Category

Conversion

Fewer than 5% of visitors to an ecommerce site typically convert to customers. In this Conversion category, we offer insights to increase that percentage. Our expert contributors address ratings and reviews, social proof, site search, product page enhancements, product descriptions, checkout options, live chat, and much more — anything to help close online sales.

Analytics & Data | Checkout Tactics | Customer Retention | Customer Service | Photography & Video | Product Pages

Checkout Tactics
Keep It Simple And Straightforward

June 11, 2008 • Pamela Hazelton

During a recent online shopping experience, I was thrilled to find the particular store offered free shipping on orders of $25 or more. The large, bold graphic denoting such offer was in the upper-right hand corner of the screen. So I spent some time picking out a few more items, then I...
Conversion
When To Ignore A 50% Conversion Rate

June 11, 2008 • Michael Stebbins

Now that your analytics tool is tracking your conversions, you can measure the conversion rate of search engine keywords, referring sites and ad campaigns. The strategy is to find a traffic source that generates higher-than-average conversions, and increase the traffic from that source ...
Conversion
PPC Report Card: Learningbreakthrough.com

June 11, 2008 • Greg Laptevsky

Learning Breakthrough Program is a specialized exercise routine that improves cognitive functions for those diagnosed with developmental, behavioral and learning disabilities. This exercise program is offered via Learningbreakthrough.com, and staff of LBP (Learning Breakthrough Program)...
Conversion
Conversion Success: Simplicity, Target and Alignment

June 9, 2008 • Mat Greenfield

I enjoy watching those television shows where the masked magician reveals the secrets of how stage magic is done. It’s funny because whenever he reveals a new trick, I mentally kick myself for not having figured it out earlier. It seemed so simple. In this, my final column for Practica...
Conversion
Accessibility: Use Audio To Describe Your Products

June 4, 2008 • Joseph Monks

On Memorial Day my wife and I went to see the new Indiana Jones film. You might find that odd, a blind person going to the movies. But it’s possible, thanks to audio-description technology, which allows the blind to follow what happens on-screen. It got me thinking: How could such a se...
Conversion
Social Media Made Simple

May 27, 2008 • Lisa Wehr

Social media sites like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr and blogs consistently rank high in search results. This means you have more opportunities to increase visibility, build your brand and learn about your audience if you're utilizing social media. It may seem overwhelming at firs...
Conversion
Conversion Report Card: Folica.com

May 19, 2008 • Alan Cox

Folica.com is an online beauty retailer that is achieving success through the implementation of a unique business model that includes ecommerce, branded product development and online community. The site has evolved from a relatively small e-retail catalogue to a rather large site with ...
Conversion
Gift Certificates Create Automatic New Customers

May 14, 2008 • Massimo Arrigoni

Electronic gift certificates can be a great way to acquire new customers. When an existing customer buys one for a friend, the friend becomes a free and automatic customer acquisition, unless they were already shopping with you. When a new customer buys a gift certificate for a friend, ...
Conversion
Social Commerce For Social Media

May 14, 2008 • Brendan Gibbons

As social media expands, developers are finding ways to monetize it, making it useful for ecommerce. This is done with applications (abbreviated "apps") and widgets. Jodi McDermott, Director of Product Management for Analytics for Clearspring, a widget developing service, defines the tw...
Conversion
Five Fast Steps to Improve Website Usability

May 7, 2008 • Lisa Wehr

Problem: Your website doesn't work like it should, and every day you're losing sales because of it. As much as you'd like to take the time to comprehensively study the problem, you've decided you can't afford to wait. In many instances, you should take some time to step back and look at...
Conversion
Pay-per-click Advertising: Try The Home Page For A Landing Page

May 5, 2008 • Bryan Bacarella

Over the last couple years a lot of emphasis has been put on creating the perfect pay-per-click landing page. The overall landing page strategy is to create a clear call to action on the page and to have relevant content relating to the search query and ad text. After you've followed ...
Conversion
Analytics: Collect The Right Data

April 16, 2008 • Michael Stebbins

"If you had just..." often starts a phrase of regret. If you had just left on time. If you had just bought that stock. In web analytics, "If you had just..." nearly always relates to loss of data. Here are two ways that data loss can erode the value of your web analytics implementatio...
Customer Service
Protect Customers' Data Or Lose Your Business

April 14, 2008 • Pamela Hazelton

Back-end store security: It's the most important, yet the oft-overlooked parameter of running an online business. Without securing customer data, you have no claim to running a legitimate business. I often hear excuses of ignorance, which makes me wonder how many online store owners ta...
Conversion
Conversion Report Card: Firststreetonline.com

April 7, 2008 • Alan Cox

FirstStreet Online is a large, Virginia-based ecommerce company that offers gifts and lifestyle products to "boomers and beyond." The staff of FirstStreet asked Practical eCommerce to grade its site for conversion issues, which we are pleased to do. A site that is easy to find and ...
Conversion
Bells And Whistles, Or Accessibility Stop Signs?

April 2, 2008 • Joseph Monks

With the advent of high-speed Internet, a treasure trove of possibilities presented themselves to the web developer. Java, embedded video, Flash and other coding options afforded online retailers the opportunity to provide entertainment, in addition to merchandise. Visual animation is ...
Conversion
Promotional Offers Can Create Prospects

March 12, 2008 • Mat Greenfield

For ecommerce websites, a sale is a desired outcome. However, in some cases, building a mailing list of interested prospects can also be very valuable. In this article, we'll discuss some of the principles for developing a compelling offer to get visitors to convert in a non-financial...
Conversion
Pay-per-click Report Card: Vxb.com

March 12, 2008 • Greg Laptevsky

Vxb.com sells ball bearings of various types and sizes. The company is based in California and requested a review of its pay-per-click campaigns on Google, Yahoo! and MSN. Vxb.com's monthly ad spend is around $9,000 in Google, $2,000 in Yahoo! and $150 in MSN. Average conversion rate (...
Conversion
Pay-per-click Ads Impact Google Checkout and PayPal

March 5, 2008 • Greg Laptevsky

If you're running an ecommerce store, you've probably heard of PayPal and Google Checkout. The following is a quick rundown of things you might not have known about the two. Google Checkout You can process 10 times your ad spend in Google AdWords for free. For example, if you're spend...
Conversion
Ecommerce Blogging: Who, What And When

March 5, 2008 • Jeff Muendel

Last month I talked about blogging platforms and the value blogging can bring to ecommerce sites. When a website makes the decision to begin a blog and decides upon a blogging platform, it will then have to decide who will blog and how often. Time allotted to blogging is also a relative...
Conversion
Exporting Your Products: Do It Yourself or Hire an Exporting Firm?

March 3, 2008 • Hal Selim

Once you have conducted your market research and made the decision to export your products to foreign markets, you must devise an international sales and marketing strategy. Your initial obstacle will be determining which overseas markets have the most potential for selling your product...
Conversion
Mobile-optimized Websites Extend Customer Service

February 11, 2008 • Michelle Lambert

When Apple reached out to Travelocity.com to develop an iPhone-optimized website, Travelocity jumped at the chance. “It was a great opportunity for us,” said Paul Briggs, Travelocity’s Director of Customer Marketing and Loyalty. “We already had a general mobile site, but with Apple’s su...
Conversion
Time Is Money

February 6, 2008 • Pamela Hazelton

It never ceases to amaze me how much time people waste trying to save money. Having grown up in a small town (fewer than 2,000 people), I recognized that paying a little more for staple items locally was less costly than driving 20 miles to save a few bucks. In the business of ecommer...
Conversion
Conversion: Metrics Maximize Decision Making

February 6, 2008 • Mat Greenfield

One of the most appealing aspects of web marketing is that it is so measurable; you can actually quantify what works. Because I spend a considerable portion of my work time studying web analytics and metrics, here is a distinction I have found useful over the years: Some metrics are ...
Conversion
Usability Report Card: Ceriellofinefoods.com

January 30, 2008 • Richard Kerr

Joseph Malewicki, the owner of Ceriello Fine Foods, has been an avid reader of Practical eCommerce since its inception. He sells specialty Italian foods at Ceriellofinefoods.com and, when requesting a site-grade, said, “I think I’ve nailed down the info in past issues about usability an...
Conversion
Advertising On The Google Content Network

January 28, 2008 • Greg Laptevsky

The most common mistake Google AdWords advertisers make is assuming that Google’s search network and Google’s content network are the same. In reality, the two are very different. Below is a checklist of how one should go about settings up a content network campaign. Getting Started A...
Conversion
Widgets: Moving Your Web Store Into The Community

January 21, 2008 • Kevin Gold

Social media has grown to become a serious tool in a merchant’s marketing arsenal. Sites like Shopwiki.com, Thisnext.com and others provide excellent opportunities for merchants to gain favorable reviews and referrals, and other social networking sites like Del.icio.us, Reddit.com, Mys...
Conversion
PPC Report Card: Homeexchange.com

January 16, 2008 • Greg Laptevsky

Homeexchange.com helps people exchange homes while on vacation. The site has two conversion events: A $99.95 registration for one year and a $50 house-listing fee. The site’s owner recently asked Practical eCommerce to review its pay-per-click campaigns in Google and Yahoo!. In its cur...
Conversion
Google AdWords: More Than Text Ads

January 14, 2008 • Greg Laptevsky

Google AdWords offers a number of different ad formats and options in addition to the standard text-based ads. I’ve summarized these formats and options below. Standard Text Ads These are the regular text ads that we most commonly associate with Google's pay per click ad program....
Customer Service
On Vacation? Pointers To Stay Connected

January 9, 2008 • Pamela Hazelton

I often find myself traveling with little notice. These trips include last minute family gatherings or clients purchasing new systems and wanting me by their side as they transfer data and confirm stability. Some months I’m gone more than I’m home. However, I’m fortunate enough to be ab...
Analytics & Data
How to Track Ad Results Using Google Analytics

January 8, 2008 • John Henson

If you're paying for any kind of advertising — for example, Google AdWords, banner ads, or e-mail marketing — it's important to know what's working and what's not. Fortunately, analytics programs have built in ad tracking capabilities. I'll describe how you can track your ads with Google Analytics.

« Previous 1 2 3 … 38 39 40 … 44 45 46 Next »