PacificPillows.com started out with the basic easy Yahoo! point-and-click default template, with minor customization done in-house. When business proved itself as profitable, they reinvested profits into creating a more professional look. The investment was made four months after opening the online store. Besides unique website design, some advanced features and layout modifications were implemented on the site:
The overall layout and features are simple and effective. The goal is to make it easy for customers to get your vital information and make the buying process effortless. Some websites overdo their sites with too many advanced features that make it too complicated for customers. Product Package DealsPacific Pillows saw an increase in sales when the company started selling its pillows in packages (see Figure 10.5). Customers were able to purchase an individual pillow, a package of two pillows, or a package of four pillows. Creating the packages and offering an extra discount incentive resulted in an increase in the total sales order. The packages made it easier for customers to make a single-purchase transaction of multiple products. Before implementing the choices of the packages, customers ordered one pillow 58% of the time. After the packages were implemented, a set of four pillows was ordered 43% of the time, a package of two was ordered 39% of the time, and individual pillows were ordered only 18% of the time. Tip Another alternative to offering packages is to offer multiple quantity discounts. The discount must be easily readable for customers to know that there is an incentive to ordering more of the product. Consider putting your quantity discount in a color-coded table format. Adding Credibility BannersCustomer service constantly received emails and phone calls asking if the website was secure to process credit cards. Instead of just adding a FAQ (frequently asked questions) page and telling customers that the site is secure, Pacific Pillows added a "Tested for Safety" banner on the home page (see Figure 10.6). The site security is tested by a third-party company, Safe Shopping Network (www.safeshoppingnetwork.com), which provides a directory of security-tested websites. Such banners add consumer confidence, resulting in sales. Since the banner has been online, customer service has not received an inquiry regarding site security. Although it is not part of the standard Yahoo! store feature, the seal is included with the purchase of a paid yearly listing. Figure 10.6. Adding banners such as Tested for Safety, BBB Reliability Program, and Yahoo! Shopping Rating brings credibility to your store.Pacific Pillows also added banners for the Better Business Bureau Reliability Program and Yahoo! Shopping Rating. Similar to the Tested for Safety banner, both add credibility to a site. TestimonialsIncluding testimonials is a way to show potential customers how much other customers have enjoyed your products (see Figure 10.7). The scrolling text on the Pacific Pillows home page not only draws attention, but it also helps save space to include additional testimonials. Pacific Pillows receives at least one email per week from a customer who made a purchase because of the testimonials. So they work! Testimonials are a great way to get customers to make a purchase, especially if they are on the fence about purchasing. Some customers even ask to have their testimonial included on the websitemaybe it's their five minutes of fame, similar to having your name mentioned in a newspaper. Figure 10.7. Pacific Pillows added testimonials to the home page.Tip Don't be afraid to solicit testimonials from customers. Try to approach the customers whom you know had a great experience with your website and enjoy the products. Website DevelopmentInstead of hiring a Yahoo! store development firm, Pacific Pillows decided to hire individual programmers. Hiring programmers for specific tasks has proved to be a cost savings for the company. Pacific Pillows turns to Elance (www.elance.com) for developers. Elance (which is part of eBay) lets you post your available projects online. After you describe your needs and requirements, you receive proposals from professionals with bid on your project. You review all the bids and select the person who best fits your requirements and budget. Elance also offers a way for you to pay the programmer through the Elance website. Before using Elance, Pacific Pillows received a few bid proposals from other development firms, but the company found hiring individuals to be more cost-efficient. Warning Hiring freelance programmers through websites such as Elance can be cost-effective, but those programmers might lack the required RTML experience. Developers in the developer directory (www.developernetwork.store.yahoo.com) have been screened for their knowledge and are more accountable because they want to remain listed. If you plan to use freelance programmers, check for references. Otherwise, merchants could end up paying once to do work initially and then paying again to fix work done by a developer with not enough experience. |