep me informed.

Take a lesson from Amazon.  When you buy a book from them, they know you don’t get the gratification of walking off with it in your hand.  So they give you the next best thing – detailed information confirming what you ordered and when/how it shipped to you.  It’s hard (make that impossible) to go overboard in making sure your customers feel in control at all times following a purchase.

The truly great sites even allow you to spot an error in your order after the fact and correct it before the product arrives on your doorstep.

Put these five requirements into place, and watch your conversion rates climb.