Web Site Development

Ecommerce Solutions |	CMS Websites |	Application Development

Website development is the building block of creating an effective online presence. You simply can’t afford to be left behind, with the vast majority of Americans – consumers and business decision makers alike – consulting the Internet before making a purchase. How can you convert visitors to sales, you ask? There are several ways to assuage consumer purchase anxiety and drive up business in dollars and cents.

First of all, trust is paramount to making consumers comfortable enough to buy on the Internet. Anxiety is especially high for online purchasers, since they’re giving out credit information digitally, and also buying a product they can’t tangibly see or feel. The first way to establish trust is through website development: have a professional design. Don’t hire some cheap college intern hack or buy your template out of a software package. An amateurish site or cookie cutter site is the easiest way to kiss prospective business goodbye.

Additionally, your website development should include secure checkout! No one wants to purchase if their contact and credit information isn’t secured. TNS research firm states, “Identity theft and credit card theft are the two biggest fears that limit and even prevent people from making online purchases.” Every banking website, eBay purchase and high profile catalogue has enhanced security, so don’t cheap out on your site! Also, once you have it, be sure to show your security seal somewhere on the site. Well-known security seals include VeriSign, TRUSTe and Hacker Safe.

To get people into the buying spirit, you’ll need to give consumers the option of instant gratification and satisfy their impulsive emotions. You got them this far, you have their attention, so don’t let the fish off the hook! Instead of just talking about your products or services, you should add a “shopping cart” feature to your website development package that allows people to browse and buy quickly, clearly and easily. If you’re marketing more complex services, be sure to (at the very least) have a “Contact me for a consultation/quote today” section that encourages a two-way dialogue.

Another page to add in the website development stage is the valued testimonials page. Talk to some previous customers or current big spenders. Get a quote from them and post this on your site. Include a picture (if possible), their name, city, a website (if applicable) and a job title. Most consumers won’t actually ask for a testimonial, but they almost always browse this. Some businesses like to add the forum feature to allow consumers to rate their products and services on their own.

When you’re working on website development, you should also include an informative “About Us” page that includes biographical information and lists any professional organizations you’re affiliated with. Contact info should also be easy to find.

Once you have the trust of the consumers, you’ll convert visitors to sales more effectively. It’s important to think of special features and ways of drumming up business in the website development stage so you don’t waste your time or your money. Another thing to consider is how to work in search engine optimization and content development to the inner fabric of your page. In addition to the aforementioned features, the back-end work is just as important at creating web visibility. What good is having purchase anxiety relieving features, if you don’t have any visitors coming to your site in the first place? A good website development company will offer package deals that include web design, content writing, SEO services, site monitoring and promotion.