Keep Your Web Customers Satisfied

Internet operations can quickly bite the dust because of poor customer service, but there are ways to make sure your Web shoppers remain happy and get to the checkout page.

Take a look at your site now, keeping these four essential guidelines in mind and make changes as required:

1. Lay it out. It isn't always necessary to spend a fortune to lure shoppers to your site, but once they arrive, you need to let them know in detail what's available.
2. Devote more time, staff and money to describing your goods and services accurately and to filling customer orders accurately and on time. Studies show heavy traffic doesn't guarantee sales.
3. Put up signposts. Be sure your site is designed to let the browser navigate easily to find what's offered. Use a search function that lets surfers look for multiple goods or services simultaneously.
4. Ship it fast. Online shoppers want fast deliveries just like everyone else, so consider limiting pre-paid orders to items in stock. If products must be back-ordered, don't charge the customer until the item is en route.

In return for the customer's patience, offer discounts or extra items. This can generate repeat business. Track items that weren't ready for shipment. It helps you better manage your inventory.

One of the more frustrating aspects of the Web is download time. The more technology you add, the slower it can get.

Call it a symptom of today's instant-gratification society, but people just don't want to wait more than a couple of seconds unless they have some powerful motivation to see what you offer.

Chances are, they will click away, at least temporarily. And in the meantime, they may forget about you altogether and never return.

Scatter your site with graphics, but don't let them weigh down the pages. A site that functions as a workhorse and gets the job done is more useful than one that looks fantastic but functions slowly.

After you launch your site, access it from your PC at home. This gives you a better idea of what your customers are experiencing so you can make the necessary

Whether shoppers are online or in your bricks-and-mortar locations, they want a pleasant experience. Make sure they get it and you'll reap the rewards.