The ecommerce blog Get Elastic described the result as a barely-passing grade.

Does your online store run an email campaign?  Let us know what grade you’d give it on Twitter: @TrustedShopsUK.

Read on

Items from the supermarket could be ordered by smartphone using QR codes. All the customer had to do was scan the product’s QR code and – hey presto – the ordering process was underway.

For Andreas Marra, managing director of Itellium mobile solutions, the use of QR codes in mobile commerce is a trend-setting strategy:

“QR codes are the only way to make the leap from the Internet into the real world.”

Tests using QR codes have also been underway for some time in the catalogue sector. Otto, Sears and Snipes are examples of this. At the moment the approaches are still very different. With Snipes, the QR is used to guide customers to the mobile shop to place their orders. At Otto, the QR code reader is a function of the Otto shopping app and permits selected products from the Otto catalogue or current poster campaign to be purchased.  QR codes have also been used in an attempt to engage customers through competitions which enable them to win ‘special treats’ – Debenhams is a good example of this.

Digital signage

The digital signage (digital billboard advertising) field is also seeing some interesting approaches towards making mobile commerce attractive to the user through the use of QR codes. The Smobsh Terminal is one such example.

The Terminal is basically an interactive poster which bricks-and-mortar retailers can use to supplement their shelf space. Customers can use PayPal QR shopping to order the products on offer by scanning them with a smartphone.

Does your business use QR codes? Let us know via @TrustedShopsUK

Findings

40 per cent of China’s population (242 million people) already buy on the Internet and last year, spent an average of €822 (£703) each, which isn’t far behind the UK whose average e-commerce expenditure amounted to £1083 (€1265) per person. And it’s no wonder – China is such a vast place (mostly agricultural) which means the Chinese have little access to physical shops, and favour online shopping.

So, that said – it’s a gigantic market with great potential for growth.

Here are five proven mechanisms for UK retailers to inspire cross-border trust and take advantage of growing markets:

Make a good first impression – Use a clear and structured web design that respects learned e-commerce conventions (i.e. navigation, pictures, search, shopping cart, etc.) Visitors to your site spend most of their time on other sites and have little patience- they want to understand how to use yours quickly. The tonality and pictures on your web site must match the expectations of your potential customers and language/pricing must be altered to keep up with international preferences.

Borrow trust – Retailers can borrow trust through third party validation, such as a Trustmark. The Trustmark shows that the retailer has gone the extra mile to give the customer a safe shopping experience. Displaying a known product brand on the site can also infer trust. European shoppers are less comfortable with shopping online, they aren’t as trusting as UK consumers, so this is important. Endorsement from a celebrity or a positive article from a known newspaper or magazine is also a good way to transfer trust.

Social Proof – Retailers can attract trust with social proof. Most consumers tend to choose what other consumers have already chosen, so show how many customers have bought your best selling product (with exact numbers). Recommendations and customer feedback plays an increasing role in the purchase decision so you need to collect genuine customer feedback, showing your potential customers that others trust you. Don’t exclude negative reviews – it will lower consumer trust.

Extend trust with security – When the shopping cart exceeds a certain value, customers tend to leave the site at checkout more often, they aren’t willing to be that vulnerable. A transactional guarantee can help to reduce shop abandonment rate. All online shops that carry a Trustmark offer a money-back-guarantee to their customers protecting them against non-delivery, non-refund, and credit card fraud. Our survey among Trusted Shops retailers across Europe showed an improvement of conversion rate by nearly 9% and an increase of average shopping cart by almost 3%.

Maintain trust with service – Delivering on the promise and satisfying the customer are the best ways to maintain trust and get returning customers. Research shows that it takes, on average, seven times more effort to get a new customer than sell to an existing customer. Keeping a high service standard is also an excellent opportunity to reinforce social proof by collecting positive feedback. Additionally if you use the Trusted Shops Seller Rating tool, you will be able to push genuine customer reviews to search engines and improve your ranking.

If you follow these guidelines, with a pinch of luck it won’t be long until your website is established in a new country.

If you have other tips or questions let us know on Twitter: @TrustedShopsUK

The result? Read about it here! 

“The mobile shopping volume via smartphone and tablet has risen by over 140 per cent in Europe compared to the previous year.”

That is the key finding of the Zanox Mobile Performance Barometer 2012. The Scandinavians are top of the pack when it comes to mobile shopping in Europe, with around 7.3 per cent of turnover in online retail being generated using mobile devices. The European average is 3.9 per cent.

Country Performance M-Commerce 2012

Evolutionary growth with low market relevance

How should online sellers interpret these figures? First of all, growth. It’s no surprise that the share in m-commerce is doubling, tripling or even quadrupling each year, as smartphones and tablet PCs have managed to break through into the mass market over the past two-three years. This development has been driven forward by the widespread availability of mobile phone networks and the low cost of mobile internet access.

This makes growth very easy to explain: more and more people have mobile phones with internet capabilities and this is causing an evolutionary effect on growth in m-commerce.

The study also clears up a potential misconception that the proliferation of mobile devices with internet access means that customers are also using their smartphones to make purchases. A look at the turnover generated in m-commerce shows that the relevance of this channel is still relatively low. Around four per cent of turnover in online retail is generated using mobile devices and, even here, purchases are generally made in the person’s living room- rather than in a real mobile context.

A further finding from the Zanox study is that the average value of goods in the shopping basket is identical for both classic e-commerce and m-commerce,(relating to consumer items) totalling  €237.

Where will the journey end?

M-commerce will spill over into the mass market, despite all prophecies of doom – when this will happen is still up for debate. However, it is more likely to be an additional ordering channel rather than an independent strategic sales channel. Online sellers would therefore be well advised to keep an eye on it and make sure they are prepared.One of the major barriers at the moment is the lack of experience consumers have with this channel. Whether mobile shopping services can really become accepted remains to be seen.

A typical mobile shopping scenario:

The consumer finds information about an item in a conventional store, scans the product’s bar code or QR code and then buys the item from an internet seller because it’s cheaper there. One problem with this is that major specialist retailers, for instance, no longer display any codes on the outer packaging of equipment, or prohibit the scanning of codes and photographing of goods.

Customers will most likely continue to make spontaneous purchases in a mobile context in future, but the sales generated in this way will be limited. The use of smartphones or tablets, in catalogue or print media advertising in a domestic environment, is much more interesting. If the advertised products have a QR code, you just need to scan the code to order the product. There is no need to place the order via the online shop.

What are your predictions for the future of m-commerce ? Let us know via twitter @TrustedShopsUK

Purchase on account

Numerous studies have shown that the option to purchase on account contributes to a massive boost in the conversion rate of online shops. If you think about it, this makes logical sense. Payment is a complicated business, and many users are afraid that their details will be misused. Purchase on account seems the safest method to use, and it goes without saying that users will order more because they don’t have to pay up front. However, the downside is just as logical- the number of returns increases.

Regular customers

Our analysis has shown that regular customers generate conversion rates which are twice as high as those of first-time visitors. This sounds logical and is easy to understand. The regular customer is highly qualified, already knows what he wants and has fewer reservations. Simply put, he is much more likely to buy. The shop must be made as attractive as possible if conversion rates are to be optimised.

Trust

Trust is a major problem in e-commerce. Numerous studies have shown that users are likely to doubt the reputability of online retailers and abort their purchases. Building trust optimises conversion rates – it’s not rocket science, it’s just common sense. Display images of the products and delivery times in the shopping basket, use a trustmark, display customer reviews, use FAQs to resolve issues, and introduce your company.

Order form

This has been analysed and tested several times and the result has always been the same. It’s as plain as day: nobody likes filling in forms. That’s why they should be as short as possible. Don’t ask for unnecessary information and mark mandatory fields. Display additional fields, like the despatch address, only on request and explain the fields properly, putting them in the right order.

Shipping costs

If your shipping costs are above average, you will be seen as expensive in the eyes of the user. This will result in abandoned purchases. You will optimise conversion rates by keeping your shipping costs low, easy to understand and fair. (No complex calculations, no surcharges, no hidden costs). Transparency will boost conversion!

Good luck with optimising your conversion rates!

Some of the questions being answered at IMRG Connect‘s “Dude, where’s my customers?” are:

• How can gamification form part of a consumer engagement strategy?
• How can eCRM be utilised intelligently to enrich content and inventory recommendations
• What steps can be taken to drive up targeted email open rates and click-through rates?
• Give examples of the best social media campaigns with results.
• What is a good strategy for improving the accuracy of customers’ personalised service?
• Top tips for creating the single view of the customer

The British logistic-provider Bluetruck  sums up some interesting e-commerce facts and gives some practical advice on implementing same day delivery in  your shop.

On eBay Commerce Network, sellers can advertise their offers in a targeted manner using product listing ads on the affiliated publisher websites, which also include eBay. With over 2000 publishers worldwide, eBay Commerce Network reaches more than 250 million potential buyers every month, thus making it one of the advertising networks with the greatest coverage.

“With eBay Commerce Network, we will continue to successfully support commerce with performance-oriented advertising formats. In this respect, we will be covering all stages of the purchase decision process – from search engines, product and price comparison sites and market places right up to content sites,” says Ralph Piater, Country Manager for Germany at eBay Commerce Network. “We will be concentrating on further expanding the reach and in particular, the quality of our network.”

For this purpose, a value-based pricing system was introduced in autumn 2012. This system gives the affiliated publishers an incentive for high-quality traffic. Sellers thus increase the impact of their advertising and their sales figures.
Interested publishers can integrate the offers from the affiliated sellers, which include eBay, from various categories, ranging from fashion and toys to electronics. Technical integration is possible via API, feed or widget. This means that revenue can be generated on a CPC basis. The eBay Commerce Network uses this range of services to link sellers with wide-coverage premium publishers in a targeted, performance-oriented manner.

As this infographic from Radware shows- of the three key browsers (Internet Explorer 9, Firefox 17 and Chrome) Firefox is the fastest with a load time of 6.64 seconds against Explorer 9’s 7.25 seconds.

Which of the three mentioned above is your favourite browser to shop on?

Let us know via Twitter @Trusted ShopsUK 

Three tips for fewer abandoned purchases at the checkout

Online retailers who only optimise usability in their checkout process shouldn’t question whether  the abandonment rate remains constant. This is what the Manuel Ressel, the conversion expert, found out after carrying out a long series of tests in various shops.

In many cases, the optimisation of usability is no longer the most powerful lever in the checkout process. Customers could still have fears, concerns and barriers that could prevent them from buying. Floating around in the user’s head are questions such as “Why should I buy it here and now? Is it worth looking for other providers? Is it worth the hassle?” These questions need to be eliminated at the checkout too.

1. Gain trust

Wherever sensitive data is concerned, lack of trust in the shop or the technology is one of the greatest conversion killers. SSL encryption and shop trustmarks are obligatory for online shops today.

Many users don’t even know what SSL really means or how Trusted Shops works. However what is important is that they recognise these symbols and know that their order is in safe hands.

Ressel also names other factors that reinforce the topics of safety and trust:

Offering a hotline: A prominently advertised hotline gives the user the comfort of knowing that there is someone they can contact if they have any questions. A hotline is especially suitable for products that require a substantial amount of explanatory support.

Notice regarding the right of return: Any user who has ever had a negative experience will hesitate before buying if a simple returns policy is not clearly stated.

Even if the right of return is currently still a statutory obligation, the fact that this is mentioned can still have a positive impact. The fact that statutory obligation is extended by an even longer period of time can also increase the effect.

2. Communicate benefits for the user

Why should the customer press the order button in your shop? Besides a classic unique selling point, online retailers also have to offer additional benefits and display these prominently.

The ideal way in which to display these additional benefits also differs depending on the particular benefit and the user. In many cases, it suffices to list the additional benefits and to positively reinforce them with a check mark. In other cases, icons can visually enhance the additional benefits. A €0 icon and a reference to free shipping can convey the message of a free service more powerfully than a simple check mark.

3. Motivate users

The checkout is easily the most unpleasant part of the shopping process. Because this is where customers have to pay. Therefore, Manuel Ressel advises encouraging customers with supportive information and subtle messages.

For example, this can be a positive message helping them to visualise the goal as well as mentioning how little effort is needed to complete the final steps. A similar approach is to encourage the user in their decision and to show them why they have made the right choice.

Ressel explicitly points out that the examples mentioned above are not a template that can be applied to every online shop. Rather, each online retailer is obligated to find out through testing, which measures are relevant and appropriate for them.

After all, the decision to buy is made on the product detail page.

This is why this page must offer all the information a customer needs to make a purchase. However, before he chooses a product, he asks himself the question: which one? The product list has the answer. Here are six ideas for your product list.

Method of presentation

You buy some products based on facts, and others in a less rational way. If the decision is based on facts, the product list should emphasise the most important features – technical equipment, cables, etc. Other products, such as fashion items, are bought based on appearance and appeal. The user needs illustrations to find the right product. Anyone who offers a very diverse range of products should therefore give customers the option of altering the product display to fit heir needs.

Product list zoom

Product zoom on the product list is useful to make selecting a product even easier. Here, the user can hover the mouse over a product to display either larger images or more details without needing to go to the product detail page. Many shops also offer a scrolling function in the product list to show more images.

Eye-catchers

Every product should be clicked on and must attract attention. Eye-catchers help with this by highlighting reduced products, new products, top sellers, recommendations, etc.

Pager

The user can skim through numerous pages using the pager. Skipping pages can often be difficult and skimming through many pages isn’t that much fun anyway. Slider enables customers to skim through or skip over hundreds of pages.

Quick view

Using the quick view, users can quickly click through products without opening up the product detail page. This makes browsing easier. Although it’s popular among users, just a few shops actually offer this function.

Filters

The filters ask questions and the user answers. The filter navigation reproduces a typical sales talk and is therefore essential for any good shop. Sensible selection and sorting of filters is a core competence for every online retailer. Creative presentation makes shopping a joy for any user. Brands should be shown with a logo instead of text, for instance.

About the author

Johannes Altmann is the founder and managing director of Shoplupe GmbH. He and his team advise online shops such as Herrenausstatter.de, Dallmayr, Jako-o and Strenesse. Johannes Altmann is a lecturer at the Akademie des Deutschen Buchhandels (Academy for the German book trade) and initiator of the sector prize, the “Shop Usability Award“. According to ‘exciting commerce’, Johannes Altmann is Germany’s best shop consultant.

There’s a wide variety of targets that an online shop can achieve using social media: customer loyalty, information, entertainment, sales etc. But without a clear plan, all social media efforts may go in vain.

Every good plan should include social media guidelines. These guidelines ensure that each employee of the company or an external agency using social media knows exactly how to act in different situations.

Social media guidelines are best developed in cooperation with the team. This way, it is more likely that everyone will tend to identify with their contents and take them into account.

This is how the E-Commerce-vision blog outlines the development process:

How to create a social media guideline

In the design and subsequent implementation of a guideline for your social media activities, there are six important tips to consider:

Social media forms part of your overall strategy

As part of your communication strategy, social media needs to be firmly integrated into a business model. Where possible, it should be considered a division in its own right, with goals, budgets etc., just like PR, advertising and event management.

Target-group-appropriate selection of social media channels

Every online shop should know its customers inside out:what do they like, how can they appeal to them, and where do they mainly hang out online. Selecting the right social networks should be based on these parameters. On Pinterest, for example, women tend to be in the majority. So it’s a good place for fashion shops. But social media is definitely more than just Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. There are networks for almost every area of interest which, although they may be small, may be an ideal place to start conversations with your target group.

Selection of content

Unfortunately, there are still online shops which use social media solely as an advertising platform. In this way, companies generally waste a great deal of potential. Therefore, you should identify a canon of possible themes to be played out on Facebook and friends. In the process, the content must offer added value to the customer. This might, for example, come in the form of interesting news from the area of interest, insights into the company or even the involvement of users in selecting the product range. The greater the added value, the more willing users will be to engage or share a post from the shop.

Social media means transparency

Anyone actively involved in social media must be aware that users expect a high degree of transparency. This begins with the presentation of the social media team: that is, the very same people who communicate with the users on a daily basis. Companies don’t have to genuflect before their social media audience. However, they must be prepared to discuss topics which the retailer would prefer to keep under wraps.

Define scope of service

If a customer uses a social media channel to contact the shop because he has a problem, that’s also where he should be answered. But not every problem can and should be discussed in the digital network. For this reason, it’s important to define the scope of services that a company can provide on social media. When a topic seems inappropriate for such a forum, the customer should be redirected via social media to a different communication channel. This way, he and all the other fans will recognise that the concern is being taken seriously.

Comply with rights and obligations

Social media does not operate in a legal vacuum. So all activities must both comply with the relevant laws and also obey the rules of the social networks. It follows that the guideline must constantly be updated to meet the requirements of current case law.

Need more advice? Want to chat? Tweet us @TrustedShopsUK

According to the latest IMRG research, British retailers are proving to be the most successful cross-border traders in Europe. In 2012 international consumers spent £7.4bn with UK-based sites, with the total set to exceed £10bn this year. Sounds like a lot especially when the cross-border sales across Europe will reach €36bn in 2013 and account for 10.6 per cent of total online sales in the region.

The UK online retail market has proven to be one of the great success stories over the past decade, recording strong growth each year and being second only to the US market in terms of overall value. Actually, the British domestic market is so mature that UK retailers have started to eye foreign markets in the hope of taking advantage of the rise in online shopping.

So does that mean that every UK retailer venturing beyond the borders of Albion is an immediate success? Not even close. There is one big obstacle standing in their way: trust.

Inspiring confidence among international consumers remains one of the key challenges retailers have to overcome in order to reach that pot full of gold in foreign markets. Research from Trusted Shops found that two thirds of online shoppers regard an internationally-known trustmark as important or very important when considering a cross-border purchase.

In order to facilitate cross-border growth across Europe, the Trusted Shops and IMRG ‘Internet Shopping is Safe (ISIS)’ schemes combined in 2012 to create a standard European trustmark that greatly supports UK retailers in their international expansion strategies.

What’s the recipe for success then?

Let’s look at what the experts say:

Andrew McClelland, Chief Operations & Policy Officer at IMRG, commented:

“Cross-border is the future of e-commerce, and the opportunity is particularly strong for UK retailers due to the advanced state and sophistication of the market here. Expanding internationally is a complex business however, and retailers need to carefully identify markets that are appropriate to them rather than just attractive in terms of value and growth. Research is everything when it comes to cross-border; there have been several instances of retail brands finding success by selling product ranges that they are not well-known for by consumers in the UK.”

Jean-Marc Noël, Managing Director at Trusted Shops said:

“When shopping online for a good deal, being able to consider products from other countries can bring huge savings or greatly increase choice. This is clearly driving the growth of cross-border sales. However retailers should remember that most online markets are not as advanced as the UK. This means that a different approach must be taken as foreign shoppers may be more sceptical of shops based abroad.

“With a well-known trustmark in place, users can have the peace-of-mind they need in order to shop with confidence, and retailers can reap the benefits of tapping into a much wider audience.”

Have any questions? Want to chat? Feel free to tweet us!  @TrustedSHopsUK

Create a conversion-boosting product page in your online shop in 21 steps. The e-commerce agency Invesp shows you how this works in an information graphic. What elements motivate the customer to buy, what services do customers expect and how does the online retailer communicate his commitment to the customer?

You can find the answers to these questions here.

Conversion rate optimisation (CRO) in online shops is a core competence of the American agency Invesp. In a clear and easy to understand information graphic, conversion optimisers have compiled 21 elements which contribute towards increasing the customer’s tendency to buy.

Apart from internal factors such as service commitment, pricing, etc., external factors such as trustmarks and seller ratings also play a key role.

On the first day of the event at 12pm, Andrew McClelland, managing director of IMRG, will be holding a presentation on Also Available on the High Street… The Expectations of the Digital Consumer.

Last year more than 6,000 visitors attended Retail Business Technology Expo along with 200 exhibitors.

Presentations:

Jean-Marc Noël

Trust – the key factor in online shopping

Although the internet is of high importance nowadays many internet users are still concerned about the risks when shopping online. Trust in online retail reduces these risks significantly and therefore contributes crucially to the economic success of online shops. But how to build consumer trust on the internet without spending millions of pounds on advertising? Learn how 14,000 accredited online retailers inspire trust to European consumers. Jean-Marc Noël, Managing Director at Trusted Shops, deals with the question of what exactly trust is, how it is built and how online shops can actively encourage customers’ trust.

Andrew McClelland

Also Available on the High Street… The Expectations of the Digital Consumer

Less than 4% of consumers choose to do all of their shopping online, yet most purchase journeys involve digital channels as part of the process. How can retailers best serve the growing demands of this channel-hopping digital consumer? IMRG look at consumer behaviour in 2013 to help you understand.

Expanding their business to Scandinavia via online trade is not something that online retailers are necessarily thinking about. Yet distance selling has already been established there for many years and it is the Internet that makes the markets in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland particularly attractive for online retailers. The following information graphic shows which country in the North is particularly suited for market entry.

This is how interactive trade works in Northern Europe

What is noticeable about the market: In some categories, comparable price points are significantly higher than in other countries such as Germany, for example. An improved advertising expenses/turnover ratio is therefore fully within the realms of possibility. On the other hand, the information policy of the Swedish Internet user reflects that of users in other countries. In some areas, such as print advertising, providers with the appropriate know-how can score particularly well.

The Swedish market is the largest of the Scandinavian markets and therefore ideal for taking those first steps in online trade in the Nordic countries.

The good old package insert wins the day.

85 per cent of Germans prefer printed vouchers, as a package or a direct mail. Email vouchers take second place in consumers’ affections (81 per cent), followed by digital coupons received as a bonus immediately after making a purchase (77 per cent). These were the results of the Gutscheinbarometer 2013 (Voucher Barometer) survey, carried out on behalf of performance marketing agency AffiliPrint and involving more than 1,000 participants.

However, the study showed that mobile vouchers have not yet taken hold with consumers. Vouchers with a QR code which can be used on mobile devices were rated as “useful” by only about one in three of those surveyed.

Why vouchers aren’t cashed in

Many online retailers expect great things from voucher campaigns and are surprised when conversion rates from the promotions are poor. The reason is that merchants often impose restrictions that devalue their own vouchers. We look at the top six reasons why people don’t cash in vouchers.

AffiliPrint has used the results of this Voucher Barometer exercise to work out what the perfect voucher is for 2013. The perfect voucher in 2013:

• is a package insert
• offers a saving of at least 25 per cent, or a fixed amount which works out at this rate
• can be used by new and existing customers
• comes with an appropriate minimum order value which is not excessive
• is valid for between three and six months

Amazon’s concept is pretty simple: pricing combined with availability. Amazon lets you buy pretty much every product, mostly on offer for the lowest price on the market and delivered the following day. Amazon is, so to speak, the personal logistician for any desires anyone could possibly have. So the shop no longer needs the typical features of a good seller at all. For instance, trust-building using certificates or a phone number for questions and problems, authentic teasers on the home page to get people’s shopping juices flowing, etc.

Anyone who wants to assert themselves in competition with Amazon must either force their way into the market with the same energy, as Zalando is currently doing, or fail like the traditional German mail-order firms Quelle and Neckermann. The alternative? Do it differently from Amazon.

7 steps in your own direction

• The majority of retail added value lies in the design of the product range. The range is what makes a store stand out, and only the range will secure someone’s loyalty to a shop. Particular brands, particular sizes, or products brought together in a completely new way.

• The seller has to know his target group. Who the design is for, who my product descriptions are intended for, or how photos should look on the website. Selling is one of the seller’s key functions and is possible only if he has the target group in mind. Persona is the easy way of developing virtual personalities and keeping them constantly in view.

• The more the merrier – but the time and money required is a luxury that not everyone can afford. If you don’t have an enormous advertising and development budget, you have to ensure that you play the right cards and decide what is truly important. Follow a consistent direction, because this, not the speed, is what makes the crucial difference.

• It’s easy to order from Amazon because payment is completely straightforward. This is why you should always offer the option of paying with PayPal and on account in order to make shopping easy.

• Have special product ranges available. You can do this more easily because your range is smaller than Amazon’s. Only put together a range which is really available.

• Amazon can hardly offer advice on purchases because the range is simply too big and participants in the marketplace don’t always provide the best information. This is your biggest advantage. Describe products better, show better images, and offer a more attractive purchase advice service. Make shopping with you more fun and engaging – which is something Amazon struggles to do. Just as shopping in a small store is often more fun than going to a department store.

• People can’t ring Amazon, but they can ring you! The phone number should be in the header and visible to every user. Offer advice on the product and show expertise in your product environment.

These are just a few points to get you started. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch.

About the author

Johannes Altmann is the founder and managing director of Shoplupe GmbH. He and his team advise online shops such as Herrenausstatter.de, Dallmayr, Jako-o and Strenesse. Johannes Altmann is a lecturer at the Akademie des Deutschen Buchhandels (Academy for the German book trade) and initiator of the sector prize, the “Shop Usability Award“. According to ‘exciting commerce’, Johannes Altmann is Germany’s best shop consultant.

So why do you need the home page and what should be on it?

The home page is a new object of discussion. People are saying that it’s “old school” and no longer necessary. However, that’s not entirely true.

It goes without saying that new customers mainly find their way in via subpages, which is also why businesses are eager to promote these using price comparisons and campaigns. These tend to advertise products and not your shop. The total traffic on subpages is, therefore, a lot higher than traffic on the home page. Nonetheless, the home page continues to have a mission and a raison d’être – which is, if anything, becoming ever more important.

Generating trust

The home page offers lots of space to generate trust. Top arguments, awards, shop certificates and information about the shop can take plenty of room before they are then reduced in size and relegated to the header and footer.

However, an uncluttered, professional and eye-catching home page leaves a good impression on the user and generates confidence in the shop’s reputability. It’s essential to invest in a good design.

Selling themes

In general, a home page is no longer the best place to sell individual products. The special offer features of many standard software manufacturers have had their day.

So you have to shift your focus and change the role of the home page, for example to draw attention to themes and special offers. To do that, you can use various teasers to distribute the traffic across the individual special offers in the shop. For this reason, you should stop promoting individual products which are in any case generally only reduced in price. Much better idea is to assemble complete themes appropriate to the season, festivities or current events, etc.

Shop expertise

The home page is ideally suited to presenting the particular expertise of the shop: what you havem who you are, what you can do. Create an overview of your brands and product categories in the shop. Give the visitor an insight into the depth of your shop.

Emotions in the shop

Not all activities in the shop should be aimed at new customers. Of much greater interest is also the existing long-standing customer who occasionally visits your shop. This is where you can use a more personal approach to grab their attention. On the home page you have an opportunity to generate a mood, to make people feel like shopping. Shopping is rarely an obligation; it’s usually something people want to do.

The home page is still one of the most important pages in your online shop. But you have to make use of the opportunities it presents.

Good luck!

About the author

Johannes Altmann is the founder and managing director of Shoplupe GmbH. He and his team advise online shops such as Herrenausstatter.de, Dallmayr, Jako-o and Strenesse. Johannes Altmann is a lecturer at the Akademie des Deutschen Buchhandels (Academy for the German book trade) and initiator of the sector prize, the “Shop Usability Award“. According to ‘exciting commerce’, Johannes Altmann is Germany’s best shop consultant.