Many of us start a new year armed with a purposeful To-Do list. Revamping your ecommerce website may have been at the top of your wish list, but what can you do when faced with the reality that you can’t achieve the overhaul you may have had in mind?
Websites and ecommerce are ever-changing and improving, but this doesn’t mean you need to be all-or-nothing in your approach. Perhaps you can implement an evolutionary makeover, rather than a revolutionary revamp?
By focusing on specific areas for improvement, it may be that the foundations of your website are sufficient enough to be patched up and given a new lease of life. Identify the areas that would benefit from a brush-up in order to spruce up your site.
Revitalise your copy
Websites don’t need to be wordy, they need to be wonderful. Accurate and honest text can deliver your message far more effectively than pages of descriptions. Think about the message you want to get across and try to say it effectively. Double check your spelling – mistakes can undermine your credibility.
Consider the language you use
For many websites, a straightforward ‘who we are, what we do’ description is sufficient. But in order to capture a customer’s interest, you need to show how you can be of benefit to them. By rewriting your intro, you can address ‘who we are, what we do’ and ‘why you should choose us’. Make sure your opening gambit is a good one.
Make your call to action count
Review your current calls to action – do they really make your customers want to click through? “See our lowest priced cameras” is a better prompt than “click here ”, giving the viewer much more of an incentive to take a look and stay longer on your site.
Check your image
Have a look to make sure the product images on your website best reflect the product themselves. Perhaps a newer model is now available, or an additional colour option? Update the photos to include alternative views or angles of a product, to help the customer see what they are getting.
Get organized
Remove old or irrelevant information from your website. If you have a ‘News’ section, spend some time archiving old articles to make site navigation easier. Take a look and see if your product categories are best arranged – new innovations often mean products step outside of their original description.
Reinvent and rebrand
Maybe 2012 is the year of your new company image. This doesn’t mean losing old customers and your old identity, but building on your reputation and showing users that you are confident for what the future holds for your brand. You don’t need anything drastic or unrecognizable – simple yet effective enhancements to your branding and logo can revitalize the company.
Is there any more you can do?
Consider the level of customer service that your website currently offers. Aside from a contact address, telephone number and email details, is there anything else that you can do to make your customer’s lives easier when they want to reach you? Consider implementing feedback forms, an email link or even a LiveChat facility.
