Hey guys, I've started working on an eCommerce site running Zen Cart. The only think I have left to do is to figure out how to handle taxes (legally) and to add the products. Let me know what you guys think! p.s. I'm also testing the integration of google analytics and zen cart so please visit! It's hard to tell if 0 means no visitors or i didn't set it up right! http://www.DigitalDealsOnline.com Thanks!
So far, so good. You are missing too much functionality to be able to review it (customer service, contact info, about us, products & checkout process, etc.). Remember, you are in a very competitive space with well established websites, reputations, pricing and customer service. What is going to make people trust you and want to buy from you? Most important: you will need a prominently displayed Unique Value Proposition. This tells the new visitor, AT A GLANCE, why they should do business with you instead of one of your competitors. If you don't display that immediately you will have a very high bounce rate. If you master the concepts of Unique Value Proposition and Bounce Rate you will have taken a giant step towards a successful site. Tons of free info on our site & blog: www.DiamondWebsiteConversion.com.
Uh.... am I missing something here - "Congratulations! You have successfully installed your Zen Cartâ„¢ E-Commerce Solution." Like they say in the commercials, Where's the beef? -sgt
Yeah - you missed my original post - I haven't added any products yet. Just getting feedback on look and feel plus trying to see if google analytics is working (which apparently it isn't)... EDIT: Nevermind...analytics is working
Hey Carl, Thanks for the feedback! I do have a few questions though. What am I supposed to write on about us page? The medium/large websites I see don't have it (newegg, tigerdirect, dealnews, apple, etc., etc.). I will add contact info too!
You have asked a very good question. If you don't come up with a very good answer, you will have a hard time succeeding. Newegg and TigerDirect don't have to convince anyone to trust them. People already do. They have tremendous purchasing power and can sell stuff for less than you pay for it, if they want to. Their reputations are established and they have good customer service. At least it's all spelled out and people can trust that they will do what they say they will. You, on the other hand, have none of that. In addition, you have entered one of the most cutthroat, competitive businesses in the world. The world is not waiting for one more place to buy a CD player online. Here's the problem (as if you don't already have one) . . . What is your edge? Why should people do business with you instead of them. Surely, if you don't know, or can't figure it out, how do you expect the customer to figure it out? Here's the answer, or as close to one as I can get, sit down with your "brain trust". People who know you and like you and are smart enough to brainstorm this issue with you. Figure out the reasons that people should buy from you instead of Newegg and TigerDirect and feature those answers prominently on your home page and About Us page. It is not the customer's job to figure this out. It's YOURS. Depending on on whose research you believe, you have between 4 and 7 seconds to convince people to stay on your site and do business with you instead of your competitors. If you don't do it, the back button is sooooooo close. What is your edge? is one of the most important questions to ask before you start a business. A huge percentage of the people who start businesses don't ask it, and don't answer it. A huge percentage of them, fail. As you go forward, feel free to update me, I am happy to help. All the best.
Hey Carl, Thanks! I had a feeling that was coming (that they already have a reputation). I wonder if they had an about us page when they first started out and what it said... That's a tough question. Kind of hard to answer - I can't offer live chat (like newegg and tigerdirect) nor 24/7 phone support...hard to think of what a small, 2 person online business just starting out can offer vs a company like newegg or tigerdirect... Any pushes in the right direction would be appreciated!
It doesn't do any good to wonder if they had an about us page when they first started. When they first started they didn't need one. They saw an opening in the market that existed at that time and they filled it. In other words, they had an edge that you don't have. You have to think about the kinds of things that small startups do when they try to get a toehold in a market. These are things like, because we are so small we can offer a very high level of personal service. Maybe it's the fact that every item on your website is a super good deal because you only have closeouts. Maybe you offer rewards for returning customers. Maybe you focus things around a blog or forum that gives advice or reviews or provides some kind of "community" element. Many times big companies make it possible for small ones to get going because they don't want to bother with the little things that small competitors can offer. The critical word here is DIFFERENTIATE. You need to figure out how your company/website can differentiate itself from the big guys so people will want to do business with you. You also need to ask yourself, if you can go into any kind of business on the web, why you are offering commodity items that most folks just go to Amazon, eBay, Newegg, etc. for. I, personally, could not answer the question of why I should buy from you, instead of Amazon. Another answer might be to get started a little differently. Instead of someone visiting your site and seeing a bunch of commodity items that they could buy anywhere at a great price, maybe you spend the time and effort to locate very unique niche digital products that the big guys don't carry yet. You build a reputation around products they are not going to see everywhere else. I recently came across a new site that went into a very competitive space . . . dog supplies. They put up a big statement on their homepage, "Every Product Here Is Unique". They were willing to do the work to find those products where the manufacturers were small and couldn't get distribution from the big boys. They were doing good business right away in a very competitive arena. One thing I do know is, if you don't figure out a way to differentiate yourself, in other words, you decide tojust go head-to-head with giants on the same commodity products, in an industry where companies are willing to sell below cost to gain market share, you are going to have a very difficult time succeeding. As I said, I am always happy to help if I can.
I would love to, but right now i'm trying to find suppliers to dropship to my customers. I've got a few in mind, but they are VERY formal and I have to submit a 5 page application that will take 2-3 days to review. Also, Carl has got me a little psyched out - I'm not sure if this website will even work :-/
I think the site is not ready to online. You must fully remark your configuration page what is your visitor need, what is your visitor love, etc.
I think you may be using keywords that are too broad. The use of the word "digital" can mean so many different things that you may want to consider using your title tag and metadata to clarify what specific digital products you will be selling for example: "digital camera comparisons" etc. Your off to a good start though.