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Most of us have already concluded that come January, we are going to start losing those pesky 15 pounds, quit smoking, do more volunteer work, and reduce our debt. While all of these are certainly all worthy causes, you can also take the potential downtime this January to make improvements to both your store and your business process. |
Here are some suggestions from various Volusion staffers:
Jennifer S.
“Solidify your design by making it more consistent through your site. If you already have a consistent design, try taking it a step further into your advertising and just add some little things to make your store feel more like an experience.”
Jeri B.
“Maintain a simplified color palette throughout your entire site. It will add a harmonious look and feel to your site, and make it appear more professional and easy to navigate.”
Jon B.
Get familiar with the many design tools on the web. Here are just a few I suggest:
http://www.modernlifeisrubbish.co.uk Modern Design Tips
http://www.dafont.com Free fonts that won’t lock up Photoshop
http://www.colorschemer.com Give your site color harmony
http://www.resizr.com A free way to resize your photos
http://www.istockphoto.com Stock photos for $1
Sandra N.
“Execute more mini projects. Divide a main project into smaller projects with a smaller scope so that each “mini” project can be easily completed in a shorter amount of time. This leads to a better sense of accomplishment, don’t you think?”
Michelle B.
“Make it more of a point to get feedback from family and friends to evaluate your site regularly. Your goal could be to ask someone for feedback once a week, five times a month, or any schedule that will work for you. Start with a specific area (design, navigation, product descriptions, images, etc.) and ask for comments in that specific area. This will allow you to focus on one area at a time, and create a specific “To-Do” List for that section before moving on to the next.”
Kate P.
“Add to your credibility as an online company in the eyes of potential customers. Have a clear return policy/money back guarantee posted, and make sure that customers can readily find it before they order. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you were duped by a company because they hid their policies or made it nearly impossible for you to return items.”
AmyLynn K.
“Make it a point to improve your on-page SEO. A lot of people just put sizes into their product descriptions, but is that really describing the product? You could describe its various sizes, what it’s for, and so much more about it. This in and of itself will make search engine spiders like your site a whole lot more.”
Stacie L.
“If you haven’t done so already, now’s the time to start running online ads. It’s a great way to gain exposure and possible sales, especially if your site isn’t ranking well in search engines. A few quick tips: direct campaigns to landing pages to better target traffic, monitor campaigns often and write ad text that is relevant to what the searcher is looking for. Always keep in mind that those reaching your site have already searched, so don’t make them search more after clicking on your ad. See the Search Engine Marketing section for more tips on setting up online ad campaigns.”
Adam H.
“Off page SEO is huge for improving your search engine rankings. Create a blog to link back to your store. Write articles or ask bloggers to review your products. Making a point this year to increase your backlinks can pay huge dividends in the end for your business.”
Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
“Remember to see your store in the context of the web. When your customers look for your products, they don’t just see your store. They probably found you on Google, a comparison shopping site, or an affiliate link, and they may have heard about you in a forum or other community site. Participating in online communities will help you understand and reach out to your customers to gain their loyalty.”
Volusion wishes all of our merchants and readers a happy and prosperous 2008.
–Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
http://www.volusion.com
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