Retailers Must Revisit Their Store Websites For A Facelift

Small Retailers Can Level The Playing Field With Better Websites

The majority of smaller retailers got on the internet bandwagon some years ago because it was trendy and the right thing to do at the time. Most put together minimal websites on small budgets that basically served to inform customers where the store was, who owned it and what it was all about.

Without question, the internet’s value as a direct sales tool will continue to grow as more and more consumers, even the older ones learn to trust the security and convenience of on line shopping. Just about everyone under 40 will shop on line without hesitation.

Is it time to give your website a facelift? A number of off the shelf e-commerce solutions and shopping baskets now open the possibilities of selling directly on line at low cost for the smaller retailer. In fact Paypal offers a free shopping basket service that is easy to install and use by even the smaller retailer with little on-line expertise.

What else can your website offer today at low cost to the customer? Through Google Maps, you can offer custom directions to any of your stores from just about any location in North America. Customers who visit your site and plan on passing through your town in the future will find this feature handy.

Above and beyond cataloguing all of your products on line for direct sale, you can also offer email services for warranty questions or concerns with products. You can also ask customers who email you, if they would like a return phone call from one of your employees and select a convenient time to call.

Recently, there have been developments in affordable and even free packages that add on to your website and offer live help to customers logged onto your site. A computer terminal by the cash that employees can monitor can be used to offer answers to questions in real time to customers on line. Customers who can get instant answers from a real person on line will typically make positive buying decisions on line. This is a relatively new innovation that goes far to enhance the on-line customer experience. You may also want to offer free delivery on orders over a minimum amount to make on line orders as attractive as possible.

Lastly, you can use your website to post all of your sales and special events that are coming up. Drive quality traffic to your store by broadcasting events that will entertain, impress and dazzle your customers!

In my next article, I’ll show you how to drive more customers to your new and improved site at low cost!

Take Action Today:

1) Examine your current website and consider some of the recent innovations that can be added to your site to increase on-line as well as in-store sales.

2) Installation of these new add-ons is not difficult and no longer requires complex coding. See if any of your employees are computer literate and could manage your website at minimal cost.

3) Install a terminal at the cash desk and offer live help through many of the packages available at minimal cost.

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