Sticking to the basics
May 22nd, 2009. Posted by Greg Randall
I had a potential new client come and visit, wanting a new website. They came with all kinds of functionality requests clearly listing all the “bells and whistles”. It was funny to listen to this person list a large number of technology tools, many of which contradicted what they wanted their online business to achieve. I thought about this conversation and realised it’s not their fault!
The advancement in technology brings complex functionality to all businesses regardless of budget. What was once extremely expensive and used by the likes of Amazon is now available for everyone who wants to sell online. The challenge these days is not building a feature rich website, it is more about selecting the tools which will add value to the buying experience of the customer!
The availability of technology clouds the judgement of online business owners where the focus is more on cramming their website full of tools in the hopes it will satisfy a customer need and will result in a sale.
Keep it simple people! The way to do this is work with a team of eCommerce Experts who can analyse your business model and prescribe only the bells and whistles which will deliver ROI. Each piece of technology should be rationalised to business goals, if it can’t, then don’t use it.
Make sure you can do the basics very well, and then slowly grow the functionality over time. Don’t make future decisions on what you want, but what the customers will positively react to. The positive reactions are all about enhancing the customer experience.
Google Analytics will tell you everything you need to know in terms of what is and what is not working on your website. Make sure you partner with a team who understands Google Analytics reporting and can provide you this information. If you based decisions around the needs of your customers, you cannot go wrong.
So what are the basics? Read on if you want to learn more about the basics of building credibility with your target market. It is all about following the golden online rule of “KISS” – “keep it simple site-wide”.