eCommerce Success Strategies A Lunch and Learn Seminar Presented by

eCommerceSuccess Strategies

A Lunch and Learn SeminarPresented by

Patrick Bieser Sr., President Northwoods Software

This Discussion of “eCommerce”Is really about “How to Sell Anything” using your

Website

Applies to

All Websites generally and eCommerce Website specifically

About Me

• Journalism and Psychology Major• 33 Years Computer Industry• 10 Years Building eCommerce• Involved with 25+ High Traffic Sites• Studied, Observed, Analyzed• Lectured on Usability and Content

strategies• User (just like you)

Summary of Today’s Presentation

• Why worry about usability• What consumers want, don’t want• How they find you, how they are influenced• Example: A search for cookware• Checkout Best Practices (how not to lose

them)• Two strategies for selling online

Marketing generates interest

Selling generates profits

Successful eCommerce Websites…

Market a little and Sell a lot

Marketing (35%) vs. Selling (75%)

www.canon.com dpreview.com

• Good Usabilty• Good Content, Good Information

Selling Requires….

• 50% of sales are lost because shoppers cannot find what they are looking for

• 83% of shoppers leave sites due to poor navigation and ineffective search

• 78% of shoppers abandoned their online shopping carts• If 100 users came to a site ready to buy, only 2

finished the sale – the rest went elsewhere• US online holiday retail sales were over $39 billion in

2007, up 20% over 2006• 126 million users bought online in the 2007 holiday

season, a 6% increase over 2006• 92.5% of adults research products and services on-line

Source: VirtualMarketingBlog.com survey of 40 ecommerce websites, Forrester 2006

Why Worry about eCommerce Usability?

Good Content - What consumers want** Based on online user intercept surveys

What Turns Users Off

• Search that doesn’t find what they want• Content written in marketing speak• Content that looks like an ad• Content that is hard to scan• Content that is skimpy on details• No sort or filter options• Pictures that are too small or too few• Inability to compare

OnlineRetailers

BrandedSites

Online Review

ReviewSites

Social Networking

eMailMarketing

User GeneratedContent (2)

OrganicSearch Results

Pay for ClickAdvertising

Friends & Personal

Contacts (1)

CommunityWebsites

Goal Pages

Landing Pageor Catalog

Finding &Influencing

Example: A Search for Cookware

• Keyword analysis of the cookware market….

What are they looking for

Analysis

• Searches are 10:1 generic terms vs. brands• Strong evidence that people are doing

research• Typical pattern of long tail keywords

– Cast Iron Cookware

A User Looking for Cookware

Research Questions:• What are my choices?• What’s the best brand? Why?• What’s the best buy for good quality? • What’s the best buy for my budget?• I’ve got $300 and want 14 pieces – what are my options?• What do other’s think? I want to read good and bad reviews?• What features should I be looking for?• Are there any ratings systems? Are there “Editor’s Choices”?• Etc.

The Score

Good CriteriaAll-Cl

In-depth Information

Ability to Compare

Ability to Sort and Filter

Tools for Selection

Features Explained

Purchase Online

Opinions of Other (UGC)

Benefits Explained Information on Brand Informative Stories

Store Locations

% Marketing 95%

% Selling5%

Bad Criteria

No Search / Doesn’t Work Content uses marketing speak Content hard to scan Content is skimpy on details Picture too small or too few Inability to compare

Good CriteriaAll-Cl Calph

In-depth Information

Ability to Compare Ability to Sort and Filter

Tools for Selection

Features Explained

Purchase Online

Opinions of Other (UGC)

Benefits Explained Information on Brand Informative Stories

Store Locations % Marketing 95% 80%

% Selling5% 20%

Bad Criteria

No Search / Doesn’t Work Content uses marketing speak Content hard to scan Content is skimpy on details Picture too small or too few Inability to compare

Good CriteriaAll-Cl Calph Amaz

In-depth Information Ability to Compare Ability to Sort and Filter

Tools for Selection

Features Explained Purchase Online Opinions of Other (UGC) Benefits Explained Information on Brand Informative Stories Store Locations % Marketing 95% 80% 10%

% Selling5% 20% 90%

Bad Criteria

No Search / Doesn’t Work Content uses marketing speak Content hard to scan Content is skimpy on details Picture too small or too few Inability to compare

Good CriteriaAll-Cl Calph Amaz Cook

In-depth Information Ability to Compare Ability to Sort and Filter

Tools for Selection

Features Explained Purchase Online Opinions of Other (UGC) Benefits Explained Information on Brand Informative Stories Store Locations % Marketing 95% 80% 10% 50%

% Selling5% 20% 90% 50%

Bad Criteria

No Search / Doesn’t Work Content uses marketing speak Content hard to scan Content is skimpy on details Picture too small or too few Inability to compare

Good CriteriaAll-Cl Calph Amaz Cook Advis

In-depth Information Ability to Compare Ability to Sort and Filter

Tools for Selection

Features Explained Purchase Online Opinions of Other (UGC) Benefits Explained Information on Brand Informative Stories Store Locations % Marketing 95% 80% 10% 50% 5%

% Selling5% 20% 90% 50% 95%

Bad Criteria

No Search / Doesn’t Work Content uses marketing speak Content hard to scan Content is skimpy on details Picture too small or too few Inability to compare

Good CriteriaAll-Cl Calph Amaz Cook Advis YAEY

In-depth Information Ability to Compare Ability to Sort and Filter

Tools for Selection

Features Explained Purchase Online Opinions of Other (UGC) Benefits Explained Information on Brand Informative Stories Store Locations % Marketing 95% 80% 10% 50% 5% 15%

% Selling5% 20% 90% 50% 95% 85%

Bad Criteria

No Search / Doesn’t Work Content uses marketing speak Content hard to scan Content is skimpy on details Picture too small or too few Inability to compare

Good CriteriaAll-Cl Calph Amaz Cook Advis YAEY ConR

In-depth Information Ability to Compare Ability to Sort and Filter

Tools for Selection Features Explained Purchase Online Opinions of Other (UGC) Benefits Explained Information on Brand Informative Stories Store Locations % Marketing 95% 80% 10% 50% 5% 15% 0%

% Selling5% 20% 90% 50% 95% 85% 100%

Bad Criteria

No Search / Doesn’t Work Content uses marketing speak Content hard to scan Content is skimpy on details Picture too small or too few Inability to compare

Checking Out – Best Practices

• Careful design allows more customers to complete checkout.

• Filling out forms correctly during checkout is very difficult for most users.

• Forcing people to register during their first purchase is confusing and frustrating and drives customers away.

• Tell users where they are in the checkout process• Show cart at all times possible• Allow changes to shipping, billing, credit card at all

steps

Online Strategy #2• Build a brand marketing site (with a cool flash component)• Add eCommerce – catalog, registration, and checkout• Work hard on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)• Launch a Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign• Ignore 10 years of user studies of consumer web behavior• Wonder why sales are slow

Strategy #2

Strategy #1• Build a brand marketing site (with a cool flash component)• Add eCommerce – catalog, registration, and checkout• Work hard on Search Engine Optimization (SEO)• Create rich content that draws search engine traffic• Offer explanations, research, and comparisons• Create ratings / charts that compare options • Offer credible (non-marketing) videos that explain the

pros and cons of options• Offer brand content to support validation• Allow users to generate content (UGC) on your research • 75% said UGC is credible• 35% said information direct from manufacturer is credible

Thank You