Tips & Tricks of the Trade: Online Stores
A big part of being successful with an online store is having the backend technology and processes to support the business and purchase transactions. There are obvious basics to cover, like online security, but it never ceases to amaze me how often the actual transaction process – the steps a customer goes through to make the purchase – is not evaluated from the customer’s perspective and is a barrier that prevents people from buying. It’s no good getting people to your site if they get frustrated and leave without making a purchase!
I asked Rob Stocks of ideaLEVER, host of the November Ask the Experts, How to Drive Traffic to Your Online Store, to share his top four recommendations for businesses that want to build a successful online store.
- Experience – You need to select a development team with e-commerce experience appropriate to your business goals. You don’t want them to be learning or experimenting with your business. Experience makes everything easier.
- Multi-Currency – To sell to the US and internationally, you need to be able to sell in US dollars, but you don’t want to alienate local customers so you also need to sell in Canadian dollars. Everyone knows their exchange rate with the USD, while very few international customers know their exchange rate in Canadian dollars.
- Taxes – Many US platforms including PayPal don’t support Canadian taxes. You need to charge HST to people in the Maritimes, GST to everyone, and PST for customers in BC…and these rules can change at any time. Avoid the headache and nightmare by choosing a provider who considers these variables. Did I mention the importance of experience?
- Transaction Processing – You should not have to change your existing banking relationships for your e-commerce site. A proven platform and an experienced development team should be able to work with any transaction processor.
A little planning ahead and an experienced development team can simplify, streamline and increase your online sales.
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