Tactical Tips on Enhancing Ecommerce Website Design Were Provided by SysIQ Usability Experts

Aug. 2, 2010 - PRLog -- SysIQ, a leading e-commerce solution provider, provided free ecommerce website redesign tips at Internet Retailer’s Site Design and Usability Conference in Orlando. It’s no secret that website design plays a critical role in converting shoppers and boosting organic search rankings for ecommerce stores. But with sales getting harder to come by as consumers curtail their discretionary spending, the need for retailers to reevaluate all elements of their website to identify large and small changes that can deepen the level on which they connect with their customers is greater than ever.

To help retailers identify ways to enhance their ecommerce website design to increase sales and optimize site content and links to product pages within the site without adversely affecting their organic search rankings, Steven Donaldson, SysIQ’s Inc.’s Director of Creative Strategy and Michael Zinke, SysIQ’s Web Design and Usability Director, were on hand at Internet Retailer’s Web Site Design and Usability conference in Orlando to consult with retailers about how to improve their website design.

The step-by-step consultative process began with a review of the retailer’s home page. In depth analysis will determined whether navigation paths on the home page, product display and merchandising strategy for the home page effectively draw each demographic subset within the retailer’s customer base deeper into their web site and to the desired product page in as few clicks as possible.

“The home page is typically where the shopping experience starts so it is essential retailers know the needs of their customers, show shoppers products they want to see, and provide shoppers navigation paths that allow them to quickly move through the site based on their needs,” says Donaldson.

Next, retailers learned about the use of customized shopper personas based on customer shopping habits and preferences. Customized personas deliver a unique shopping experience that appeal to the personal preferences of each customer segment, quickly guide shoppers to products they are likely to purchase, and help differentiate the retailer’s site.

Retailers were guided through ways to enhance landing pages, such as rotating product views as necessary to display products in a way that would appeal to the individual shopper. How best to mix and match products to add value to the shopping experience and create cross-sell and up-sell opportunities were also covered.

Ways to speed up check out in order to reduce cart abandonment at this crucial stage of the customer interaction was discussed. Creating one page check out could reduce cart abandonment by as much as 20%.

Other tactical tips for improving sales and customer loyalty would include ways to make customer registration of their account information on the site a value-added experience by offering such enticements as future discounts, advance notice of sales, and other exclusive offers.

As retailers went through each aspect of the site design, Donaldson and Zinke discussed how to make changes to the website without impacting organic search rankings.

Finally, retailers learned how to tie the elements of effective ecommerce website design together in a way that  would heighten brand recognition, create a consistent brand experience across all sales channels, and increase customer loyalty.

“Good website design is essential to success in today’s highly competitive e-commerce marketplace,” says Donaldson. “A static site lacks appeal. Good design brings a site alive. What retailers need to remember about site design is that little changes can have just as great an impact on sales as major changes. The keys to successful site design are to know which changes will deliver the greatest impact and connect with the shopper in a unique way so they not only return to your site again and again, but become an advocate of your brand.”

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About SysIQ

SysIQ has more than 10 years experience deploying and managing complete set of e-commerce services and solutions partnering with clients to grow their online business, creating customer-centric experiences, deploying leading on-demand ecommerce technologies (IBM WebSphere, Demandware, Intershop Enfinity, Fry, Endeca, Heiler), and securely managing operating systems, databases, applications and hardware with 99.99% uptime guaranteed. As a leading e-commerce solutions provider for multi-channel and mail-order retailers SysIQ is committed to developing long-term value and ROI for its clients and dedicated to providing the highest level of service. SysIQ is headquartered in San Francisco, California, clients include but are not limited Action Village, Noble Sales, and Sam Ash.