DesignMarketing

Designing a Successful E-Commerce Experience

By January 16, 2008 No Comments

Ninthlink has been getting more requests than ever to develop online retail experiences that help tell brand story and encourage customers to buy online. So, it has sought the help of some of the best conversion rate optimization firms and has enumerated a list. The following STEPS have been prepared thanks to our team as a result of their experience working with clients and friends to launch their eCommerce websites.

The following STEPS are to facilitate DIALOGUE online. Have Fun

STEP ONE Know your Customer
The basis for great marketing programs is a solid understanding of who you are trying to communicate with. That’s why its important to build customer personas as your first step. Each brand has differing factors of importance but some key factors to define your personas are:

Demographics : Culture : Individual Behaviors e.g. personalities, motivations, perceptions, and attitudes : Level of Technology Knowledge : Behavioral Outcomes of Experience e.g. Information gathering, comparing, purchasing, or post purchase analysis.

STEP TWO Define the Experience
After deciding who your customers are, it is time to decide what they want to experience. Using a customer-centric approach, you can utilize your research from STEP ONE to tailor an experience with your customer at the center of focus.

Remember, different types of customers are going to be asking for different types of online experiences. Some want to be immersed in interactivity and venture through your site for many minutes. While others would prefer to find the product or information needed in a conservative fashion and get on with the rest of their day.

STEP THREE Wire Frames
It’s time to create an initial, tangible construction of your experience. Wire frames of your new experience should include detailed notes on strategic areas, technology needed, copy areas, creative areas and functionality of areas.

STEP FOUR Creative Design
An important step that needs to be taken into serious consideration when transferring your brand onto the web is to keep a consistent brand identity between online and offline.

Application of a consistent brand identity will ensure that your returning customers don’t become disconnected from their previous experiences, and that your new customers develop a consistent image of your brand.

STEP FIVE Maintain
Brands will rarely get something exactly right on the first try. Website analytics are imperative in this step to learn how to enhance your experience. Be sure to implement some type of website analytics as soon as you launch your site. Some to choose from are: Omniture, Google Analytics, or Visual Sciences HBX Analytics.

What other steps guide YOU in designing Consumer Centric eCommerce Experiences?

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