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Findable. Scannable. Readable. Concise. Layered. We know much these days about how to make Web content usable-thanks to experts such as Robert Horn, Jakob Nielsen, Ginny Redish, and Gerry McGovern. What we don't understand as well, however, is how to make content win users over to take the actions we want them to take or have the perceptions we want them to have. We don't understand how to make Web content both usable and persuasive. I, by no means, intend to imply that we should sacrifice the usability of content to make it more persuasive. Truly winning content must be both.

After you have defined your product categories and how to structure them (see Usability and e-commerce Part 1) you are ready to define the product pages. Let's start with the product overview page:

Understanding what your visitors actually do on your website is an essential part of usability. Find out how to go about doing this!

One of the most important pages on your ecommerce Web site is the customer service landing pages. This page often has contact information, and maybe even FAQs. The idea is to make it easy to find, and ensure that the information on the customer service landing page is easy for the customer to use.

Loyal ecommerce shoppers often like to set up an account with etailers they visit frequently. This means that how you set up the "My Account" page can be important. In terms of design and usability, it is important to cater to your ecommerce shoppers. All of the examples below are the My Account pages for various etailers. Each represents the first thing that comes up when the My Account selection is made on an ecommerce Web site.

Today I'm going to share my thoughts on gift registries. It is true that most ecommerce Web sites these days call them "wishlists," but there are a few companies out there that make the distinction. Additionally, wishlists are often kept private and then sent out by choice, or made public by choice. Gift registries are usually public and searchable (makes it easier for guests to make use of it).

Wishlists are becoming increasingly popular on ecommerce Web sites. This is due in great deal to the fact that we like to be able to personalize our online shopping experiences. Plus, what happens when you see something you like, but can't buy right now? With ecommerce wishlists, it is possible to save something you like for later purchasing without having to look all over the Web site to find it again.

Not too long ago, I did a post on "Welcome" emails. Since I had to sign up for all those accounts - and newsletters - it only makes sense that I take a look at newsletter emails sent by ecommerce Web sites.

What does that page look like just before you "confirm" or "finalize" an order? This can be a big deal in ecommerce. Ecommerce Web sites should consider what their confirmation page offers, just before online shoppers are completely committed.

Mailing list content must be ultra-short. Provide separate email addresses for subscribing and unsubscribing and include info on how to get off in every mailing list message. Improved usability increased subscriptions by 128% in one case study.

In online shopping, it is common to sign up for an account. Often, an ecommerce Web site will send you an email welcoming you to the site. But it doesn't always happen. And while it can seem annoying to have an inbox cluttered by welcome emails, I think it's a good thing to send a "welcome" email. And not just because I had to register on 36 Web sites in order to get the 20 examples I provide here.

Many good ecommerce Web sites know that the product details page can have a material say in whether customers stick around - and even whether they come back. Customers like to learn as much as possible about a product before buying, and product details pages can allow customer to explore a product.

The average e-commerce site is effective in getting shoppers to buy less than half the time. Web site design gurus say usability testing can help bring profitability up.

One of the more popular features with customers on many ecommerce Web sites is "customer reviews." They allow insight into products and help consumers feel more comfortable making purchases. There are several ways online customer reviews are implemented on ecommerce Web sites, some better than others. In this post we look at how different retailers implement reviews.

Taking lessons from two marketing disciplines, online retailers and their web designers can build a well structured Internet store organized into themes or categories that will make it easy for shoppers and search engines alike to find important information and product pages. In this Ecommerce Know-How, I will briefly define search engine optimization (SEO) and information architecture (IA), describe one of the many places where these marketing specialties intersect, and explain how easy and natural thematic structure and linking really is. I've also included a video. I should point out that this technique is very intuitive, and many site owners or designers are probably using it to some extent naturally. We are simply putting a name to these natural tendencies.

Many retailers allow site customers to sort site search, category and sub-category results by price, average customer review, top sellers, new arrivals to name a few. While this is great for usability, it's also an opportunity to glean information about your customer which you can apply to merchandising and personalization on home pages, product pages, promotional banners and even email campaigns.

Perhaps one of the most sensitive calls to action (aside from asking for credit card information) is the request for customer feedback (especially when the request is made through the intrusive and long-despised pop up window.)

how to achieve superior customer service

One of the hazards of product recommendations is that you may suggest the wrong thing. But online shoppers love product recommendations, so it is helpful to use them. And they can be great marketing tools. The key is personalized product recommendations.