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IMRG estimates that half the UK population shopped online last Christmas, spending more than £3bn. Online shopping is currently outgrowing high street retail sales six fold.
With the surging take up of broadband in the UK, and sites like Ebay demonstrating the huge potential of selling goods online, the future looks bright for online stores.
However, accompanying this expansion is a huge increase in competition. Therefore success means getting a whole series of factors right.
What encourages customers to buy from your store?
1) They must be able to find your store easily
You need to optimise your online store in the search engines, particularly MSN, Yahoo and Google. Unless you are in the top 20 listed websites, potential customers are unlikely to visit you.
2) A satisfying customer experience
This is about matching customer expectations, especially making it easy for shoppers to find what they are looking for.
3) Inspire confidence in buying from you
Ensure that your prices, delivery and returns policy are clearly laid out to reassure customers about shopping online with you. Above all, your checkout process needs to be streamlined so it reinforces confidence.
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