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Friday, August 8, 2008
In This Issue
Editor’s Scribbles
Modern Living
10 Web Store Features to Look For When Shopping Online
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10 Web Store Features to Look For When Shopping Online
by Jay Stueve
If you are like me, you are frustrated with gas prices and you have started to shop online much more often. I have a difficult time justifying the costs that are incurred when trying to buy a widget from the local Widget Depot store. I live about 7 miles from the nearest large shopping area.
So, I am looking at a 14 mile round trip. Combine this with the local seven percent sales tax and the five dollar widget I was after is going to cost me close to ten dollars! Not to mention the hassles of waiting in line, traffic, wear and tear on my vehicle and the time I am wasting when I could be doing something else. No thank you. I will buy my widgets online.
When buying online however how do we know we are visiting and shopping on a trustworthy site? How do I know if they will accept a return? What do I do if they send me the wrong widget? How do I know my personal information is safe?
These are a few of the questions you should be asking before you whip out that credit card and make a purchase. For me personally there are ten things I need to see on the website before I will throw down my hard earned money and here they are in no particular order...
1. A Phone Number
How in the world can I get anything handled, fixed, re-shipped or whatever if I can't talk to you? 1-800 numbers used to be important to me but with the current cell phone technology I do not get charged for long distance so this is no longer important. Any phone number will do.
2. Live Chat
If I have a quick question it is great to be able to click on the "Live Help" box and instantly speak with a customer service representative. This also shows me that this website is owned by a company that does this full time.
3. Secure Transactions
When I reach a checkout page that requires personal information I look up into the address bar. If I see "https" instead of "http" I know I am on a secure server and my information is being encrypted. It's okay if all the other pages on the website have "http". It is just the checkout pages that require the "https" secure sever.
4. Clear and Precise Shipping Costs
I want to know how much shipping is before I start to enter any information into your website. Free or flat rate shipping is the best, easiest and most preferred.
5. Professional Look and Feel
This one is kind of subjective but at the same time we have all seen sites that look like they were thrown together by a twelve year old in one evening. If a company can not have a professional looking site then how serious are they? Should I trust them enough to give them my hard earned money?
6. Trustmarks
Is this merchant verified by a third party? Who is that third party? Can I click on that trustmark? Does it take me to a page that says this merchant is verified? If not, then beware. Look for familiar companies like McAfee, Authorize.Net, TrustGuard, or other "familiar" trustmarks. These third party services cost hundreds of dollars a year. Only companies who take things very seriously are going to fork over the cash to have these trustmarks.
7. Fair Prices
I am always leary of prices that seem "too low". Use your best judgment here. It certainly is possible that they have what you are looking for at lower prices than everyone else but go ahead and hit that "Live Help" button that we discussed earlier and ask them why there prices are better than their competitors.
8. Contact Information
The contact us page should have the companies name, full address, phone number, and email address. Can you think of a reason why a company would want to hide this information? If it's not clearly listed shop somewhere else.
9. Shipping Time and Method
We already discussed shipping cost but it is also just as important to know who is delivering my items and how long will it take. I always look for a UPS or US Postal Service logo on a website. I know and trust these services. I like to call the company or hit the "Live Help" button to find out not only if my desired product is in stock, but how long will it take to reach my home. If the company does not have a phone number or live help then who knows when you will get it or if you will get it at all? See how all this works hand in hand.
10. Customer Testimonials
I like to hear what others have to say about their experiences. Always be leary of testimonials that say things like "your the best" "everyone should shop here" or other "generic" comments. Most likely they were written by the company. I look for unusual specifics that are too tough to just create on the fly. Testimonials are important to me. It would take a pretty amazing shopping experience for me to send an email to the company praising them. So, if a company has "legitimate" looking testimonials they must be doing something right.
So there you have it. If the company you are thinking about purchasing from has all of these things in place then I am pretty confident that they are worth purchasing from. There are always exceptions to the rule as web stores at this point are not regulated but if all of these items are there you most likely will have a pleasant shopping experience.
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About the author:
Jay Stueve is a web store owner, freelance graphic artist, web designer, SEO and conversion enthusiast, and writer. You can view his handy work by visiting his e-store for cool baby clothes.
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