Imagine walking into an electronics or jewelry store with some of the most amazing products you’ve ever seen. Everything this store offers is unique. The people seem kind. The prices are right. But the store itself is very drab and almost looks like a warehouse, and you can’t find anything. It makes you wonder where these people came from and if their goods were stolen or not.

A template is like that brick-and-mortar storefront. If it doesn’t live up to your products, you could be selling your store short. What is a template exactly though? The template is the frame of your website. It contains the categories and navigation. You can see an example of how templates vary in structure here.

What are some things to consider when choosing how and where your categories will be displayed?

1.) Color scheme: Different colors solicit different emotional reactions. Understanding what emotions your site is conveying is key. Since you will probably choose more than one color, it can be very helpful to be familiar with different color schemes together first before putting together a design. This color schemer gallery is very helpful in making this choice.

2.) Navigation: Do you want your navigation to be on the top, the left, or the right? Do you want both top and left navigation? Laying out information in a clear manner is key. Since navigation is ultimately controlled by you and your shopping cart software, making this choice before choosing a template can help give your store a more deliberate, unified feel.

3.) Having an About Us page, a prominent return policy, and contact information will determine if people can trust you or not. We don’t buy from people we don’t know. Where can you display this information so that people can find it?

4.) Customers who use your search functionality to find products are much more likely to purchase than those who are simply browsing. Make sure it is prominent for your users somewhere in your template.

Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
http://www.volusion.com

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Your logo seems like such a small part of your online store. After all, your customers are looking at your products, right? A logo is an afterthought.

Your company’s logo is the most prominent form of branding your store will have. A logo can go on a receipt, a letterhead, a t-shirt, banner, as well as every page of your online store. It is also typically in one of the more prominent places website users look according to eye-tracking studies. It’s how your customers identify you.

What should you consider when choosing a logo?

Your customers can’t see if you choose to wear a suit or t-shirt, cargo pants, and Birkenstocks. They don’t know if you or your employees are country or city dwellers. They see your site. Ensuring your logo matches what you are all about will set the cornerstone for creating a solid brand people will be able to trust.

If you are a Volusion customer, you can purchase a logo design for $495.

Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
michelle_greer(at)volusion.com
http://www.volusion.com

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If you go to a site, and it doesn’t look right, you will probably go somewhere else. After all, if someone doesn’t care to make their website look good, what will their product be like?

It’s not always a correct assumption, but it is one that we make.

One way to give your website legitimacy is to make sure that all of the photos are the size they should be given the space available. If you focus on selling and are not a Photoshop master, don’t worry. There are tools out there that make this process easy.

Resizr allows you to upload a photo and then choose the size and format you want it to be, rotate it, crop it, or make it black and white. If you don’t want to spend $100 for Photoshop Elements, Resizr is a good alternative for basic tasks such as these.

Are you wanting to color correct one photo and take out red eye from another? If you only need to make a few changes, an alternative to Photoshop is Gimpshop. Although Gimpshop is not quite as user friendly as Photoshop, it does have a very similar feature set and should do most of the basic tasks needed to fix your graphics.

Use the tools available to you to make your graphics legit. It’s crucial in closing the sale.

Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
http://www.volusion.com

Technorati Tags: Free Graphics Tools, Free Photo Tools, Open Online Store, Create Online Store, Online Store Tools, Tools Sell Online, Ecommerce Tools, Volusion

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No matter how many sales reps you get, those salespeople will never be able to close as many sales as a good website. They cannot be as accessible or offer as much information in as little time as a well executed online store.This being said, your homepage acts as your display window and the front door to your online store. Here are three cues to consider that were taken from A List Apart, one of the most referred to design sites on the web:

1.) Answer the question, “What is this place?” It is important to show new users what it is you are all about. Usability studies show that when users do not understand a website or application, they tend to blame themselves as the idiot rather than the designer or the developer. Should your visitors be made to feel like idiots because you have not made it clear to them what the purpose of your website is? A List Apart’s writer Derek Powazek has a summary of this process. “Don’t be afraid to use good old fashioned text to say: ‘This is who we are, and this is what we’re about.’ Then link to a more verbose about page or tour. That way, the people who need that help have a place to go to find it. And make sure the text you use is excited and positive—and makes the reader feel important.”

2.) Don’t get in the repeat visitors’ way. You can get so carried away in attracting new customers that your existing customers cannot just enter your site and find exactly what they need.

3.) Show what’s new. This is the easy part, since new products appeal to both new and existing customers. Don’t be afraid to tell your customer exactly where to go to see your latest additions to your site.

Being mindful of these three important factors ensures that all your visitors will feel welcome and ready to buy upon entering your store.

Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
http://www.volusion.com

Technorati Tags: homepage design, homepage tips, ecommerce homepage, online store homepage, design online store, a list apart, ecommerce design, design to sell, design conversion, design usability, volusion

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Imagine you are strolling through the mall and stop to look at your favorite department store’s window. Instead of seeing the usually up and coming trends displayed or a sign that marks an annual sale, you see a barrage of everything that the store sells, from furniture to mens, childrens, and womens clothes, to shoes and accessories. Every bit of space in the window is cluttered with some product or another in an effort to ensure that every passerby knows everything that is offered in that store.

Your homepage acts as the shop window for your website. It gets people in the door. If you cannot find the pair of slacks you want in the display window, you do not assume it is not there. You shouldn’t assume your customers will leave your site if they can’t find what they want immediately.Here are some tips for choosing what to put on your homepage:

1.) Include a one to two sentence pitch of what you are all about. Customers have limited attention spans. They don’t have time to scan all of your products, but they will stick around if they know what your angle is.

2.) Include a homepage graphic with either key or new products, or even a link to a sales page. You don’t have time to waste the expensive real estate on your home page. Rather than including a large seasonal graphic or a picture unrelated to your products, make sure your graphic appeals to its audience and lets them know what you have to offer.

3.) Do not ask your customers to do to much too early. Are you asking customers to watch a video as well as click to view all of your inventory and make a call to a salesperson? You would not ask someone to do this in real life, and you shouldn’t do this with your website. Prioritize the top two things you want customers to focus on when first entering your site and stick with those.

4.) Take design cues from the best. Internet Retailer picked their Hot 100 Retail Websites based on progressive design and ease of use. Pick out your favorites and infuse some of their cues with your own style and story.

So sort through the clutter of your homepage and use it to entice people to enter your site. The value of your products and services should do the rest.

Michelle Greer, Marketing Specialist
http://www.volusion.com

Technorati Tags: Ecommerce Conversion, Web 2.0 Design, Ecommerce Design, Homepage Design, Online Store Design, Ecommerce Usability, Ecommerce Homepage, Online Store Homepage, Apple Design, Volusion

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