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We all have different ideas of what makes a website not only look good but also work well. In the end though, what we’re all trying to achieve is pretty much the same in that we’re striving to engage users so they interact with your business and at the same time do a bit of drum-banging by telling others about how good it is.

Our opinion is that you don’t need to create the best website in the world in order for it to work. But what you do need to is to make sure that whatever it is your website is about, that it captures the users imagination and makes them want to find out more.

Visual appeal goes some way to achieving that and the level you take it to depends on what your website is about – but Coca Cola, as an example, have used some neat tricks so that when you take a look at each product in their range (http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/default.html) the screen zooms around to give a little flashy presentation.

You might not want to go to that level, but using techniques like Coca Cola have done means you can get a  lot more info on your website without overloading it. With only so much space on websites and impatient users that want things and they want them now you need to think very carefully about what your most important user-engaging features are and hit them with it straight away.

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It seems that everyones take on Search Engine Optimisation is different, which isn’t very helpful when you’re trying to get your head around what it is and how you can ‘do it’!

One thing we all agree on though is that we want results and we want them fast!

Google Base may well help you do just that. It’s a free service, owned by Google, that enables you to tell them all about the products and services you sell – there are some rules and restrictions around this but it’s simple to do.

When users search Google your results will appear as ‘Shopping Results’ in a position on the screen that is almost as prominent as PPC.

It’s not a replacement for PPC and it’ll do nothing to increase your organic search rankings BUT it will definitely give you some fairly instant search visibility and it won’t cost you anything either.

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Web analytics tools like Google Analytics can provide you with a bag load of statistical information. All good stuff because the info it provides can help you to understand more about your traffic and how to improve your ROI.

But on the other hand, the excitement of whizzy tools like Google Analytics can sometimes mean that more fundamental things are overlooked in relation to how your website is performing.

Think about implementing feedback loops for customers and it’ll give you the best and most honest information around. OK, so some of the feedback may be a little harsh and some of it may be useless but it’s all information that will give you a better understanding of what your customers really want, what they don’t like and what they do like about your website. They may even be nice to you ;0)

We’ve picked out 2 really good feedback loop services than can help you make your websites do more and help to retain more customers. We’re not affiliated with any of these companies but I thought it’d be useful to pick out a couple of real life services that do the job. I do like the look of them both though…

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It seems like everyone’s talking about the downturn this Christmas. But while sales on the high street are shrinking, online sales are up about 15 percent on last year.

Ok, so you’ve missed this year’s Christmas rush. But as we move into 2009, getting smart with what you do online is definately the best way to beat the crunch.

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In the current climate of recession and all the worries associated with the credit crunch, one of the first things that many companies see as an “expense they could do without” is their marketing budget, and more over their “online-marketing-budget.”

Worried by the supplier bills, salaries and all the other expenses that go with running a business, many are looking at ways to curb expenditure in order to weather the economic storm – and all too often the first casualty is all things ‘online’.

“Why should we be investing in Pay-Per-Click, updating our site or sending out emails when things are so tight at the moment?”

The answer to that question is simple, “because your competition still are”

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What is “Accessibility”? What is the point of “Accessibility”? There are a number of definitions out there for “Accessiblity”, but the one that I think best sums it up is the following from the Java Look and Feel Guidelines

The degree to which software can be used comfortably by a wide variety of people, including those who require assistive technologies like screen magnifiers or voice recognition.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at why you need to make sure that your website is accessible. Continue reading »

Using web analytics tools isn’t as daunting as you might think, and by understanding how people are using your site, you can develop and improve your website, which in turn should lead to more inquiries, more sales or higher levels or traffic. Whatever your goals are, analytics tools can help achieve them.

Looking at the failings of your website is just as important as looking at your successes.  In order to keep ahead of the game, it isn’t enough to just be happy with the users that actually “converted” (that is someone who bought something or downloaded from you, or made an enquiry). You need to know why those users who didn’t get as far as buying from your store left at a certain stage, or why they fell short of clicking the “download now” button.

And what that means is taking a cold, hard look at what you have put online as representative of you or your company. What you have said, how you have said it, the way you have presented yourself, your company or your products online requires evaluation and re-evaluation in order to get the best results.

Many people simply don’t like to admit that they got it wrong.

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There are certain pages that we reommend you include in your ecommerce website which sometimes results in customers asking us things like “Why do we need that page?” or “…nobody has ever asked us for that before…” and the like.

The pages we recommend are important so please bear in mind, as with any content on your site, you’ll need to pay attention to what you’re writing, making it informative, interesting and something that your customers will want to read. Continue reading »

At some point we’ve all found ourselves asking these exact questions – funny thing is, they all share the same answer!

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If the first part of this series wasn’t enough for you and you’ve been waiting with baited breath for the next exciting instalment then your wait is over!

Here’s the final part of rules & tips to help make your ecommerce website a success.

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