The last thing any store manager wants is to make a terrible impression on customers as they walk through the front door. How embarrassing would it be if shoppers were greeted with dirty premises and disorganised products?
Similarly, a website is an important extension of a business and should be treated with the same respect. Retailers with websites that don’t convert into sales, either in-store or online, could be costing themselves thousands in lost revenue every month.
The job of a website is to provide a landing place where customers can locate information about the business. It should impress customers enough to hold their attention and deliver a strong call-to-action that will inspire them to call or visit the store. Shoppers attending websites without taking action are as useful as shoppers entering stores just to browse.
There are three main components that every website should contain if it is to have any chance of converting customers. These are as follows:
Helpful content
One would think it is obvious that website content should be helpful to consumers but there is no shortage of websites either lacking in material or providing vague and general information.
Why hire a professional designer to launch a website and then skimp on hiring a copywriter? Hire a skilled writer or call on a favour from a talented writer friend. Copywriters can take a mundane description of what a business does and make it look like the king of the trade.
Make content more useful and less generic. For example, instead of simply listing the various styles of engagement rings on offer, explain the meaning behind each ring setting, such as the three-stone meaning of past, present and future. For other products like watches, put together a review of the timepiece instead of just copying and pasting what the manufacturer provides.
Easy user flow
The way a website is laid out plays a large role in website conversion. This is called user flow. If the design of a jewellery website is ugly and the product poorly photographed, visitors will take one look and leave; if the information isn’t laid out in a way that will make sense to potential customers, they’re going to leave.
Things that need to be considered for a smooth layout are the menu, the way the content is presented (in digestible and savoury chunks), the colour scheme of the whole website, and in general, how all the information is presented. Websites should include an about or history page that discusses the business itself, a products page where items are listed in detail and not just presented as logos, and a services page where customers can see what value the business offers on top of selling products.
Websites are best viewed as rabbit holes – feed potential customers the tasty nuggets of information they need to keep wandering deeper and deeper into the site and, eventually, into the store.
Provide contact information
Having a contact page is good but what’s more important is to ensure contact information is visible on every page. At a minimum, the business’ phone number and email should be incorporated into the sidebar or header of a website so that it remains visible throughout the visitor’s journey through the website. Don’t annoy potential customers by making them hunt for contact information and also think about including a Google map with directions to the store directly on the contact page.
Bonus points
Christmas is just around the corner, which means it’s more important than ever to increase opportunities for website conversion. The number of things retailers can try during this important trading period to drive more people to visit stores is limited only by imagination.
Why not mention a special Christmas gift and wrapping offer on the website that is only available in-store? Why not establish a pick-up service for website purchases that includes gift-wrapping?
When it comes to making more website conversions, business owners need to ensure their webpages have certain mechanics in place. If not, they may as well look their competitors in the eyes and congratulate them on the customers that they just gifted them this Christmas.