5 E-Commerce Tips to Test Right Now
Given that many direct marketers are choosing to shift their marketing dollars from print or other channels to the Web, the question then becomes, “How do I spend those dollars most wisely?” In a session I took part in during last week's Catalog on the Road conference in Cambridge, Mass., I suggested the following low cost e-commerce initiatives that'll supply excellent ROI:
1. Set up your Web analytics to track conversions in terms of brand vs. nonbrand purchases. The benefit of this approach is that you can segregate the revenue you're receiving as a result of Web traffic driven by offline marketing (catalogs, broadcast, etc.) vs. revenue attributable to online acquisitions. Then adjust your overall channel spending accordingly.
2. Re-evaluate your “order-taking machines” with fresh eyes:
- Checkout pages: How does the process flow? Can you simplify it? Can you make buttons bigger? Place them above the fold? Change the color to red? Add arrows encouraging forward motion?
- Catalog request forms: The most common mistake here is asking for too much data; all you really need is the postal address. Requiring more than that results in lower conversion rates. Is the form part of your perpetual navigation and easily found?
- E-mail sign-up forms: Are you conveying to your customers the benefits of being on your e-mail list? Make sure you state your privacy policy and that every message has an opt-out link.
3. Install an abandoned cart system. One specialty food company experienced nearly a 3 percent lift in overall online sales in 2008 as a result of a program that sent just two messages to customers who abandoned. Your e-commerce platform vendor likely has this functionality by now. If not, there are third-party systems available.
4. Tune up your on-site search functionality. Experienced Internet shoppers no longer have the patience to sort through your carefully designed navigation — they’ll go right to the search box most of the time. If they don’t find what they want in one click, they're gone and you’ve lost the sale.
