Why “bugs”? This was inspired by firebugs, which are tiny, interesting and great insects that can add some light to the darkness!
--ForewordTomatoCart starts today a new blog category called “eCommerce Tactics”, to unfold both common sense and secrets for online store building and sale increase.
Sometimes online shoppers can be easily appealed to by unnoticeable yet considerate offerings or services, which we compare to lightning bugs. These bugs may well serve to lead shoppers along or push them forward till they see “The order has been made successfully.” This will give more-than-satisfactory shopping experience, increase conversions and gain sound reputation from clients. Online retailers who care store usability and sales rise can never miss these firebugs!
In this blog I collect altogether eight bugs.
- Hints
Having finished several steps in filling a form, it could frustrate or even be a nightmare to be told that “The username entered contained illegal characters. Please try again. ” So that you have to go back and repeat all procedures till everything goes well. No wonder that potential orders slip away.
Hints may hold attention and thus kill the order-killer. A preferred solution to account creation may be to give hints of what kind of characters are accepted as in a username, to ask for username availability check, etc. Furthermore, a simple and easy-to-find tutorial on how to use credit card could also greatly reduce abandonment rate at checkout. - Coupons in a welcome letter
“What if a certain coupon among in a welcome message? Will the customer who has never been to your store before use the shopping vouchers at once? Just because of this, is it possible from now on you have one more returning customer?”(From Community) - Detailed contact information
I used to take a look at the retailers’ contact information at the beginning of shopping. Details and a telephone number usually prove me that this store is somewhat trust-worthy. Or I would continue window-shopping, not quite willing to pursue a purchase. - Search Category
eCommerce stores with a ton of products should have a powerful search functionality, so customers can easily find what they are shopping for within a targeted category, site or section. Lots of stores have only one search field to tap keywords in, which can not provide exact search results. The solution recommended is searching by category.
Advanced technology even follows clients typing and gives suggestions or alternatives. - Glossary explanation
Clients will buy products on which he is not an expert. They can get puzzled by glossary mixed in parameters in the product description passage. It is quite another thing when the site provides timely help when he moves the mouse over these opaque glossaries, and pops up a box to explain what it is. (From Community) - Delivery date optional by shoppers
Online shoppers can select delivery date available for them. It is supposed to provide greatly convenience for shoppers. And it is one of the quickest methods to elevate your store professionalism. (From Community) - Reducing Procedures when checkout
People are lazy. The fewer fields to fill, the better. For example, checkout paths under 4 steps will be sufficient, Address Info>Shipping>Payment>Order Confirmation. - Confirmation email with specific order review
The moment customers finish an order, a confirmation email sent gives an impression of safety and reliability. The email should include a shipping tracking number, date of expected delivery, all notes the customers has written, and things like the address, payment & shipping method, item details, price, itemized tax, discounts, etc. These further confirm the order and establish a more friendly experience.
All features listed here will be found at TomatoCart future releases, or TomatoCart Extensions. Do you have any new idea? Would you make it an extension? Speak it out! Discuss whether they could make your store shine!
