Have you ever spotted a sign with a mis-spelling or an apostrophe out of place? Did it make you reconsider the professionalism of that place, shop, restaurant or establishment? Of course it would. Poor spelling and grammar appears sloppy and careless.

The same is true of websites and ecommerce sites. In surveys, more than 50% of people are turned off by spelling and grammar errors on websites. Many of these say that it would put them off using the website whether it’s a service of an e-tailer.

So it’s clear that it’s worth spending some time checking that your website is free of spelling and grammar mistakes. If you do not trust your own judgment then ask a trusted friend or pay a journalist or copywriter to take a look over your website.

It is highly likely that they will find a few mistakes (everyone makes mistakes) and they may even find a whole host of errors. Once these have been sorted you can be sure that potential customers will not be put off your site by something as simple-to-rectify as inaccurate copy.

If you are interested in having an online shop, stop by WebCreationUK for more information on our fantastic ecommerce packages.

One of the fastest growing trends for websites is “interaction”. That is, interaction with visitors/customers and your on-line business. A successful website will offer a range of interactive features that allow customers to offer feedback, such as reviews and comments, and to share information.

Rather like a high street shop that has gained a reputation for being approachable, open and knowledgeable so an interactive ecommerce or e-retail site offers a great degree of service for customers.

Research has shown that on-line businesses that offer interactive features create a more effective web presence with increased customer conversion rates and improved brand loyalty and recognition.

Here are some of the key tools for a more interactive ecommerce site:

Newsletters: Collect email addresses of potential customers and send out direct promotion via newsletters.

Comments/reviews: The usual place for this type of interaction is found on blogs. This also allows you to build on content, especially via user-generated content.

Google map: An interactive Google Map can be used in a number of ways. It can display an interactive map of your location or you can use one of its features, such as distance calculator, to add more functionality.

Related articles: You can improve the readership of your website by offering visitors content that is related.

RSS feed: This makes it simpler for users to subscribe to your website updates by email.

Social bookmarking: Visitors and customers can use social bookmarking to manage favourite content and share it with others. It also helps in promoting your website and therefore generates more traffic.

Feedback forms: These are still an effective and easy to collect responses from visitors and customers. Try to customise the form to the specific needs of your website.

Survey/polls: Another way to collect vital information from customers.

Most good web design companies will be able to work with you to add great interactive features to your website. Check out what leading web design company WebCreationUK could do for your site.

Gap’s on-line sales website for UK customers is now up and running. At the same time the parent company, Gap Inc, launched a site for sister fashion brand, Banana Republic.

Both websites have an .eu domain and on-line customers can choose Gap, GapKids, babyGap and Banana Republic products with one shopping basket,  checkout and shipping.

Stephen Sunnucks, president of Gap Inc, Europe, is reported as saying: “We put a lot of research and time into building a dedicated UK eCommerce platform. We are delighted by both websites.” Their next step will be to expand on-line shopping to further European countries.

If you are interested in having an online shop, stop by WebCreationUK for more information on our fantastic ecommerce packages.

One of the biggest complaints from customers is confusing ecommerce websites. With so many rival websites it’s therefore important that your web design is as slick and customer-friendly as possible.

Here we bring you some top tips for ecommerce web design. If you are looking for great ideas and beautiful ecommerce design then check out the portfolio of WebCreationUK.

Six great tips for ecommerce and e-retail websites

Good navigation: Buying a product should not be a challenge or a bid to get your customers to solve a puzzle. Make the buying process straightforward. From reading about the product, to  popping it in their basket, to getting to the checkout, all processes should be simple and signposted.

Search option: A “search for product” option is a great idea. Sometimes a customer wants to quickly find out if you stock one product and to save them scrolling through long lists of products or accessing various categories they could find exactly the product they want within seconds of searching.

Call to action: Make each part of the purchasing process simple. Add call to action buttons such as “buy now”, “add to shopping basket”, “go to checkout” throughout your ecommerce website.

Less clicks is more: Shorter buying processes will gain you customer friends. If the purchase process is long-winded then they will be tempted to head to another site. It’s important to let customers have a chance to check their purchase list but apart form this the procedure from choosing the product to buying it should be simple and straightforward.

Clear prices and labeling: Customers want to know what a product is and how much it costs. Delivery costs are also important. So make sure all these points are covered, simply and clearly.

Customer service: A customer service that is easily accessible, such as an email response or live chat, will give customers greater confidence and trust in your on-line company.

This could be an interesting piece of research if you are aiming to attract the most potential customers to your ecommerce site. Especially if you use discount vouchers and social media marketing platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

A report, by price comparison website InvisibleHand, has found that traffic to internet shopping sites is 75% higher at 4pm on a Wednesday than at the quietest times. There is a 52% rise in the number of people shopping on-line on a typical workday afternoon compared with mornings. Meanwhile, on-line shopping traffic is 11% higher at 2pm than at midday.

Sunday night is the second most popular time for on-line shopping after Wednesday, with a 27% increase over Saturday night.

Could it be that office workers are turning to on-line shopping when they are most bored? And that Sunday night TV is not good enough to hold the attention of the average person as they switch on their computers instead?
Whatever the conclusion of this report, it does give a few clues for ecommerce businesses.

WebCreationUK currently offer an e-shop summer special. If you are looking to set up your own ecommerce store, speak to us for more information on your web design needs.

Latest figures reveal that on-line retail spending in the UK was £5 billion in July, which is the highest of any month this year. The IMRG Capegemini e-Retail Sales Index shows that 
Brits spent an average of £81 per person on-line.

July also marks the biggest jump of any month in two years. The Index has grown by 18% compared to last July. The growth rate was 14% compared to the month before.

Chris Webster, of Capegemini is reported as saying: “Although on-line retail sales survived the recession more convincingly than high street sales, the last two years or so have no doubt been shaky at times.

“It is really encouraging to see growth levels returning to those seen pre-2007 and before consumer confidence was knocked by the financial crisis and recession.”

The most impressive result in July was in the travel sector, which was boosted by shoppers making last-minute bookings to escape the British summer.

The performance of retailers with a high street presence as well as an on-line store also continue to out-perform online-only retailers. Multichannel retailers saw growth of 18% compared to last month, while online-only retailers showed growth of 8%.

Another industry expert said:
”The evidence mounts that high street retailers will need to invest more in their online business and put it at the heart of their retail strategy. Online retailers, on the other hand, will need to continue to innovate as they strive to close the growth gap.”

Looking to set up your own ecommerce store? Speak to WebCreationUK about our e-shop summer special package and more information on website desgin.