Sales for all seasons: Sell online beyond Christmas20 December 2005
With more people ditching the high street in favour of cyber street, online businesses need to start considering how to keep shoppers returning to their sites.
Latest analysis from Deloitte and Touche suggests that Britons will spend more than £150 million on Christmas shopping online this festive season.
The research demonstrates how dramatically our spending habits have changed. Less than a decade ago, just two per cent of shoppers used the internet to purchase gifts.
Our changing way of life means that every business seems to want some form of online presence, from major supermarkets and high street chains to the corner shop or small specialist retailer.
In such an increasingly crowded market, it is important to keep one step ahead of the competition by making sure that your website is as trustworthy, safe and as easy to use as possible.
Why should I set up an online shop?
An online shop can overcome many of the problems facing conventional high street stores from the expense of paying overheads and covering staffing costs to maintaining a round-the-clock service.
A web-based shop can:
- Save you money in set-up costs. In particular, small businesses can benefit from not having to pay rent or salaries. See our
- Increase your potential to boost earnings by reaching a greater worldwide customer base.
- Offer a 24-hour seven days a week service that means even small businesses can compete with larger retailers.
- Maintain better customer service by being easy to contact, ensuring shoppers stay loyal.
An internet shop starter pack like BT's Internet Trader Pack - Shop can help businesses find their feet online by providing a complete introduction to starting up your online business.
How do I make sure my shop is a success?
An online shop might have many benefits but to ensure the success of your business, you need to first look at how to overcome its negative aspects.
For instance, an online shop doesn't allow a customer to try on clothes or taste and smell the food they wish to purchase.
There are also heightened fears surrounding the safety of shopping online with consumers becoming increasing concerned about the risks of identity theft.
Online retailers need to show their potential client base that they can match, if not better the supposedly personal, safe and interactive experience of shopping in a conventional store.
To keep customers you need to:
- Establish a good reputation by providing no quibble guarantees on products. If an incorrect order is delivered or a product is found to be faulty, the customers' money must be returned. In this way you build up faith and trust in your company.
- Make trust top priority by making sure the site is as safe and secure as possible. BT Internet Trader Pack - Shop meets all required Safebuy and Trustwise UK standards.
- Provide sufficient product information. In the absence of sales advisors you need as much information online as possible to encourage a sale.
- Keep it simple. It is easy for a customer to walk into a conventional shop and browse along the aisles and clothing racks so don't confuse the online shopper with long opening front door sequences or flashy graphics.
- Make paying quick and easy. Ensure that on every page there is always a link to the shopping basket and check out page to avoid sales being abandoned.
- Use newsletters to target your customer groups and boost loyalty to the site. BT's Internet Trader Pack can help you set up your own e-newsletters.
- Make it absolutely clear what you are trying to sell. You know whether you've wandered into a clothes shop, chemist or butchers on the high street, make sure it is the same on the web.
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