Ecommerce Comes from Customer Satisfaction

Online shopping is convenient, but many companies whose web sites do brisk sales often leave consumers wanting. That's according to ForeSee Results, a research company that studied customer satisfaction among Internet shoppers. One way to improve the experience is gift cards, according to Merchant Commerce (http://merchantcommerce.net), an e-commerce services provider. Gift cards can be used to reward loyal customers and to attract new clients. "People love to tell their friends about new shops or products they have found," said Rebecca Campbell, Manager of Merchant Commerce. "Gift cards get shoppers in the door, whether it's a Web store or a physical outlet."

Even though online sales number in the tens of billions of dollars each year, they still total less than 10% of the overall retail market. At the same time, electronic sales are increasing at a much faster rate than traditional retail, and consumer confidence and comfort with e-commerce are not really issues anymore. Customer satisfaction, however, is a concern. Price is usually a secondary factor online, and a dual study by shop.org and Forrester Research confirms that. That report listed health and beauty supplies, and sporting goods ? typically not low-cost merchandise ? as the categories with the biggest jumps in sales. "Consumers put a premium on service, even more so than on convenience," says Clarence Briggs, Chief Executive Officer of AIT, the parent company for Merchant Commerce. "The Web puts so many choices in front of the buying public; online merchants need a means of hooking shoppers in."

Consumers who don't find what they want on one web site will jump to another; that is much easier than actually driving between stores. Here is where technology-as-customer-satisfaction can be measured. It can be a tool that browsers use to build shopping lists before committing to a purchase, making check-out easier. Or, a clothing site that lets shoppers see how different items look in combination. Or, a site that provides third-party assessments of a product line, with links to news stories, for instance. "It's about creating a scenario that makes it easy for consumers to buy," said Campbell. "Gift cards are another means of doing that."

Merchants already know that consumers are turning to the Internet, if not to make purchases, then to do research prior to purchasing decisions. They know it because money spent on search-engine marketing keeps going up, yet many business owners put a higher premium on a high Google ranking than on what happens once a browser clicks onto a web site. Like any other marketing medium, a good search engine message can only bring customers to the door; it can't make them buy anything.

Alex Lekas is the VP / Corporate Communications for AIT, a hosting services provider to nearly 200,000 business domains in 107 countries.

---

Is Your Business Afraid of the Internet?

My Business is Afraid of the InternetBill Gates, CEO of... Read More

Database: The Secret of Success

BENEFITS OF A DATABASEBy maintaining your list as a database,... Read More

Merchant Account Insider Secrets - Accept Credit Cards Online

The process of learning how to accept payments on the... Read More

Simple Steps to Start a Profitable Member Only, Subscription Web Site

Having a successful member only, paid membership site is one... Read More

Online Lead Generation: Can it Work for My Business?

Business-to-business service providers have a wide range of tactics they... Read More

The ClickBank E-Commerce Solution

ClickBank.com can offer you multiple solutions for your e-commerce business.... Read More

Excuse Me, Are You Wasting Traffic?

The largest cost and concern of an internet business is... Read More

How To Stay Cutting Edge In Online Business

Let's face it, there's just way too much information out... Read More

The Top 10 E-Commerce Ways to Follow up with Clients - Part 1

Did you know that 80% of all sales are made... Read More

Shopping from Your Cell Phone with Froogle Wireless

Many surfers already know about Froogle, Google's shopping portal that... Read More

Tell Site Visitors What To Do

Your site visitors make all the choices when it comes... Read More

Online Payments Make It Easy For Your Customers To Buy

In the last column we discussed the process of credit... Read More

Web advertising e-Marketing Places!

Overview:What is web advertising?Internet Advertising is popularly known as web... Read More

Online Credit Card Processing - How to Accept Credit Cards - Ecommerce 101

Back in 1998 (through 2000 or so), I worked for... Read More

The Lowdown On ECommerce: Making All The Pieces Fit Together

The Lowdown on EcommerceEcommerce is truly the most confusing aspect... Read More

Do You Need A Merchant Account?

Deciding when to get your own merchant account for internet... Read More

Business Online ? Blind Hunt

Do you sell something online? Do you have a business... Read More

How To Sell Websites Fast !

This article will explain in depth the steps needed to... Read More

Cyber Banking

The use of electronic cash as a means of transacting... Read More

Accept Credit Cards Online Without a Merchant Account

There are two major ways to accept credit cards on... Read More

Top Ten Qualities to Look for in an Online Pharmacy

As you may have noted, there are thousands or even... Read More

How Measuring Key Performance Indicators Can Improve E-Commerce Strategy - Part Three

The first article of this series discussed page views per... Read More

10 Compelling Benefits of Having A 3rd Party Merchant Account

If you have been wrestling with the idea of applying... Read More

Saving Money On Your E-commerce Site

After building and transferring many e-commerce sites it still amazes... Read More

Online Customer Service - The Cornerstone of a Successful Online Business

Online customer service is still one of the most frequently... Read More

Start doing online business using B2B Portals in Six Steps

I registered with a B2B site but what's next?This is... Read More

Internet Merchant Accounts For Innocents Abroad

If you want to sell on the internet, your need... Read More

Are You Making These E-Commerce Excuses? (part 1)

A year ago, I had big plans to re-vamp my... Read More

7 Questions to Ask A Potential Internet Merchant Account Provider

Recently I went looking for an online merchant account, with... Read More

Coupons & Rebates

Yes, it's true, coupons are not just for newspapers anymore.... Read More

6 Steps to Attracting Black Customers Online

by Jamila White, "The E-Commerce Diva"In the rush to keep... Read More

Cost Effective Ecommerce Solutions

Ecommerce use to be about spending thousands of dollars on... Read More

Conducting Business through B2B E-marketplaces

Businesses, which are still sitting on sidelines and not doing... Read More