White Knight

Most businesses owners are under the impression that in order to stay in touch with current buying trends, they must have a website - they are correct.

According to a report released in 2008 by Internet Measurement Company ‘Nielsen Online’, Australians are spending around 13.7 hours per week surfing the internet in comparison to the 13.3 hours of viewing television.

These figures in conjunction with the massive increase of online purchases have prompted the business world towards more active forms of sales and advertising using the World Wide Web.

As a consequence of this newly developed customer expectation, businesses are rushing in flocks to purchase websites so that they too can keep up with today’s customer demands.

The true purpose of a website

Interestingly though prior to engaging a professional web design company, a large number of businesses don’t take into consideration how this web tool will add to their bottom line. Rather than generating revenue, websites (if developed for wrong reasons) can simply add to companies running operational costs.

Before embarking on a mission to build a site, business owners should take into consideration that websites can serve different purposes and as such, content displayed should vary.

Business sites generally fall into the following three categories:

eCommerce Sites - these sites feature products and services that can be purchased without any form of consultation. Customers can simply browse through the online store and proceed to purchase goods using the available checkout on the site.

Features of effective eCommerce Sites can include:

• Professional looking and legitimate
• Easy and intuitive Navigation
• Simple and free of clutter
• Necessary links to privacy and /or assurance documentation
• Legitimate security payment logos (PayPal, GeoTrust, Security Seals, etc.)
• Simple to locate business contact details
• A fully intact and operational site without broken links, images, spelling and grammatical errors

In a bricks and mortar world, compare this concept to the newly designed self checkouts in stores in Big-W. These stores are designed to easily lead a customer through the sales process and use minimal human interaction. Compare this concept with a site that implements proven concepts of eCommerce design. This type of site will lead a customer along a clearly defined process, answering any concerns or objections along the way, concluding with a transaction.

Image Building Sites – these sites are specifically designed to distribute information. Generally, these types of sites are used by manufacturers – not retailers. Their sole purpose is to educate the greater society on the features and benefits of their products and services. If designed effectively, Information sites contain links to sites of their preferred distributors.

Features of effective Image Sites can include:

• A professional and legitimate look
• Accurate and descriptive information about products and services offered
• Links to preferred distributors

Companies like Coke and Nokia use Image Sites to drive business towards their distributors where the eventual conversion or sale will occur.

Information/ Lead Generation Sites – these sites form a part of the greater sales process. Their sole purpose is to educate clients on the range of products and services on offer and create a link between the website and a consultant.

In December 2008, Nielsen Online released a report showing that 81% of online holiday shoppers read reviews written by others customers when doing their shopping. This highlights the use of the Internet for research when making purchasing decisions. A good Information Site will use this to their advantage and offer topically related, quality information whilst still leading the consumer down a set path toward a physical point of contact and eventual conversion.

Features of effective Information Sites can include:

• Educational and topically related information regarding the company’s products and services
• Clearly visible contact details (e.g. phone number and/or company address)
• Ability to subscribe to regular newsletters
• Contact ‘me’ web forms
• Customer testimonials

Deciding the purpose of Your Website

It is vital to understand the purpose of a new website prior to engaging a web development company. You must consider whether the site will be built to educate potential customers on their range of products and services, generate immediate income in the form of an eCommerce store or determine whether its purpose is to create a lead for eventual conversion.

With a clear understanding of a websites purpose, business owners can incorporate their site to form a larger part of their overall sales process.

The rapid growth and innovation of the internet is allowing many small to medium size businesses to take advantage of proven techniques used by large multi-national companies. These companies invest millions of dollars every year to create a holistic approach to sales and understand a website is another opportunity to provide Fantastic Customer Service.

Aside from the obvious cost benefits in a setting up your eCommerce Solution on the web, there are other benefits such as the automation of the sales process that make it more convenient for the average consumer to make their purchase online.

On the other end of the scale, consumers are using the internet to assist in making a more informed decision prior to entering the “Show Room” to finalize their purchase.

Chris Freithcen from  ConsumerSearch.com was recently quoted saying, ‘It is fairly common for a person looking at purchasing a product to want to fully research it prior to making a purchase.”

Online Shopping Trends

Since its inception in 1990’s online sales have increased every year by an unprecedented amount and continue to grow as consumers become more comfortable using the Internet as a tool for gathering information and making informed decisions.

A survey by Nielson Online (a service of the Nielson Company) shows people shop online during the holidays not to save money, but to save time. The online survey of 1000 consumers found 81% shop online as they can shop when they choose at any time of the day. 77% mentioned they wanted to save time and 61% use the internet to compare prices and 56% said they like to use it because they are able to find what they want easily.

Another report compiled by comScore titled “The Ascent of the Precision Shopping Machine”, explores eCommerce and discusses future shopping trends. The report states, “Online shopping spikes every year, then pulls the rest of the year up with it as people become more comfortable with their online shopping experience.” The report continues, “As experience and comfort grows, spending increases.”

These trends indicate an upward spiral of online purchases that increase with every holiday season as the web industry continues to develop with intuitive design, and consumers continue to feel more comfortable with their online experience.

Why are people becoming more comfortable using the Internet to make their purchasing decisions?

Over time the internet has evolved and its number of users has increased. In 1999 there were approximately 248 million people worldwide using the internet. Today (as of march 2009) there are approximately 1.59 Billion people worldwide, which represent over 600% increase in users in just ten years (source
Internet Growth Stats).

Although many would argue this increase is simply as a result of the convenience of the internet, one of the real reasons for the dramatic increase is the creation of newer technologies, continual development to create a more intuitive experience and the implementation of other proven techniques.

This has created a foundation for web designers and website owners to systematize components of their business and streamline the experience for the customer.

Websites streamline the process

Websites are an excellent method of streamlining the sales process for many businesses. A business can now share relevant and correct information with its customers, is available 24/7 for viewing, and if used correctly, will complete the transaction or lead the customer along a path to make a final purchase.

Unlike many other older conventional sales techniques the increased usage of the Internet indicates this component of the sales process will continue grow and more people will use the internet to complete or assist in their future purchases.

The key to the successful use of a website is in the implementation of proven processes that lead the potential client along a path and essentially holds their hand to guide them through each step. This will gain trust and show your customers your website is a Fantastic Customer Service tool.