Site Testing Works, According to 38% Of E-Commerce Merchants

According to Get Elastic's Linda Bustos, only 38% of e-commerce merchants reported A/B testing of their website design as "effective," in a survey done by Forrester Research. This despite the constant proclamations of e-commerce experts and bloggers about the importance and effectiveness of site testing.

In her article, Bustos shares some reasons why some e-retailers feel that site testing is not as effective as it should be.

1. High expectations. According to Bustos, a conversion lift of 3% is good enough to start with. This can also mean a "pretty good existing process." Do not fixate your sights on that double-digit.

2. Testing the wrong things. For radical results, you need to target radical changes. Bustos suggests supplementing analytics data with user testing (it does not have to be a lot of testers) to create your hypothesis will help you keep track and test the conversion elements that prove to have the most impact. If you focus on one field at a time or make too minor changes, you will end up with insignificant test differentials.

3. Non-usability and cart abandonment. Cart abandonment is not just about the e-commerce site checkout page design. Other factors include "value propositions, creating urgency and supporting multi-visit conversions with persistent carts."

Remember that one inconclusive test does not mean that site testing is a failure. Even if you feel that the testing produced insignificant change, think of it as valuable information that answers your hypothesis. Bustos reminds e-commerce merchants that the key is to adjust strategy based on the results of your test and to "never stop testing."


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E-Commerce News: Black Friday Is Coming Early

Major e-commerce merchants are wasting no time. With still a full month before Black Friday, Amazon.com Inc. and Overstock are already jumping in on the post-Thanksgiving shopping bandwagon.

In a report for the Internet Retailer by Allison Enright, Amazon announced its Black Friday Deals store (amazon.com/blackfriday) where customers can find deals such as a 15% discount on an LG TV, two-for-one video game deals and other discounts. Amazon also announced a Black Friday Deals Week which will begin on Thanksgiving week. The leading e-retailer (according to Internet Retailer's Top 500 guide) will offer more discounts on that week. This early start has attracted the interest of early bird buyers and those who are starting to plan their Thanksgiving shopping lists. Experian Hitwise, a firm that monitors web traffic, reported that traffic to top e-commerce sites was up 10% year over year for the week ending last October 23. The firm added that 47% of all searches for "Black Friday" included the retailer's name ("Black Friday, Amazon"). Not surprisingly, Amazon was the number 1 most trafficked e-commerce site during Black Friday last year.

Not to be outdone, Overstock is also making an early play for Black Friday shoppers. The online retail giant announced that customers can get a free 60-day trial membership to Club O which is the company's rewards program. Membership gives customers free shipping and 5% of the cost of purchases as a credit for future purchases. This means that those who sign up now will get the credits and the free shipping benefit through the Holidays. Those who don't cancel after 60 days will be charged $19.95 for one year's worth of membership. Additionally, Overstock is also running a Pre-Black Friday Sale on its site and a Black Friday contest on its Facebook account.


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Trends to Explore for Ecommerce Website Designers

To create an increased web presence, web design engineers are encouraged to keep up with the latest trends to make sure that today’s audience appreciate the visual precept and usability of websites without spending too much on web design.

Kabir Bedi of LeXolution IT Services (LIT) enumerates a few areas that ecommerce website designers should explore to make sure that websites are updated with the latest trends:

Simple and minimalistic designs – While animations are very attractive, the current trend in web design today is the simple and minimalistic approach. This is fairly new when it comes to developing websites for eCommerce purposes but the focus is to be able to communicate the message to the audience without beating around the bush. 

Stylized fonts and topography – Nowadays, web programming languages already allow the use of unique fonts for websites. For instance, Serif fonts, which used to be displayed on the background before, are now on the forefront thanks to high-resolution screens.

Big headers, bold graphics – The use of eye-catching and attention-grabbing headers and graphics are the latest trends in ecommerce web design. Not only is this aesthetically pleasing but it adds to the element of visibility as well.

Informational graphics – Graphics attract visitors because they are easier to read than text-based information, but today’s trend incorporates both graphics and information by highlighting the content.
Content sliders – Ecommerce website designers are also encouraged to use content sliders when building web sites because of the graphical elements and slide shows that visitors appreciate instead of going back and forth through different web pages.  

Video marketing – A relatively new concept that ecommerce web designers should explore, video marketing involves creating relevant content such as how to’s and tutorials to attract visitors.

24/7 online customer services – Chat or email-based customer service should be a focus when developing websites for today. Round-the-clock services can attract visitors because they are guaranteed of full support when availing products or services from the business.

Social networking – With the rising trend in using social media marketing, joining social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn can help build a brand’s online reputation and popularity.


While there are standard and traditional practices that should be incorporated in web design, ecommerce website designers should try to experiment and explore many trends that are currently in place today when it comes to planning a website’s structure and composition. Additionally, the evolution of today’s technology has made possible many avenues of exploration for websites and online portals.

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A Visual Guide To Penetrating The UK Holiday Market

Yesterday, we shared with you an infographic about the state of e-commerce in India. Today, we are going to get visual again but this time we'll show you facts and figures about the UK Holiday landscape. As an e-commerce merchant, you should not be limited to your local audience. The Internet allows you to reach out to a global audience and you should take advantage of the opportunities available.

Linda Bustos of Get Elastic leads us to an infographic from Deals.org.uk which gives us an insight into the state of Christmas shipping in the UK for 2011.

E-Commerce Speaking, What's Happening Over In India?

India is among the countries to watch out for if you are looking for fresh territories to invest in. As an e-commerce merchant, it is important to know what is happening in other parts of the world, especially if expansion is part of your long term plans.

Get Elastic's Linda Bustos shares an interesting infographic about the state of e-commerce in India. Look and learn.

E-Commerce News: More Top E-Commerce Merchants Are Going MobileI

If you are still undecided about getting into mobile e-commerce, you may want to rethink your position after reading this article.

According to an Internet Retailer report by Kevin Woodward, 37% of Internet Retailer's Top 500's e-retailers have dedicated mobile e-commerce sites as compared to last year's 12%. This figure is from a study made by digital marketing firm Acquity Group, LLC. The Top 500 Guide ranks e-commerce merchants in North America based on their online sales.

Acquity Group Vice President of Digital Strategy and Design Tom Nawara was quoted in the article saying  "mobile is becoming a key digital channel for many customers." He reiterated the need for online retailers to ensure that their e-commerce sites are optimized for display on mobile devices. The study also revealed the declining trend in designing mobile e-commerce sites with specific devices in mind. For example, the percentage of retailers who optimized their sites for the iPhone went down to 9% as compared to 2010's 11%. Nawara notes that this "non-specialization trend" is expected to continue as mobile browsers become more similar and adhere to shared standards. The study also revealed that 26% of the Top 500 is offering an app, as compared to only 7% who did so in 2010.

The report further notes that the retailers' reasons for having a mobile application varies but it can be often traced back to the e-commerce merchant's objectives, customer base, and the particular devices that the target market uses.


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E-Commerce Tips: Holiday Ideas To Improve Sales

The Holidays are fast approaching and before you know it, Christmas shoppers will be flocking your store (whether it is online or offline). While the Holidays do mean a significant increase in sales, it does not mean that you should rest on your laurels. Times are hard and customers will definitely be choosy on where to spend their money. As an e-commerce merchant, this is your opportunity to present your product and services by incorporating some clever marketing ideas.

In this article, we will share with you five tips to help you take advantage of the Holiday season shopping rush, courtesy of Practical Ecommerce's Armando Roggio.

1. Start now. According to Internet marketing firm, Responsys, some major brands and companies tend to start their Holiday marketing campaigns as early as 69 days before Christmas. Learn from the industry bigwigs and start working on your campaigns now. This will give you an advantage during the "gift idea" phase of Holiday shopping. The start of your campaign need not be fancy. You can begin by sending an e-mail to your network. The important thing is to start as early as now.

2. Go to Amazon. Amazon.com is a prime e-commerce space because it features a wide range of sellers. There are millions of people around the world who go to Amazon to shop so this is also a perfect place for you to set up shop. There are two ways for you to utilize Amazon. First, you can place a pay-per-click ad on specific categories and product pages. Second, you can sell products directly. To get maximum bang for your buck, go for both options.

3. Offer gift cards. According to the National Retail Federation, gift cards have become very popular over the years and it continues to be a "favorite choice" for both givers and receivers. Roggio explains that gift cards are easy to manage on a busy business season and can carry over until after the Holiday shopping season. Many e-commerce platforms have built-in gift card features so it should be easy for you to incorporate it into your campaign. You can also use it as part of a promo to reward a loyal customer or to entice repeat business.

4. Use video marketing. According to Roggio, video is an "excellent e-commerce merchandising tool" and in fact, some published reports say that it can increase conversions by as much as 40%. This is due to the fact that video is a great way to present product features and create a hype for demand. Making videos can be quite tedious so start by making videos for your top ten products.

5. Include a "Gift Ideas" landing page. Consider it a double edged dagger. You help out undecided Holiday shoppers and at the same time, you advertise your business. Make it creative and specific (e.g. "Ten Cool Gifts For Tweens" or "Five Gift Ideas For Your In-Laws). Of course, support this landing pages with Internet marketing campaigns to drive traffic.


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