Tuesday, 20 November 2007
eCommerce & Shopping Cart Usability
eCommerce and shopping cart usability matter mostly due to the fact that if a store is not easy to use, and simple to buy from, it can greatly affect its ability to generate regular sales or increase those sales over time, which makes it more difficult for merchants to grow their stores to the next level. Many of the most successful merchants got that way by following strict usability guidelines, search engines guidelines and by abiding by other Online selling best practices. ItÂs no accident that the best eTailers got where they are by doing what works and continuing to try to improve, although little bits of luck here and there certainly help and may sometimes also contribute to many of the big named companies success.
Online store usability and eCommerce shopping cart usability are extremely important factors for all online sellers, especially for the ones who hope to improve over time and are serious about increasing online sales to their potential. Many merchants forget that even the most simple changes can dramatically effect how their stores perform, both for users and search engines. In this article I will be mentioning 21 different factors that can dramatically increase results for nearly any type of Online store, especially ones that focus on an industry niche or cater to mass amounts of shoppers.
21 Usability Best Practices:
01. Use Headlines, Subheadings and Breadcrumb navigation to show shoppers where they are.
Page elements like large text headings and subheadings can help customers establish which page they are on and what the topic of the page they are viewing is. Breadcrumb navigation helps customers establish how deep they are within the site structure and what is available to view before and after the page they are on within the site structure. Breadcrumbs and page headings are also beneficial from a search engine standpoint, since they use those kinds of page elements to classify a site and to understand what words you target.
By showing your visitors where they are on the site and giving them headings and subheadings which are easy to read, you will be effectively making your site more usable to each visitor and are aiding them in being able to find what they are looking for. It should help make the shopping experience faster and gets shoppers to the products they want so they can add it to their cart and buy it with ease. It also aids search engines who crawl your site for more information on what you sell and who your target market is.
02. Make sure contact information and a phone number are visible above the fold and easy for shoppers to see.
eCommerce sites make it easy for customers to find items and buy them Online, however it is also a great way to obtain leads and establish new customer relationships from individuals who may alternately call or email rather than place an order through the Online checkout process. By keeping contact information prominent and including it on each page, you are effectively making your site more usable to each visitor who may wish to do business with you over the phone or by email rather than electronically Online.
Many of your orders will be made through the site, but a majority will also be made through alternative means like phone or email. If you do not have this information in an easy to find location on the site, you may be missing out on new business and establishing new customers who prefer phone ordering or inquire via a Web form or email address. Above the fold means a place which can be accessed with limited or no scrolling down the page by the visitor. Typically, eCommerce site owners will display their contact information in the top right or top left or each page. Where ever you decide put it, be sure it is consistently in the same place, not in a different place on each page.
03. Keep the site search function above the fold and in plain view so shoppers can query the catalog anytime.
All sites should have a search function of some sort. eCommerce stores with many products must have a search function so customers can easily find what they are shopping for within a particular site or section of the site. In addition, the search function must be within the customers reach and easy for them to spot and use in order for it to properly work within your site. Site searches are typically near the top or middle of each page, but can be included on a sidebar. It is a good idea to put your site search above the fold and make it easy to see.
Some newer eCommerce sites have utilized state of the art site search technology and even have smart search bars that finish typing your phrase for you or even suggest words that are close to what you are typing, as you are typing them in. Anytime, any page, for any reason a customer may wish to perform a search instead of using alternate navigation or sorting options. By keeping your search function within reach and by making it easy to use you are making the site more usable to each visitor that enters your store and hopes to find something to buy. It should help shoppers find what they are looking for easily and makes the whole shopping process much more simple.
