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Casual Articles - ECommerce Usability: The Homepage Interview
In many ways the web is the ultimate medium. It lets you communicate with anyone anywhere at anytime. We can really and safely say that the web can be the fourth medium after print, radio and television. It has since replaced the old ideas, challenge conventional wisdom, and deliver the most up-to-date, dynamic, helpful, extensive information right in your desktop literally.Before, I have just treated the web as an electronic brochure with no power in itself to convey messages emotionally to the surfers. Now with the advent of interactivity and customization brought about by connection of database to the web, web surfers now can relate and actively experience the message.They can "join" a community, club, post to an interactive forum and even get lost in the millions of chat rooms scattered all over the web.On all of these events the webmaster should be the overseer who monitors every move of his web site. The modern web site has become to us a living creature and we should take our position as its creator.We should strive
Why will this product make someone smarter, thinner, richer? Why do 3 billion people around the world use it? Why are you so smart, thin and rich? Why is your book on the New York Times best sellers list? Why are the gems in your necklaces so special and will rose quartz really heal? Will being rich make life better, really? Why are the parts on this product better than the parts on a similar product sold by the other company? Why are your qualifications important?
Why did you name your website what you did? I have a friend whose online business has a good reason to answer this question. The site (and company) name cover two unrelated topics, but the company has combined them into something unique. Customers want to know what inspired this.
This is not an excuse to go on an ego trip. It’s an opportunity to show your passion. It’s how you define your offer. Do the homework for the many people who are still comparison-shopping, and convince them you have what they want and need.
How
Finally, how do offer your product or service? If there’s a shopping cart, strong identifiers are a login and cart icon at the top of an eCommerce website. Other clues are links to “Track your order”, “Your account” , buy buttons and order instructions.
In addition, your visitors have Time concerns. Timing is vital for sales. In addition, it communicates your readiness and ability to stay current and up to date.
Are they limited time specials?
As a newbee to eBay I sold a LOT of things. I looked around our farm and I found a TON of stuff that I was interested in getting rid of. Old metals, seeds, wood, cattle, dogs, wife...(well, truth is she got rid of me first, but that's another story..)But you know, after awhile I got tired of the hassle of packaging and posting everything. Then one day I was looking at a piece of metal called brass shim stock and a bell went off inside my head! You see, brass shim stock is mostly used in machine shops to adjust tooling, but I remembered my grandmother using it to make decorations. And I was off to the races!I found a supplier on the internet and got a very good deal.. Then I placed an auction on eBay and crossed my fingers and SURE ENOUGH, it started selling like hotcakes. I was contacting my supplier several times a day, giving instructions on where to send the stuff. I was VERY excited! And then something unexpected happened...I got an email from an irate customer! He complained that what I had sent him was NOT as my auction des
These questions revolve around Who, Where, What, When, Why and How. Answering them is fun, and not as obvious as you might believe. Using them as guides for credibility, trust, persuasiveness and desirability is an added bonus for your overall conversion rates. Don't settle for a brief welcome statement that offers no guidance or spark of interest. These six words can help you add some zing!
Who
Firstly, who are you? This is a basic question. It’s often answerable by a logo. A logo is not that exciting, nor is it likely completely descriptive. Just ask Google. Add a descriptive tagline, which contains keywords and explains the purpose of the site or points out a valuable detail.
"Who" is found in your business address. Evaluate whether it is important to your business to provide an entire business, office or headquarters address, or simply a whittled down version. Many websites offer no clues about their country of origin, language and whether or not it targets a global or local target market. Search engines benefit from finding a zip code and town, in text, on your homepage. This increases your page’s chance of coming up in local searches, or whenever a search engine determines a local result fits someone's search criteria.
Who you are is not enough, however. Who are you selling to? Men, women, old, young, here, there, and yes, if you offer senior citizen discounts, don’t hide this fact. Who would benefit from your products and services? Who is on your staff? Who is your sales representative? Your visitors want to know who you are. You are much more than your website or company name.
Where
Your location is important. If you place “Call our toll-free phone number” on your homepage, it’s helpful to know what country, at least, your company is located in so that somebody from half-way around the world understands when to call. If you run a local business, targeting local sales, is this obvious from your homepage? Is your site a headquarters with offices worldwide? What is the native speaking language? This may be important for those who are uncomfortable doing business outside their own country.
Some site owners know people will not buy certain products, such as medical supplies or drugs, from outside the USA, for example. Therefore, they pay for fake addresses, or display addresses that are nowhere near the company’s true home base. Determine if you need to offer a map to validate an address, or register with places such as the Better Business Bureau, to improve credibility.
Small businesses, if you work from home, rent a postal box, or explain that your home-based business is located in a certain country or province and leave it at that. There are other ways to prove your credibility and authenticity, without losing your right to privacy.
Included for “Where” is addressing where your target market is coming from. There may be instances where your content can address people from certain towns, cities, countries or schools. This information offers instant validation to your homepage visitor that they have arrived at a place that is intended for them.
What
This may be the most obvious point to address on your homepage, and the most challenging when you truly understand the real question. ‘What” is more than just what your product or service is. That’s the easy part.
What also pertains to what action do you want them to take once you tell them what you do? I’ve been to sites that spend so much time explaining what they’re about, but forgot to say if you could order it online. Remember, this is the homepage we’re focusing on. It’s not helpful to make anyone click around to figure out what services are offered, or what ways they can buy the cool products displayed on the homepage.
What credit cards do you accept? What award did you just receive? What do customers think about your services?
"What" is also where you can offer the value proposition, features and benefits. Do this by understanding and then addressing the one big question your visitors have – “What’s in it for me?”
The more you describe what you do or sell, the more information someone has to base decisions with. You aren’t wasting their time with this one. The value and benefit of your “What” may be greater or more substantial than the competitor’s site, who forgot to include this part or can’t offer a better deal.
When
This is easily an overlooked element on homepages. Everyone has a “When” question. It may be “When I call you?” List office hours or store hours, or when your “live help” person is on duty. When can orders be taken? When do you ship? When is the sale over? When is the clearance sale going to start? When will the next shipment of your hot items arrive? When can they order? That one is easy, and one reason you should use an “Order or Buy Now” button in some cases. (There are reasons for its sister button, “Add to Cart”, too. You may discover you need both.)
I recommend that you walk around your whole site and ask each page the “When” question. When can they print a page? When does the confirmation email arrive? When does the next news update occur? You can go nuts with this one, but the more you answer this question, the more confident your visitors will feel about you or the company.
Why
Related to “What”, is “Why”. This is where you lay out the value proposition and marketing content, in more detail , but be thoughtful and precise. Do you want a homepage that scrolls forever about why your product or service is the best there is? Or, can you nail the top-level benefits and link to more of them inside the site, where additional information and call to action prompts are?
Why will this product make someone smarter, thinner, richer? Why do 3 billion people around the world use it? Why are you so smart, thin and rich? Why is your book on the New York Times best sellers list? Why are the gems in your necklaces so special and will rose quartz really heal? Will being rich make life better, really? Why are the parts on this product better than the parts on a similar product sold by the other company? Why are your qualifications important?
Why did you name your website what you did? I have a friend whose online business has a good reason to answer this question. The site (and company) name cover two unrelated topics, but the company has combined them into something unique. Customers want to know what inspired this.
This is not an excuse to go on an ego trip. It’s an opportunity to show your passion. It’s how you define your offer. Do the homework for the many people who are still comparison-shopping, and convince them you have what they want and need.
How
Finally, how do offer your product or service? If there’s a shopping cart, strong identifiers are a login and cart icon at the top of an eCommerce website. Other clues are links to “Track your order”, “Your account” , buy buttons and order instructions.
In addition, your visitors have Time concerns. Timing is vital for sales. In addition, it communicates your readiness and ability to stay current and up to date.
Are they limited time specials?
Are you an over-50, unemployed executive or manager? Been looking for a new job or career for a long time? Frustrated? Think it’s hopeless?Finding a new job or career, at any age, is NOT hopeless. But it does demand knowledge, exposure to employment possibilities, and a positive attitude, especially as we grow older. It means that “Yes!,” not “No,” must be the operative word, the word that propels us toward what we really want to do (even when we’re not quite sure what that is).The Challenge of FearPerhaps the greatest obstacle to all in the job market is fear. We fear that we will fail to find a new job or career, or that if we do, we will fail at it, not make enough money, get dead-ended, be unhappy, go backward in our career, etc.The trouble is that such fears can hold us back. In his wonderful best-seller Who Moved My Cheese?, Spencer Johnson, M.D., set forth a few simple rules that apply to most everything we do in life, including finding a job or career. It’s the allegorica
Who you are is not enough, however. Who are you selling to? Men, women, old, young, here, there, and yes, if you offer senior citizen discounts, don’t hide this fact. Who would benefit from your products and services? Who is on your staff? Who is your sales representative? Your visitors want to know who you are. You are much more than your website or company name.
Where
Your location is important. If you place “Call our toll-free phone number” on your homepage, it’s helpful to know what country, at least, your company is located in so that somebody from half-way around the world understands when to call. If you run a local business, targeting local sales, is this obvious from your homepage? Is your site a headquarters with offices worldwide? What is the native speaking language? This may be important for those who are uncomfortable doing business outside their own country.
Some site owners know people will not buy certain products, such as medical supplies or drugs, from outside the USA, for example. Therefore, they pay for fake addresses, or display addresses that are nowhere near the company’s true home base. Determine if you need to offer a map to validate an address, or register with places such as the Better Business Bureau, to improve credibility.
Small businesses, if you work from home, rent a postal box, or explain that your home-based business is located in a certain country or province and leave it at that. There are other ways to prove your credibility and authenticity, without losing your right to privacy.
Included for “Where” is addressing where your target market is coming from. There may be instances where your content can address people from certain towns, cities, countries or schools. This information offers instant validation to your homepage visitor that they have arrived at a place that is intended for them.
What
This may be the most obvious point to address on your homepage, and the most challenging when you truly understand the real question. ‘What” is more than just what your product or service is. That’s the easy part.
What also pertains to what action do you want them to take once you tell them what you do? I’ve been to sites that spend so much time explaining what they’re about, but forgot to say if you could order it online. Remember, this is the homepage we’re focusing on. It’s not helpful to make anyone click around to figure out what services are offered, or what ways they can buy the cool products displayed on the homepage.
What credit cards do you accept? What award did you just receive? What do customers think about your services?
"What" is also where you can offer the value proposition, features and benefits. Do this by understanding and then addressing the one big question your visitors have – “What’s in it for me?”
The more you describe what you do or sell, the more information someone has to base decisions with. You aren’t wasting their time with this one. The value and benefit of your “What” may be greater or more substantial than the competitor’s site, who forgot to include this part or can’t offer a better deal.
When
This is easily an overlooked element on homepages. Everyone has a “When” question. It may be “When I call you?” List office hours or store hours, or when your “live help” person is on duty. When can orders be taken? When do you ship? When is the sale over? When is the clearance sale going to start? When will the next shipment of your hot items arrive? When can they order? That one is easy, and one reason you should use an “Order or Buy Now” button in some cases. (There are reasons for its sister button, “Add to Cart”, too. You may discover you need both.)
I recommend that you walk around your whole site and ask each page the “When” question. When can they print a page? When does the confirmation email arrive? When does the next news update occur? You can go nuts with this one, but the more you answer this question, the more confident your visitors will feel about you or the company.
Why
Related to “What”, is “Why”. This is where you lay out the value proposition and marketing content, in more detail , but be thoughtful and precise. Do you want a homepage that scrolls forever about why your product or service is the best there is? Or, can you nail the top-level benefits and link to more of them inside the site, where additional information and call to action prompts are?
Why will this product make someone smarter, thinner, richer? Why do 3 billion people around the world use it? Why are you so smart, thin and rich? Why is your book on the New York Times best sellers list? Why are the gems in your necklaces so special and will rose quartz really heal? Will being rich make life better, really? Why are the parts on this product better than the parts on a similar product sold by the other company? Why are your qualifications important?
Why did you name your website what you did? I have a friend whose online business has a good reason to answer this question. The site (and company) name cover two unrelated topics, but the company has combined them into something unique. Customers want to know what inspired this.
This is not an excuse to go on an ego trip. It’s an opportunity to show your passion. It’s how you define your offer. Do the homework for the many people who are still comparison-shopping, and convince them you have what they want and need.
How
Finally, how do offer your product or service? If there’s a shopping cart, strong identifiers are a login and cart icon at the top of an eCommerce website. Other clues are links to “Track your order”, “Your account” , buy buttons and order instructions.
In addition, your visitors have Time concerns. Timing is vital for sales. In addition, it communicates your readiness and ability to stay current and up to date.
Are they limited time specials?
Welding How To: What You Need to Know Before You WeldPeople rely on welding to accomplish many tasks. In fact, the art of welding dates back thousands of years to the Bronze Age. Since then, man has discovered many advancements and improvements that make welding easier, safer and more vital to civilization than ever before. Welding is used:1. To manufacture cars, trucks and other modes of transportation.2. To build homes.3. To build and repair machinery and equipment.4. It’s even been used by artists to create beautiful metal sculptures.Inside or outside, on land or underwater - even in outer space - welding is vital to all areas of our life. It’s no wonder, then, that more and more people want to learn how to weld.If you’d like to learn how to arc weld, we’d like to help. Below, you’ll find important information and resources you need before you can start welding: what equipment you’ll need, along with some free online resources that will provide step-by-step, practical welding how-to advice.Ba
Included for “Where” is addressing where your target market is coming from. There may be instances where your content can address people from certain towns, cities, countries or schools. This information offers instant validation to your homepage visitor that they have arrived at a place that is intended for them.
What
This may be the most obvious point to address on your homepage, and the most challenging when you truly understand the real question. ‘What” is more than just what your product or service is. That’s the easy part.
What also pertains to what action do you want them to take once you tell them what you do? I’ve been to sites that spend so much time explaining what they’re about, but forgot to say if you could order it online. Remember, this is the homepage we’re focusing on. It’s not helpful to make anyone click around to figure out what services are offered, or what ways they can buy the cool products displayed on the homepage.
What credit cards do you accept? What award did you just receive? What do customers think about your services?
"What" is also where you can offer the value proposition, features and benefits. Do this by understanding and then addressing the one big question your visitors have – “What’s in it for me?”
The more you describe what you do or sell, the more information someone has to base decisions with. You aren’t wasting their time with this one. The value and benefit of your “What” may be greater or more substantial than the competitor’s site, who forgot to include this part or can’t offer a better deal.
When
This is easily an overlooked element on homepages. Everyone has a “When” question. It may be “When I call you?” List office hours or store hours, or when your “live help” person is on duty. When can orders be taken? When do you ship? When is the sale over? When is the clearance sale going to start? When will the next shipment of your hot items arrive? When can they order? That one is easy, and one reason you should use an “Order or Buy Now” button in some cases. (There are reasons for its sister button, “Add to Cart”, too. You may discover you need both.)
I recommend that you walk around your whole site and ask each page the “When” question. When can they print a page? When does the confirmation email arrive? When does the next news update occur? You can go nuts with this one, but the more you answer this question, the more confident your visitors will feel about you or the company.
Why
Related to “What”, is “Why”. This is where you lay out the value proposition and marketing content, in more detail , but be thoughtful and precise. Do you want a homepage that scrolls forever about why your product or service is the best there is? Or, can you nail the top-level benefits and link to more of them inside the site, where additional information and call to action prompts are?
Why will this product make someone smarter, thinner, richer? Why do 3 billion people around the world use it? Why are you so smart, thin and rich? Why is your book on the New York Times best sellers list? Why are the gems in your necklaces so special and will rose quartz really heal? Will being rich make life better, really? Why are the parts on this product better than the parts on a similar product sold by the other company? Why are your qualifications important?
Why did you name your website what you did? I have a friend whose online business has a good reason to answer this question. The site (and company) name cover two unrelated topics, but the company has combined them into something unique. Customers want to know what inspired this.
This is not an excuse to go on an ego trip. It’s an opportunity to show your passion. It’s how you define your offer. Do the homework for the many people who are still comparison-shopping, and convince them you have what they want and need.
How
Finally, how do offer your product or service? If there’s a shopping cart, strong identifiers are a login and cart icon at the top of an eCommerce website. Other clues are links to “Track your order”, “Your account” , buy buttons and order instructions.
In addition, your visitors have Time concerns. Timing is vital for sales. In addition, it communicates your readiness and ability to stay current and up to date.
Are they limited time specials?
I got a phone call from a magazine writer who was working on a story. Turns out that Stanford University put out a research study looking at what barriers exist for women in the corporate world. They talked to something like 1,000 of their MBA grads - not new grads, but people who went through Stanford over many years - and asked them what was keeping women out of the top ranks of corporations. Here's what they reported:There is no glass ceiling. Women themselves are opting out of the top jobs, for lifestyle reasons or because they don't want the pressure.So, asked the writer, "What do you think about that?"Have you ever heard a person sputter on the phone? That's what I did. I couldn't find words for a moment."Bleeping brilliant!" I said. "That is magnificent - there is no glass ceiling, it's we ourselves who are opting out of senior leadership roles because, you know, there's so much pressure. That's perfect, because companies who accept that wisdom can dismantle their mentoring programs, save the money that they might b
When
This is easily an overlooked element on homepages. Everyone has a “When” question. It may be “When I call you?” List office hours or store hours, or when your “live help” person is on duty. When can orders be taken? When do you ship? When is the sale over? When is the clearance sale going to start? When will the next shipment of your hot items arrive? When can they order? That one is easy, and one reason you should use an “Order or Buy Now” button in some cases. (There are reasons for its sister button, “Add to Cart”, too. You may discover you need both.)
I recommend that you walk around your whole site and ask each page the “When” question. When can they print a page? When does the confirmation email arrive? When does the next news update occur? You can go nuts with this one, but the more you answer this question, the more confident your visitors will feel about you or the company.
Why
Related to “What”, is “Why”. This is where you lay out the value proposition and marketing content, in more detail , but be thoughtful and precise. Do you want a homepage that scrolls forever about why your product or service is the best there is? Or, can you nail the top-level benefits and link to more of them inside the site, where additional information and call to action prompts are?
Why will this product make someone smarter, thinner, richer? Why do 3 billion people around the world use it? Why are you so smart, thin and rich? Why is your book on the New York Times best sellers list? Why are the gems in your necklaces so special and will rose quartz really heal? Will being rich make life better, really? Why are the parts on this product better than the parts on a similar product sold by the other company? Why are your qualifications important?
Why did you name your website what you did? I have a friend whose online business has a good reason to answer this question. The site (and company) name cover two unrelated topics, but the company has combined them into something unique. Customers want to know what inspired this.
This is not an excuse to go on an ego trip. It’s an opportunity to show your passion. It’s how you define your offer. Do the homework for the many people who are still comparison-shopping, and convince them you have what they want and need.
How
Finally, how do offer your product or service? If there’s a shopping cart, strong identifiers are a login and cart icon at the top of an eCommerce website. Other clues are links to “Track your order”, “Your account” , buy buttons and order instructions.
In addition, your visitors have Time concerns. Timing is vital for sales. In addition, it communicates your readiness and ability to stay current and up to date.
Are they limited time specials?
Have you grown tired of trying to figure out creative places to advertise your business? What about plain and simple creative ideas? Let me share with you fifty creative ideas. I hope this list gets your creative juices flowing.1. Take a small zip close baggy (snack sizes work well) and include the following in it:Your Business Card, Business Opt Mini Flier a Piece of Candy such as hard candy or a lollipop, mini flier of current host specials, discount coupon (optional) etc.Hand these out to the bank tellers, retail cashiers, at your kids sport events, every where you go!2. When I stay at hotels & motels I leave a mini catalog, my business card & discount coupon and the mini coin canister for the maid! I put her tip inside the mini coin canister! I have gotten 3 orders by doing this!Be creative when you leave tips for Hotel Maids, Waitresses, Waiters, Hair Dressers, etc. Don't just hand them your business card, make it memorable!You can also buy cute little beaded change purses at your local dollar
Why will this product make someone smarter, thinner, richer? Why do 3 billion people around the world use it? Why are you so smart, thin and rich? Why is your book on the New York Times best sellers list? Why are the gems in your necklaces so special and will rose quartz really heal? Will being rich make life better, really? Why are the parts on this product better than the parts on a similar product sold by the other company? Why are your qualifications important?
Why did you name your website what you did? I have a friend whose online business has a good reason to answer this question. The site (and company) name cover two unrelated topics, but the company has combined them into something unique. Customers want to know what inspired this.
This is not an excuse to go on an ego trip. It’s an opportunity to show your passion. It’s how you define your offer. Do the homework for the many people who are still comparison-shopping, and convince them you have what they want and need.
How
Finally, how do offer your product or service? If there’s a shopping cart, strong identifiers are a login and cart icon at the top of an eCommerce website. Other clues are links to “Track your order”, “Your account” , buy buttons and order instructions.
In addition, your visitors have Time concerns. Timing is vital for sales. In addition, it communicates your readiness and ability to stay current and up to date.
Are they limited time specials? How often does your blog update? How often do you send your newsletter? How many clicks does it take to get to pricing? You may not address this one via content, but your navigation or embedded links to “Price Comparison Chart” or “View our prices” conveys how long it takes to get to vital information for comparison shoppers. How many products are in inventory? This may express expertise, for example. How many people subscribe to your newsletter? This may indicate popularity and length of time in an industry.
The purpose of interviewing your homepage may seem more practical to you now. Answer the six questions by providing focused content, navigation links and descriptive labels, bullet points, and small size instructive text.
They all contribute to your web site’s overall credibility, which is the next topic in this series.
Please stay tuned to the Cre8pc Blog for Part II - Convincing Website Credibility
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