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Issue number:#04 March 18, 2009


In this issue:

		Hint 1: Let me preview my shipping costs!

		Hint 2: Don't Force Me to Register Before I Buy!

		Hint 3: Don't get clever with icons. Just say it!

		Hint 4: Don't Tell Customers You Stock a Product... But They Can't Have It

		Hint 5: Make sure your website's tools work in all popular browsers

		Hint 6: Eliminate unnecessary splash screens

		Hint 7: Show number of product reviews

		Hint 8: Let Visitors Sort Products by Meaningful Criteria

Next Month's Newsletter:

Conversion Rate Optimization

Find your conversions are not matching your goals?

Next month we will take you through A/B and Multivariate optimization, as well as tell you a few tips and tricks to help you optimize your website's conversion rate, and discover what speedbumps lie on your road to online success.

From the Editor:

It is a busy time for VKI Studios. February brought some major changes for us, which we will be talking about soon, and March promises even more. With so much new this month we've decided to dedicate this newsletter to two of our old loves: ecommerce and usability. And as it happens, the two go hand in hand. Just ask Schwans.com who saw a 30% increase in conversion rates in 2003 just by implementing personalization into their online store. By optimizing their user experience through personalization Schwans created a customer base that would return again and again. They created repeat buyers; they created fans. This January Schwans.com bragged a 50.2% conversion rate. A focus on user experience and usability is crucial to repeat purchases, loyal user bases, and sky high conversion rates. It smoothes the buying process, it increases customer satisfaction and it lowers bounce rates. And yet, so many ecommerce sites lack it. So if you're now wondering about your site, and whether you need to think about usability, then take a look at our 8 usability hints. And then come talk to us.

image by Rafael Mizrahi

Want to apply these ideas to a non-ecommerce site?

Not into Ecommerce? We know we've left you out, but fear no more. Starting this month we're going to talk about how the same ideas that turn Ecommerce infants into Ecommerce giants can be used to turn your web company's performance up a notch. Jump on the RSS train now to make sure you're up to date with Michael Strakers "Lead Generation Hints".
Read more >>

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Let me preview my shipping costs!

An easy way to improve the comfort level of visitors-especially foreign visitors-is to give them peace of mind about shipping costs. Reveal these costs as early in the process as possible... and let your visitors focus on shopping.

Don't Force Me to Register Before I Buy!

Having an account is great for returning visitors. But many first-time buyers don't want the extra hassle of filling out forms to create an account they may never use again. Take a lesson from Lands End, who topped conversion charts with a 19.3% conversion rate last December: they provide a streamlined ordering process, even if you don't have an account.

Don't get clever with icons. Just say it!

Icons are great, but if your goal is to get a user into checkout, don't obscure the process by relying on your visitor to interpret icons. Avoid confusion by spelling out the function of critical links.

Don't Tell Customers You Stock a Product... But They Can't Have It

The last thing you want to do is irritate a potential customer. And few things are more irritating than getting excited about a product... then being told you can't buy it. Using geolocation, it's easy to tell where visitors are from. Then you can let them know whether a product is available to them.

Make sure your website's tools work in all popular browsers

Visitors don't want to download (or even open) a new web browser just to view your website. And asking them to do so is the height of arrogance. It's your job to ensure your site functions flawlessly in all major browsers.

Eliminate unnecessary splash screens

"Splash screens must die" is a common chant in usability circles. Don't place unnecessary speed bumps on the path to your content.

Show the number of product reviews

Nothing is more frustrating than clicking for a piece of content only to realize it's not there-and that includes reviews. Tell your users the number of reviews there are for a product and the average rating. This not only prevents them from wasting their time, but it tells them right on the page what their peers think.

Let Visitors Sort Products by Meaningful Criteria

Sorting information is the core action of an information society. So why do websites still use meaningless criteria for sorting their products? Figure out which criteria your visitors want to sort products by, then allow visitors to sort accordingly. After all, don't you want your visitors to be able to find the products they want?