A consumer's compatibility with an e-commerce website is often a detrimental factor directly converted into the profit achieved by the website and this is exactly the point where the usability of the same comes into the contention. A customer's perspective is the biggest challenge while designing it, the simple reason being that it is their perspective we are trying to appeal to, also keeping in mind that improvisation is a constant process.
A quick reality check of the usability issues of an e-commerce website would be to analyze the demographics and make comparative statistic studies with other relevant websites. If a good look at the statistics suggests a 2-3 percent visitor-to-sale conversion rate, it is good sales otherwise a reformation is on the cards. Another important technical aspect, referred to as the funnel conversion rate is an ordeal in itself. The website is required to suffice the customer with user friendly processes which motivates the consumer to reach the end point of the order that has been started with. The average time frame for which a consumer visits the website is also an important aspect and a study suggests it to be between 3 and 4 minutes and anything beyond that is a disclaimer.
First Look and Speed Matters
Improvisations can always be played well if the right factors are kept in mind. Firstly the speed of the website contributes to the interest of the user which is directly proportional to the load that a server which has been opted for can take which can be optimized with the right usage of storage data space. Satisfying the eye of the consumer with respect to the texts and fonts should also be looked out for, while maintaining a low key in terms of animations, etc. This is very essential because today's population has become very progressive in terms of their outlook and expectations.
Easy and Clear Navigation Should be Mandatory
Steering through or navigation of the website should be an easy play, without which the efficacy is going to be deterred. Smooth navigation is mandatory without which the consumer will lose interest in merely browsing through the site. There should be complete clarity in terms of the conventional options offered for navigation as these obviously prove to be a testament to the user's patience levels. Categorizing the available options and easy retrieving options would be an added advantage. Other preferences like a shopping cart, homepage etc. should be in fact mandatory.
Coming to charges of products listed on the website, "hidden charges" are a big turn off to the consumer which effectively means that charges like handling charges, transportation charges and other similar charges should be accounted for in the start itself. The complete clear picture of the cost of the product can prove to be a trust building strategy on its own. A detailed outline of the entire process beginning from the choices offered to the payment before starting the process would be icing on the cake. Of course, the simpler the process, the better chances of a satisfied consumer. Other factors like avoiding extra registrations, etc. would elevate the user's satisfaction to higher levels.
Customer Feedback is more Vital
Maximum improvisation can be done by direct interaction with customers by virtue of valuable and personalized feedback which will give more perspective to the entire scenario. The customer's feedback which will be a mix of positive and negative points will not only help with customization but also motivate the brand factor in case of positive comments.
Managing Duplicate Content
Duplicate content can cater to being one of the biggest usability issues which if not taken are of can lead to serious consequences like low SEO rankings. However authentic and inescapable often exist which are not penalized as they can be detected by search engines by virtue of meta tags. The major issues which may seem like duplication to Google but is not in reality can make use of these meta tags to escape penalty.
Various examples of the above mentioned issue can be cited. For instance, in cases where the website offers product pages which are similar along various lines, canonical tags can be used on the pages to avoid duplication problems. Identical problems like certain products on multiple pages when a product search is made, can give rise to duplication and the same can be eradicated by pagination tags. Furthermore canonical tags can be made use of during multiple mobile and print versions also.
To conclude, duplication and usability issues might prove to be a major setback during online marketing but if the right management tactics are applied the issues can be solved.
About The Author: Alfred is a tech savvy who loves to write more about digital marketing trends. He writes for Dot Com Infoway, providing excellent Internet Marketing Solutions with the help of well-trained SEM Specialists.
Did you find this article helpful? Please let Alfred and myself know by leaving us your valued comments.
Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
Related articles:
Marketing Your E-Commerce Business
Incorporating SEO Within The Design Of An E-Commerce Website
A Guide To Setting Up Your Own E-Commerce Business
If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.
As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog
You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
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https://plus.google.com/104849975941505117776
Until my next post on five keys to a successful web design, enjoy the rest of the week!
© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.
A quick reality check of the usability issues of an e-commerce website would be to analyze the demographics and make comparative statistic studies with other relevant websites. If a good look at the statistics suggests a 2-3 percent visitor-to-sale conversion rate, it is good sales otherwise a reformation is on the cards. Another important technical aspect, referred to as the funnel conversion rate is an ordeal in itself. The website is required to suffice the customer with user friendly processes which motivates the consumer to reach the end point of the order that has been started with. The average time frame for which a consumer visits the website is also an important aspect and a study suggests it to be between 3 and 4 minutes and anything beyond that is a disclaimer.
First Look and Speed Matters
Improvisations can always be played well if the right factors are kept in mind. Firstly the speed of the website contributes to the interest of the user which is directly proportional to the load that a server which has been opted for can take which can be optimized with the right usage of storage data space. Satisfying the eye of the consumer with respect to the texts and fonts should also be looked out for, while maintaining a low key in terms of animations, etc. This is very essential because today's population has become very progressive in terms of their outlook and expectations.
Easy and Clear Navigation Should be Mandatory
Steering through or navigation of the website should be an easy play, without which the efficacy is going to be deterred. Smooth navigation is mandatory without which the consumer will lose interest in merely browsing through the site. There should be complete clarity in terms of the conventional options offered for navigation as these obviously prove to be a testament to the user's patience levels. Categorizing the available options and easy retrieving options would be an added advantage. Other preferences like a shopping cart, homepage etc. should be in fact mandatory.
Coming to charges of products listed on the website, "hidden charges" are a big turn off to the consumer which effectively means that charges like handling charges, transportation charges and other similar charges should be accounted for in the start itself. The complete clear picture of the cost of the product can prove to be a trust building strategy on its own. A detailed outline of the entire process beginning from the choices offered to the payment before starting the process would be icing on the cake. Of course, the simpler the process, the better chances of a satisfied consumer. Other factors like avoiding extra registrations, etc. would elevate the user's satisfaction to higher levels.
Customer Feedback is more Vital
Maximum improvisation can be done by direct interaction with customers by virtue of valuable and personalized feedback which will give more perspective to the entire scenario. The customer's feedback which will be a mix of positive and negative points will not only help with customization but also motivate the brand factor in case of positive comments.
Managing Duplicate Content
Duplicate content can cater to being one of the biggest usability issues which if not taken are of can lead to serious consequences like low SEO rankings. However authentic and inescapable often exist which are not penalized as they can be detected by search engines by virtue of meta tags. The major issues which may seem like duplication to Google but is not in reality can make use of these meta tags to escape penalty.
Various examples of the above mentioned issue can be cited. For instance, in cases where the website offers product pages which are similar along various lines, canonical tags can be used on the pages to avoid duplication problems. Identical problems like certain products on multiple pages when a product search is made, can give rise to duplication and the same can be eradicated by pagination tags. Furthermore canonical tags can be made use of during multiple mobile and print versions also.
To conclude, duplication and usability issues might prove to be a major setback during online marketing but if the right management tactics are applied the issues can be solved.
About The Author: Alfred is a tech savvy who loves to write more about digital marketing trends. He writes for Dot Com Infoway, providing excellent Internet Marketing Solutions with the help of well-trained SEM Specialists.
Did you find this article helpful? Please let Alfred and myself know by leaving us your valued comments.
Would you like to guest post on the blog? Please use the Contact tab above to get in touch if you write business-related articles or articles on the topics of Internet Marketing, Affiliate Marketing, Social Media Marketing/Optimisation (SMO), Blogging, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
Related articles:
Marketing Your E-Commerce Business
Incorporating SEO Within The Design Of An E-Commerce Website
A Guide To Setting Up Your Own E-Commerce Business
If you found this or any of my other posts helpful, don't forget to share the posts to your favourite networks using the toolbar below or by using the "+1" and "Share" buttons located at the bottom of each post.
As ever, if you want to stay up to date with the latest blog posts, don't forget to follow via Google Friend Connect (button on sidebar), on NetworkedBlogs, via Email (maximum of one email per day), on Facebook and Google+ or by subscribing to our blog feed at:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/DereksHomeAndBusinessBlog
You can also follow me on Twitter @djones1509, Google+ and on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/djones1509
https://plus.google.com/104849975941505117776
Until my next post on five keys to a successful web design, enjoy the rest of the week!
© 2013. This article is DMCA protected. Republication is prohibited.
