Ian
An online store offers a dozen options that a physical store can only
imagine. Successful stores tend to have not just great products but
also store features that make buying, great fun. Customers would love
to play around with the store’s offering. There are sites that people
visit with no intention of buying. But the interactive features of
the store draw them to spend time there. And these random visits
result in quite a few buys. That’s the reason your online store has
to focus on such customer friendly features.
Great
photographs, user friendly site layout, no-hassle payment and
security aside, what are the popular features that tend to draw
customers to your site? Here’s a list, just off the cuff:
Interactive
chat:
Customers
have a million questions before they finalize a purchase. If they
cannot find an answer to their question with what’s online, they
would benefit greatly if they can chat with an employee. Have a site
wide chat window. This can boost your sales like nothing else can.
Alternate Views:
Selling
a house? Selling a curio? Selling a shirt? Have photographs from
every possible angle. And every angle that matters. Get all the
details on your photos. This also gives site visitors an overall
picture of what they are getting. So, having alternate views is
likely to reduce your return rate. You sell what you show!
Zoom:
Needless
to say, your alternate views should ideally be paired with high
resolution zoomed in pictures. The customer gets a very good picture
of the minute details of the product. This again makes sure your
return rates are low.
Reviews:
The
savvy online shopper never buys a product off the net without looking
at what other buyers have to say about the product. Shoppers care
about what previous buyers have to say. But remember that this can
also elicit unfavorable responses. The advantage with negative
responses is that you can use the feedback to improvise on your
product. Reviews are a great value addition in your online retail
site.
Comparisons:
This
is a wonderful feature that helps a discerning shopper decide on what
exactly he wants, amidst a sea of similar products. Whether it’s a
pair of socks or a huge car,, people like to understand what their
options are and how each product differs from the other. A compare
feature gives them what they are looking for.
Image: iVend.
