Would you be comfortable supplying your credit card number to an outdated, haphazard looking website? Most people wouldn’t, and that is exactly what makes it important to pay attention to the message your site is sending to visitors. Consumers want to buy from companies, not websites, and further, they want to feel confident that those companies are backed by real people. That seems obvious, but a legitimate concern given that pretty much anyone can have a website these days.

Even if your site is overflowing with traffic, it makes you no money when visitors walk in and right back out of your online store. So how do you stand out from the crowd and ensure that site visitors are comfortable doing business with your company?

A few obvious answers are having a professional design, solid text content and secure purchasing options – all important in today’s online marketplace. If you’ve got these basics covered, way to go! Now let’s take a look at some specific ways to make your site stand out that you may not have considered.

When you’re looking for fresh ideas to liven up your site, consider taking a lesson from the pros. Large companies with deep pockets sink millions of dollars into their online marketing activities, so why not benefit from their investments by picking up a few tips for your site? Examine the sites of several established e-retailers as well as major players in your own industry. What do they have in common? What do they do that you don’t?

Give your ecommerce site an edge over the competition with these simple techniques:

• Have a few products immediately visible upon reaching the site. Displaying too many products right away may overwhelm visitors, but showing a select few products will engage visitors and prompt them to immediately start shopping. Consider adding a “Featured Products” section or displaying one key product per category on the home page.

• Create a sense of urgency. Every major retail site seems to have a prominently displayed “Special Offer” or “Sale” advertised in plain view on the home page. Ebay.com displays specific auctions that are about to end, and Overstock.com highlights items that are almost out of stock. Each of these techniques instills a sense of urgency, which can lead consumers to make a purchase when they may otherwise just shop around. Brainstorm ideas for implementing similar techniques on your own site.

• Keep your content relevant. There are many ways to make sure the content on your site is fresh, and I’m not talking redesign (though if your design is archaic, by all means, update!). Google does a great job of keeping its home page relevant by swapping out its logo for artistic renderings reflecting a current holiday, event, birthday or landmark date in history. Though Google prides itself on the simple, rarely modified design of its home page, it stays relevant by incorporating festive logo renderings of current topics periodically throughout the year. Check out the gallery of Google’s holiday logos past for inspiration, and create your own ways to show visitors that your company more than just a website.

• Give your site some personality. If you can give your site a personal touch while keeping it professional, visitors will feel more comfortable doing business with you. Some ways to personalize a site are including photos of employees, testimonials from customers, posts about company events and charitable contributions, live online chat services as well as personalized wish lists and product suggestions.

Adding a Favorites Icon, known as a favicon, is a simple touch that helps brand your business and make it stand out. A favicon is the icon that appears in the Bookmarks or Favorites list in most browsers, as well as on tabs in browsers that support tabs. For more information on adding a favicon to your site, visit How To Favicon.

One final piece of advice is to always think of your site content as a work in progress. Of course you have worked hard to get your site to where it is today, but there is always room for improvement. Even with the same amount of traffic, you can make more profit by reducing your bounce rate and increasing conversions, both of which are usually tied to the content, design and/or usability of the site itself. Be persistent, get creative and reap the benefits of providing a superior online experience to your customers.

Pam Westbrook, Ecommerce Marketing/Copywriting

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Why Even Bother Defining a Target Audience?
Many businesses operate under the idea that they will offer products and anyone who needs or wants them will purchase from them. This may have been the case in the past, but with the vast selection that consumers have online these days, companies need to do more to gain customers. Think about it from your own perspective- are you more likely to buy from a site that is trying to be everything to everyone or just wants to serve your personal needs and interests? As consumers we reward the effort that companies put into understanding and serving us as individuals. This is why niche companies do so well. The secret of having a strong target audience is that your company can operate like it is in a niche market while having a product that is much more general. What does this mean for your business? A strong target audience can drive profits and provide excellent structure for all of your company’s efforts.

How Will a Target Audience Benefit My Online Business?
Once you know who you are focusing your company’s efforts on other decisions come much easier- what to name your company and website, what the design of the site should look like, how to layout your site, etc. Say for instance your products are back-to-school items and the target audience is defined as males aged 13-22 in metropolitan areas. You would probably want a name that emphasizes the “coolness” of your products and the way they’ll make your customers stand out. Most likely the design of your site should be something flashy with graphics and lots to look at that catches the eye. The products themselves can be more technical in their description and the options fairly numerous. This site with all the same products would be very different if it was for mothers buying items for their children in the same age group. If you try to appeal to both of these crowds you are probably going to lose some of both audiences. Teenage males do not want to shop where their mothers would shop, and vice versa most mothers would not find the things that their teenage sons like appealing. In this example defining a target audience is crucial to the success of the business.

Is There Any Benefit to my General Business Operations?
Defining a target audience can help define other ancillary aspects of your business. A target audience can help your business know where to sell, what functions to attend, who to partner with, what kind of promotions to run, etc. Using the last example if your site was geared toward males aged 13-22 in metropolitan areas looking for back-to-school supplies and not their Mothers it is logical to do demonstrations at school and university campuses rather than grocery stores. You might want to partner with a soft drink or energy drink company as opposed to a fruit juice or sparkling water. You could do a giveaway that includes men’s products like razors or cologne instead of coupons for future purchases. These types of efforts would be foolish with other target audiences, but they will suit your defined target audience perfectly. This type of connection with the consumer is directly proportional to sales.

So How Do I Define a Target Audience for My Business?
In defining a target audience these are the questions that you need to ask yourself:

• What is your product? (If you are selling services sometimes this can get tricky.)
• Who will the product serve?
• Who will the product connect with and appeal to?
• How will the product be used?

What is Your Product?
If you are selling physical products this should not be too hard to determine, but if you are selling services you may need to dig a little deeper. If you are selling house or car alarms you are probably not selling electronics per se, but more likely you are selling security. People do not buy security alarms just to look at the technology they can incorporate into their house or car; they buy them for a feeling of protection. Occasionally this is the case with a product as well. If you are selling fingernail polish you are not selling the polish. You more likely are selling fashion and style.

Who Will the Product Serve and Who Will it Appeal To?
Sometimes the person purchasing the product is buying it for themselves but a lot of times someone is purchasing a product for someone else. While it is important to think about who will ultimately use the product often what is more important is making a connection with the person that will be buying it. For example, teachers get a lot of apple-related gifts, but they do not purchase them for themselves. While selling teachers’ gifts it is important to appeal to the kids and parents who may be looking for an item to express their thanks at the end of a school year.

How Will The Product Be Used?
Giving thought to how a product will be used helps determine how that product should be represented and sold. If you are selling sports equipment show it pictured on the field or court. Emphasize its resiliency and performance enhancing features. This will appeal to the purchaser and can also help define the target audience. If you are selling something for a more advanced athlete obviously you will need to go into more depth about the specifics of the product and its appropriate uses because they have greater needs than a casual or first-time user. Looking at how a product is used can define your target audience even further.

How do I Incorporate this into my Online Business?
Once you have your target audience defined it is important to make sure that every aspect of your site (design, layout, products, text, pricing, promotions, etc.) is aligned with the vision of your target audience. The best way to do this is to have a focus group of people meeting your target audience profile review and try purchasing from your site so you can get some good feedback on what you are doing right and what you need to improve on. Better yet, try using the Volusion Forum to get fast and free feedback on your site.

Some Links to Volusion Features that May Appeal to Your Target Audience:
Volusion Integration with My Space and Facebook
Adding Custom Order Page Fields
Product Quantity Restrictions
Customer Package Tracking
Coupons/Discounts/Promotions

-Kate Pierce, Ecommerce Specialist

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The online segment of a business empowers it to reach beyond geographic boundaries and gain exposure to a larger share of targeted consumers. With a growing number of companies operating solely online, business owners are dedicated to establishing a strong online presence in order to maximize profits. To optimize the benefits of selling in the online marketplace, companies operating on the internet should secure the right domain name from the start.

A domain name is the unique name for a website’s address on the internet, and is an important part of branding a business. Our domain name here at Volusion is Volusion.com. The domain name you select for your business is what potential customers will type into a browser to find your website, so it is best to select one that is easy to remember and type.

If you do not yet know what you plan to name your business, it may be helpful to research available domain names first to get an idea of your options. If your business name and domain name match, potential customers can guess how to get to your site even without knowing the address. The first step to securing the right domain name is checking its availability. You can search domain names for availability directly from the Volusion website.

Do not be discouraged if your first few domain name ideas are unavailable, as there are billions of websites out there with each having at least one domain name! With so many sites on the Web, it comes as no surprise that most good domain names are taken, but this does not mean you have to settle for a less desirable one. For a $500 to $1000 investment, you can get a premium domain name perfect for your business. User-friendly domain name search tools like Volusion’s will offer suggestions for premium domain names based on keywords you enter, and allow you to purchase your domain name directly.

If the domain name you want is taken, consider contacting the owner to see if he or she is open to selling it. If not, select a different domain related to your business with the points from the list below in mind. You can find out who owns a domain using the “Whois Search” tool on Volusion’s Domain Name Registration page.

While there are certainly not concrete rules when it comes to selecting a domain name, here are a few considerations to get you started:

• What top level domain (TLD) to choose. The top level domain in Volusion.com is the .com at the end. Other top level domains you have probably seen are .net, .org, .biz as well as country specific TLDs like .ca and .uk. In most cases, the .com is the chosen TLD for commercial sites because users are accustomed to hearing and typing .com, though country specific TLDs have advantages in certain situations. Some business owners opt to purchase the .net or .biz when the .com is unavailable. If you purchase a .net or .biz, keep in mind that some users may not remember to use the less common TLD, and may end up going to the .com address that does not belong to you.

• Whether to use the hyphenated version if your first choice is unavailable. This means using the-domain-name-i-want.com if you are unable to get thedomainnameiwant.com, for example. Using the hyphenated version of a domain is a feasible option, though if you choose to do so, there are some considerations to keep in mind. For instance, it may be difficult to convey the URL verbally, such as through word of mouth publicity or in a radio ad. On the other hand, some believe that URLs with important keywords separated by hyphens can give a site a relevance boost in the search engines, though this theory would be difficult to prove.

Check out Choosing a Domain Name: 4 Tips on What Not to Do for more considerations related to the wording of your domain name.

• Whether a particular domain name can be easily remembered by the average person. People are more likely to find your site if they can remember and type the domain name easily. In general, shorter domain names are easier to remember and type, but users’ familiarity with the name you choose also plays a role. For example, using an acronym for your domain will keep it short, but a series of letters that do not make up a word may be difficult for many people to remember. Do not hesitate to ask for opinions from family, friends and colleagues, who can give you outside perspective on whether a certain domain name is memorable and easy to type.

Selecting the right domain name is an important step in beginning to build a strong online brand. Using Volusion’s intuitive domain name search tools and a little creative thinking will make it easy to find the perfect domain name for your business.

Search Domain Names Now!

-Pam Westbrook, Ecommerce Marketing/Copywriting

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As the price of fuel climbs with every fill up, consumers are looking for ways to drive less and scale back their lifestyles in effort to squeeze the most value from every hard earned dollar. A leisurely Sunday afternoon drive is a thing of the past as cash-strapped commuters are forced to reach deeper into their wallets to cover necessary transportation expenses.

While the cost of travel has become exorbitant – and prohibitively so for many – online shopping has come to the forefront as an attractive and economical alternative to hitting up the mall or supermarket. With everything from clothing to pet supplies to groceries available on the internet, unique opportunities exist for savvy online businesses poised to serve the needs of consumers’ changing lifestyles.

“Decreased fuel consumption may make gas station owners frown, but it could bring a smile to the faces of online business owners, whose products all of a sudden may have greater appeal to consumers looking to eliminate unnecessary shopping trips during the current gas crunch.”
Continue reading…

-Pam Westbrook, Ecommerce Marketing/Copywriting

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You are running an online store, but how do you know if you are running it well? Are you up to date with the current trends in ecommerce, or are you spinning your wheels with little results?

Aside from Volusion’s blog, there are many resources online to help you get ahead in online business. Here are just a few that we recommend:

DESIGN:
http://www.alistapart.com
Advanced blog about current style of design

http://www.webdesignfromscratch.com/web-2.0-design-style-guide.cfm
Visual guide for modern style of design.

http://www.unmatchedstyle.com
http://cssvault.com/gallery
Two great galleries of web 2.0 style designs. Unmatched Style includes Wordpress themes for your blog as well.
SEO and SEM:
http://www.seochat.com
SEO site with current trends in ecommerce, tips, and a useful forum.

http://www.searchengineland.com
Current tips and trends in SEO and SEM. Check out their crazy keywords!

http://www.sempo.org/learning_center
Organization completely dedicated to search engine marketing.

MARKETING and PR:
http://www.micropersuasion.com
Steve Rubel’s blog that features current on technology and how it can help you market your product. Pretty good with stats too.

http://www.marketingsherpa.com
Site full of useful marketing studies. Some studies are free; others are available for purchase.

http://www.gladwell.com/
Good to read to understand the psychological aspects of marketing rather than the technical. Check out Gladwell’s books too.

http://www.theb2blead.com/b2b-marketing-podcasts/the-b2b-lead-podcast-2-%E2%80%93-whurley-on-the-power-of-social-media/
Great podcast featuring William Hurley of BMC about the power and nature of social media.

NEWS AND MISCELLANEOUS:

http://www.ecommercetimes.com
Helps you keep up with the players and trends in ecommerce.

http://www.webmasterworld.com
Another means for keeping up.

http://www.practicalecommerce.com
Magazine completely dedicated to online stores.

Rather than reading a bunch at once, take a little time every day to gain knowledge about running an online business. You can make this easier by subscribing to these sites’ RSS feeds. Taking the time each day to understand the industry will help you take your business in the right direction.

Is there a publication that has helped you sell online? Share it by posting a comment.

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

Technorati Tags: Ecommerce Blogs, Ecommerce Magazines, Ecommerce Resources, Learn to Sell Online, volusion

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