Published on May 20, 2012 Staying alive: a professional website is needed for a professional business
Many store owners starting out make the assumption that running a successful auction has the same critical ingredients for success as running a successful website.
The reality is that while there are certainly some common elements, there are some significant differences as well.
Auction site to ecommerce website
Auction sites succeed by presenting as much relevant buying information as they can on (usually) a single page, and having a long standing history of successful trading on the auction site they are part of. There’s often little marketing to do outside of their auction page, because the auction website will focus on establishing a regular base of eyeballs viewing auctions and establishing a repeat buying community.
The downside of selling at auction is that there’s a certain degree of dependence on factors outside your control, and the level of competitiveness is high as an auction environment is designed to drive down prices. Of course there are also listing fees and final value fees to pay at the end of your auction.
The move to your own ecommerce website is often a logical and sensible decision, but it does carry with it a new environment to operate in, and some new things to think about.
What’s different about a real ecommerce website?
A standalone website needs to be able to compete with any other website selling those products on the Internet. There’s little time to make a good first impression, and people may not take the time to read through a lot of information or overlook garish fonts and poor product photos if the seller has good feedback.
Everything has to work together to be a success.
The potential rewards are huge: no per item fees to pay the provider, more control of how your products are laid out, and the payment methods you can accept. The best shopping carts in the industry, also provide online calculators for shipping using different Australian freight providers like Fastway, Transdirect, Australia Post, eGo and Smartsend.
What mind set do you need?
Here are some things to think about if you’re moving into your own website:
- First impressions count so make sure your site looks professional. Get a shopping cart website from a provider who can offer you powerful professional designs that include your brand elements – without having to pay a designer more for your own header graphics or colours.
- First impressions count so think about the text you place on your pages. That’s in product descriptions, your shipping page, your payments page, your about us and contact us. Ugly fonts create the perception that your site is amateur and not worth visiting. Your competitors are just a click away after all.
- Your product and service offering – important on any site – Look at your competitors in deciding if you have the right mix of product features, promotional strategies and distribution.
- Shipping costs – considering offering free shipping over a certain value, or for all items in your store – it could add more traffic and sales to your site.
Competition is fierce so arm yourself with the cart that can compete, a design that can wow your customers and support that understands business in Australia and can help you get underway quickly and easily.
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