One of the best ways to get customers to really appreciate and like your site is
to have  sufficient information  regarding each  product online.  Unlike offline
modes of  purchase where  the buyer  has ample  choice to  browse and ‘test’ the
product before purchase,  with a website  there is no  way of understanding  the
product features. Therefore to make the experience better for customers  online,
you need to  include all product  specifications, features, stock  availability,
options regarding the product, as well  as the overall cost. In addition  to the
textual information you also need to have superior product images preferably 3
dimensional.

Make the search box accessible

Most users online prefer to use  the search box right away instead  of browsing
through scores of products on your site. Never make the mistake of keeping  the
search box  hidden from  view. Although  there is  no plausible  reason why any
ecommerce site would do that – surprisingly many sites do it! While the  search
box ideally should be  placed on the top  right hand corner (going  by the user
behavior  patterns online,  the top  right hand  corner is  the most  accessed
portion  on  a site). Try and use  robust  backend databases  to  enable easy
retrieval of information to the front end.

Disclose shipping costs

It is surprising but many ecommerce  sites charge exorbitant amounts as far  as
shipping costs are concerned. This is a real downer for most customers who  are
used to receiving free shipping  for most items. By overpricing  shipping costs
you are essentially pushing customers away from your website. Many times it may
so happen that your customer has placed an order in bulk only to leave the site
just before  the sale.  Why? Shipping  charges are  the culprit  again! If  you
really have to charge for shipping make sure to disclose it upfront rather than
have the customer go through the entire purchase process and then abandon it later!

Address cultural/global issues

Its funny how many ecommerce  websites make this fundamental mistake.  They lay
claims to cater  to global customers  but still indirectly  discourage shopping
from other countries. Silly reasons like address formats, or ignoring  cultural
aspects etc.  can damage  any brand  for good,  especially if  you consider the
global context of things. Fundamental things like language compatibility or
providing internationalization into the website are missing in such websites.

Categorize products

When you have categories of your  products and services you help your  customers
understand your  offerings much  better. It  also helps  customers perceive your
ecommerce website as  being more organized  and structured. While  each category
needs to describe  the various products  you are offering,  it also needs  to be
concise as far as information is concerned. Too much information can make the
structure look lopsided while too little makes you look suspicious.

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