Magneto Mobile is now available which is the world’s first mobile commerce platform.

Depending on the size, shape, placement, color, or wording of your call-to-action button, you may not be seeing enough action.  Testing variations will help you determine which button is optimal for your specific needs.

Testing is a critical part of getting the right button recipe for your eCommerce website.

Don’t just rely on the old adage “Green means go” so make all buttons on your site green!  To a certain extent that is accurate, but what if your entire site is green.  All of a sudden the action you want people to take has lost its impact!!  There are best practice rules you need to abide by to ensure your call to action is obvious but for today we are focusing on shape.

Recently, Bryan Eisenberg (conversion optimization legend) shared one of his secrets for great call-to-action buttons. Using irregular shapes, (like big plus signs or shopping carts) rather than typical rectangle or oval shapes, catches the eye and ultimately, the “click.”

Understanding that every target customer is different, and every website’s design is unique, you must determine which shape proves to work best for you. Remember, people are conditioned to look for something rectangular, and designing a button too funky, could be risky.  Sometimes less is more, but if you feel an irregular shape might just give you an advantage, here are a few call-to-action shapes already used by online retailers.

You don’t need to be a high end designer to put together button shapes, these examples have been created in the Microsoft Power Point shape tool!:

Now see some unique button shapes currently used by online retailers:

In the end, the call-to-action button you choose for your website will need to be eye catching and easily identified if you want to successfully increase conversion.

The problem started a month earlier, when on a busy workday, we discovered we had no water.  The aerator (a tank that processes and softens well water before pumping it into our house) was nearly empty.  Now, I am not completely ignorant of how the system works, and my first guess was to check the switch that signals the pump to do its job.  We found two of the contacts were corroded, and after cleaning and filing them, voila!  Water flowed again.

Three weeks later, the problem repeated itself.  This time we determined that the switch needed replacing.  Fortunately, the switch was only $15, and replacing it was quite simple.  When the switch did not solve the problem we called in pros.

After two days without water, we learned the new switch was working.  In fact, the old one was “somewhat” doing the job, but it had just been stuck in the “on” position.  Therefore, 120 feet down, the pump was continuously pumping water right back into the ground.  It ended up being a costly situation.

So…what does all that have to do with an online store?

Actually, it has everything to do with it.  Many emergency customer calls, refer to a problem during the checkout process.  When asked when the last test order was placed, many owners or Web Champions respond, “never” or “when we first set it up.”  Overlooking this extremely important step causes wasted time and money.  Waiting to perform standard maintenance for your website increases the costs of repairs.  Lack of regular testing and maintenance will hinder your website’s performance, just as the lack of regular oil changes will affect your vehicles’ performance.

Preventing unnecessary problems is simple, take the time to complete a test order.  When customers call with issues, you will need to know if the problem they are calling about is the cause of user error, lack of guidance, or if the site itself is functioning improperly.  Make sure you are aware of the procedures involved, and be diligent about carrying out regular maintenance for the software you use.

My ignorance may not have been the cause of the burst pipe, but how do I know for sure if I did not take all the precautionary steps?  Creating a monthly routine, by choosing a day each month that you run regular maintenance checks, will ensure your website is running as smoothly as water from a well.

If you are not confident in conducting the test yourself, engage in eCommerce experts to keep an eye on the performance of the website for you.

We get asked often how to encourage customers to make repeat purchases. Using an online loyalty program can certainly help, but it must be done carefully and with the right tools.
There are a huge amount of factors involved in creating a successful loyalty program. However, before you consider initiating a loyalty program of your own, start by focusing on delivering the best experience you can to your customers. Great experiences, like loyalty programs, will spur repeat business from customers.

Determining your Customers Lifetime Value

When budgeting how much to invest in a loyalty program, a business owner should first weigh up what the life time value of that customer is worth to the business.
Focusing too much on getting a customer to purchase once shouldn’t be the goal of your website. However, we see this daily, business owners failing to calculate the potential lifetime value of a customer when determining how much to invest in a loyalty campaign. So first question you need to ask yourself is what is it worth to the bottom line to attract and keep a quality customer?
There are many ways to estimate the lifetime value of a customer. Probably the simplest method is to multiply the average order value by the number of times an average customer repurchases. An example might look like this,
If the average basket size at my florist store is $85 and the average customer places an order three times per year, the value of the customer is $255 per annum and $1,275 over five years. If you run a 50 percent margin of profit with your business, would you invest a year’s profit of $127.50 to capture and retain one customer that would stay for a lifetime?

A loyalty program is only one way of increasing repeat purchasing, however its right up there with one of the best strategies. Repeat purchasing is based on the old direct marketing premise that it is cheaper to keep an existing customer than it is to attract a new one. Once you have a customer, building a closer relationship with them is critical. It’s through that relationship that a bond is created between consumer and retailer. It’s always great to generate new customers, but it’s usually much less expensive to hold onto existing customers.

Five factors you can implement right away to prompt your customers to return for further purchases:

Fast delivery
Fantastic Customer Service
Customer centric website (Easy to use and navigate)
Targeted Email Newsletters offering promotions or deals
Free shipping

When your site’s navigation and usability make it easy to find products and relevant information, they will want to return again and again. Put simply, the shopping experience must be enjoyable.

Price is not the primary driver of loyalty. To generate loyalty, you have to go beyond price and offer customers an experience, and consider ways to improve the experience your customers receive when they purchase your products. Sometimes the nature of a product or experience can be confusing, and the experience issue is not something that is obvious or what customers are complaining about. Thus, you should use your database to analyze the data to find specific areas that can be addressed.

Implementing a Loyalty Program

For a loyalty program to achieve a high return on investment, a business owner must analyse the existing data and behaviour of their customer base. If business owners don’t feel comfortable analysing their own data, there are eCommerce specialists that specialise in helping build, customise and deploy loyalty programs specific to their business model, products and customers.

For those business owners who want to build and implement a loyalty program on their own,
Magento’s Reward Points functionality allows online merchants to implement unique programs designed to enhance user experience and increase customer loyalty. Points are awarded based on a wide range of transactions and customer actions and can be easily managed through the back end.

Since building loyalty is a long-term initiative, finding a digital agency specific to a loyalty program is critical. We believe there is tremendous value in working with a single agency with specific eCommerce expertise in building and managing loyalty programs, rather than multiple agencies performing independent services. This way, your emphasis can be placed on the customer and the customer experience, and not on coordinating various details with various suppliers, all of which can potentially lead to losing focus on the primary objective.

Exceed Online is growing at a head spinning rate. Would you like to join us on our journey through the eCommerce ecosystem? Is this the right adventure for you?

I often ponder on what makes a candidate the right one for a given position and the right one for a specific company. Over the past few years we’ve hired amazingly talented employees. Some of them we knew to be superstars when we brought them in, others grew and developed with the company, honing their skills over the years. At least a couple surprised us and exceeded our expectations right from the start. We also had our fair share of bad hires; employees that were smart and talented but did not work out and quickly left.

Every CV that comes through the door brings up the same question; is this one a match? When we interview, we wonder how we can tell if these candidates are “The Ones”.

We are developing a wish list (see below) of qualities that the right future hires will have. If reading this list makes you think of yourself, please send over your CV!

I also move couches…

In a startup environment, roles are not always strictly defined, there is a constant shortage of helping hands and the needs of the company continuously evolve. People with many skills are essential to our success, but having many skills is not enough. The willingness to do whatever is needed, whenever it is needed, even if it is not exactly what you think your status warrants is the absolute key to being a match with us. We need some couches moved to the other side of the office; are you ready to help?

Don’t tell anyone, but I would have paid YOU to let me do this job…

Loving what you do is the key to both happiness and success. Yes, for most of us it took some time to find the path, but by the time you come to work here, we want you to already be on it, following the yellow brick road. Passion for what you do, whether it is web design, programming or customer support, makes you good at it, makes you happy, and makes you more likely to succeed. If you are at a career that you do not like, coming here to do the same thing will not make it any better. My general rule is: if you are willing to pay me to let you do your job, then I am willing to pay you to do it.

Exceed Online – I have heard of them …

We make enough noise in the eCommerce community to expect you to have heard about us. We only want you if you are genuinely interested in our field and if you know and understand who we are. How has eCommerce made an impact in your life? Think about it. Yes, we all shop online, but to work at Exceed Online, you will need to have had a deeper level of involvement in this ecosystem. Tip for future interviewees: make sure you shop online and be ready to tell us all about it. What was your first item you purchased? How did it feel? Our employees are passionate about our merchants’ success and we want to hear about your experiences and what it means to you.

If it’s not on paper (ok, virtual one…) it does not exist …

I want to empower the world; and I’m ready to do it now…

Exceed Online is already working with a large list of medium to corporate companies throughout Australasia. We deliver both freedom and wealth to our clients, and partners through best practice eCommerce consulting and open source software in a way that is changing the playing field. Are you ready to change the playing field with us? If you understand our mission and would like to take a front seat on this space shuttle ride to the core of eCommerce, then order your ticket right now! If you know of anyone then please let them know.

Contact - info @ exceedonline . co . nz

The rest of this article blends Econsultancy’s top Manufacturer hurdles with Exceed Online’s knowledge gathered from our Manufacturer clients who reside in both New Zealand and Australia. The one thing I can confirm is, the troubles faced by the large global Manufacturers are identical to those in Australasia:

1. Creating an online strategic plan.  Manufacturers are concerned the in-house resources do not have the ability to develop a strategic approach and and build a sound online plan.

2. Threats of damaging long term existing retail relationships.  This issue seems to be at the forefront, as Manufacturers strive to build a delicate balance between building their brand via direct to consumer sales, and not offend retail partners.

3. Product collateral.  Manufacturers’ have never really been forced to develop sales collateral which appeal to the end consumer.  It’s always been geared toward the retail buyer.  Sure Manufacturer’s typically have good product images, but where is the benefit driven copy?  Does a Manufacturer truly understand the buying process of their target market, or the buying hurdles when they shop online?  Do they know their customer at all?

4. Pricing strategy.  How does a Manufacturer determine an RRP?  There is an opportunity to dramatically grow margin, but do you intentionally remain higher priced than  retail partners?  If so, where does the cost of freight fit into this equation?  Do you ignore the need to offer the consumer competitive value?  Or is their respect for retail partner margins?

5. Logistics infrastructure not set up for single SKU orders.  To maintain proper management of purchasing, inventory, consumer shipments, overstock, and returns, separate processes and systems are required.  Manufacturers need to achieve the 3 R’s of order fulfillment:  getting the Right product to the Right place at the Right time.

6. eCommerce Customer Service.  eCommerce Customer Service consists of all the activities which occur after a purchase.  This function requires systems and a team who are in tune with your target market.  There are benefits to outsourcing however; a Manufacture needs to appreciate how eCommerce Customer Service can negatively impact the brand if done wrong.  Having third parties responsible for your customers happiness is a very high risk.  Does Amazon or Zappos rely on others?  I think not.

7. Online consumer marketing.  A Manufacturer’s DNA may not include digital direct response marketing, so understanding search marketing, email, affiliate relationships, online retail promotions, social media, and the creative balance between traffic and conversion, becomes a challenge which brings the need for new a skill set which internal staff will never possess.  This function is something which can effectively be outsourced to a third party supplier:  eCommerce Experts.

8. The components of an eCommerce ecosystem.  The search for an eCommerce technology is equally as important as the suite of supporting systems (many of them potentially in legacy condition) and will need to be prepared or upgraded for integration. The challenge becomes far greater in the selection process when they realise that not all technology is created equal.

9. People + Time = cost and taking the eye of the ball of core business! The risks to re focus your existing team to online, an area where they are not comfortable, are high.   With so little time to afford, who can deal with this right now?

It is easy to lose focus and become overwhelmed by the many decisions that must be made.  Many use cost as a convenient excuse to dodge the issues above.  However, there will quickly come a time where Senior Management will truly understand they can no longer afford not to go online direct to consumer.

The question will then be…will it be too late?

When reviewing the website to determine if Exceed could help, he told me the site is organically superior due to all the traffic he receives each month (apparently his site receives 20,000 unique visitors each month).  This conclusion came from him viewing the AW stats package which came with the website.  AW stats, good times, good times. 

My reply:

Dear John (fictitious name),

Do you have Google Analytics installed on your site; can you give me a breakdown of your traffic sources?  (There was silence.  No Google Analytics.)  You realise traffic could come from anywhere and can come in many forms i.e. branded, unbranded, direct.  The only way we would truly understand the traffic sources is if I had access to a more comprehensive analytics package. 

Your view of your website’s performance, at this stage is extremely limited and there are not enough insights for us to make recommendations on changes required to improve the financial performance of your website.

John, remember the old marketing saying, “50% of our Marketing worked, we just aren’t sure which 50% it was”.  Well, those days are now over.  With Google Analytics we can see everything.

Are you advertising on Google (Adwords).  (Yes he is)  Is that making money for you?  (John didn’t answer).  OK, the first thing we need to do before anything else is install Google Analytics on your site.  Then you can come back in one month and we can tell you exactly what is and what is not working. 

Exceed Online is 1 of only 40 companies in the world that holds “Google Analytics Accreditation“.  Our team can look at any website with GA installed and provide clients valuable insights into what is wrong with their website, and make recommendations to fix the problems.  This is a critical part of a continuous improvement process which builds the financial performance of any website Exceed Online gets its hands on.

If you are to remember one thing from this article remember this.  You can spend $10k on a Magazine advertisement, but when the issue is no longer current (typically one month later) that investment is gone forever.  When the Exceed team corrects a performance issue on your website, it continues to add value to your business forever.

“People go to Google searching for gift baskets and Zarbo does come up (on the first page of hits at Google New Zealand). Or if you look for “Liquid Glucose” on Google, Zarbo comes at the top of the list for that.”

My reply:

Have you tried to type “liquid glucose” into Google for NZ results?  I made sure “Liquid Glucose” was still available on the website, it was, when you type this term into Google (NZ results), Zarbo is no where to be seen.  What’s funnier is, when you type “zarbo liquid glucose” into Google, the case study article ranks higher than the Zarbo website.  Zarbo does not rank anywhere near the first page for the term “gift baskets”.  Either this article is extremely old or someone is not telling the truth.

For a website business to grow online it must be visible in Google for “unbranded” terms i.e. “gift baskets”.   If someone knows Zarbo and wants to purchase from them again, they will bookmark the website or type “zarbo” into the Google search bar.  That’s repeat business and is a good thing.  However, it is not growth.  Put simply, Zarbro needs to be visible for terms like “gift baskets” if it wants to grow.

Having an acquisition focus early in an online businesses life cycle is natural; however don’t be overtly fixated on this.  It is hard to acquire customers but just as hard (and some say harder) to keep them.  Customer Retention strategy is a great topic to cover for another day, but suffice it to say, a balance is necessary for the success of all online businesses.  Why is it harder? One reason is, Retention strategy includes customer experience/service.  Something many online businesses get very wrong. 

If you are looking to develop either an acquisition or customer retention strategy, the team at Exceed Online can help.  If you know of an online business which is doing a great job of acquiring and retaining customers, let me know.

In a sales situation presenting information properly is vital. You may be providing the right information but if the delivery is flawed then you could be losing business.

A handy tool to use when writing informative and effective copy is A.I.D.A - an old marketing formula which describes a series of phases that lead to the purchase of a product or service.

Let’s have a look at the phases in A.I.D.A [Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action] and how they can help in generating a sale on your website.

1. Attention: The first phase is attention. You need to grab the attention of the visitors browsing through your site. The first thing that people see will be the heading, so make it strong and follow it up with a short but effective product description.
   
   Don’t forget that people browsing the internet are likely to be doing other things at the same time. According to recent studies internet users have a tendency to multitask while online - engaging in everything from listening to music, talking on the phone or even watching a movie. Therefore, having unique and creative content is critical when it comes to grabbing attention.
   
   
2. Interest: Okay, now that you’ve got the consumer’s attention, what next? Well, you have to keep them interested. You’ll need to provide further information about your products/services such as features and specifications.
   
   
3. Desire: Desire ties in closely with interest. As you increase a customer’s interest, you also need to build on their desire for that product. We have listed the features of the product in the “Interest” phase, now we need to provide the benefits of those features.
   
   For example, take this statement: “This jacket is reversible.” Your customer is probably asking, “So what? How does that help me?” You can avoid your customer taking this train of thought by saying “Change styles in a matter of seconds with this reversible jacket.”
   
   
4. Action: Finally, you need a strong call-to-action. After making it this far, you have to tell your consumer what to do, whether it is to buy, download or learn more. Overlooking this step is a big no-no. Use powerful and confident words like “Buy Now”, “Add to Cart” etc. Try to convey a sense of urgency. For example, having “Buy Now” instead of “Buy” can subtly convince the consumer not to wait any longer to take action.

These phases form a basic guideline in writing effective copy. Using these simple rules should set you on the right track and once you become comfortable with this model, you can always try variations and create your own style.

It is the nicest and most accurate portrayal of what our Project team deals with on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis. 

Is this you?  If so, take care next time you put forward a request to your website project team.