Top 5 Must-Haves for Ecommerce Success

The Following is taken from the GetElastic blog, at Simple Net we would agree with all of these points, especially points 4 & 5, however we would add that Customer Service is vital and a major factor in the Australian online market to converting sales.

A are very A question was raised last week in the E-commerce Network LinkedIn group: “What do you consider to be top 5 must haves for an ecommerce company to be successful?” I thought I’d share the answer I posted to the group, and I invite you to add your own in the comments of this post.

1. Take a customer centric approach to the website. Design for usability, test, repeat.

2. Provide detailed product information. Not only is this good for attracting search engine traffic, it provides the customer with enough detail to make a purchase decision - addressing the customer’s FUDDs (fears, uncertainties, doubts and dealbreakers) about a product.

3. Have efficient logistics. Customers don’t want to pay shipping and will comparison shop to find the best price - especially in this economy. I’ve seen too many big names (especially in Canada) retract from ecommerce this year. Look under the hood - some are getting killed in warehousing and fulfillment costs.

4. Choose your ecommerce platform wisely. Your ecommerce technology needs to fit your goals and be able to grow with you as the Internet and shopping behavior rapidly changes. Many e-tailers are stuck with platforms that won’t let them do X, Y or Z while their competitors’ can.

5. Hire a good web analyst. Understanding site usage and behavior to make good strategic decisions is crucial. Most retailers aren’t using the tools to their full potential.

Of course there’s no right or wrong answer to this question.

Thursday, 9 April 2009

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