Today’s guest blogger is Roko Nastic, contributing author and editor at WebmasterFormat.com, place where webmasters can quickly and easily gather all the necessary info to develop successful websites and to find the best web hosting provider.
If you have an ecommerce site, you need a shopping cart that keeps up with the times. Your shopping cart can literally make or break a sale, so make sure that yours is effective, easy to use, and has the features that you need.
Most of us who are active Internet shoppers have war stories to tell about the “shopping cart from hell” we experienced on some ecommerce site. You know how it goes. You click “Add to Cart” and you’re immediately whisked there, even though you’re not done yet. So you try to get back and keep shopping but you can’t get out. You’re trapped in your own cart and try as you might – you can’t see the expected “Continue Shopping” button so you panic and hit your browser’s back button. Later you discover you’ve wiped out your original choice. And then there are those sites where you need to click a “Buy” button to place an item in the cart, even though you’re not yet sure you’re ready to buy. Or the site where you can’t figure out shipping costs until you’ve entered your credit card number. Finally there are those maddening sites where you click “Add to Cart” and you can’t tell whether anything has happened or not. Where’s the visual indication “Your Cart Has Been Updated?” And so it goes.
What You Don’t Want: Abandoned Carts
There are a lot of studies done on “abandonment” rates – where shoppers with items in a cart flee the site without buying. No one knows for sure why but many think the quality of the whole shopping cart process may be a contributing factor. If you’re new to the game you’re going to have to decide whether you want to buy a pre-packaged shopping cart software package or have your web site designers build a custom one for you. It is an important decision. What should you be looking for?
Getting Ideas from Top Sites
Visit a few ecommerce sites against which you compete and test them out. List what you like and don’t like. Perhaps they have features you hadn’t considered in your business plan, like discount coupons. They can be an effective tool so perhaps you should consider adding them. Some businesses, like parts supply outlets, can make do with “bare bones” shopping carts that simply allow you to order the needed part and be on your way. However, the vast majority of ecommerce sites sell related products and some carts can include suggested additional items. For the best example of this, go to Amazon. Their shopping cart program has just about every feature known to man! Does that mean every ecommerce site needs a shopping cart procedure as extensive as Amazon’s? Some feel theirs is one of the best out there and their impressive sales performance would seem to support that contention. Others feel it is cumbersome and intrusive. They extend “up-selling” to the point the shopper can be overwhelmed with potential choices. What are some of the features that make Amazon’s shopping cart both effective and ineffective at the same time?
Overkill
Whether or not you have an Amazon account, when you put an item in the cart you end up on a page loaded with suggestions for more stuff to buy. And for those with accounts, the page is even more loaded up with stuff, based on browsing history. Generally this “up selling” is a good practice but it can be overwhelming and irritating to some customers. If you have a dog products site and a customer adds a collar to the shopping cart it’s a great idea to have the capability to display leashes. But dumping dog bowls, bones, beds, and flea shampoo may be overkill.
Some Musts
Amazon has customer reviews on products and it is perhaps their most powerful feature. Depending on the products you sell, customer reviews can significantly increase the chances of getting a sale. In today’s Internet environment people are paid to write reviews for some sites, regardless of whether they have used the product or not. Savvy customers can see through this, so don’t do it. Amazon also has a “wish list” feature where you can store items you’re only thinking about purchasing. Their checkout procedure is painless, but they don’t calculate shipping until you’ve entered your payment method, which some buyers simply will not do. Calculating shipping costs are a must for those shoppers who are comparing an online purchase with a purchase from a “brick and mortar” retail outlet.
You Get What You Pay For
So just how much “shopping cart” do you need? Avoid the temptation to go cheap and remember you may want to add features as your business grows. Although there are free shopping carts out there, you often get what you pay for. You can check the Internet for reviews of the many competitive vendors that have pre-packaged shopping cart software. Some offer varying levels of customization. This can be vital as you don’t want to use a shopping cart whose graphical representation is drastically different from the rest of your site. Perhaps the best source for you is old fashioned “word of mouth.” Let your friends, neighbors, relatives, and business associates know you are launching an ecommerce site or are considering changing your shopping cart software if your site is already up. With a little bit of luck, you might come across someone who has experience with a shopping cart software vendor. Finally, check with your local Chamber of Commerce for a list of businesses in your area with ecommerce sites. Many business owners are more than happy to share their experiences.