Merchant Secrets for Driving Conversion - Part 1

[mandy]

The concept of "conversion" is one that online merchants live and die by. An online store's conversion rate, which is the percentage of site visitors who make a purchase, is the figure that determines that store's bottom line.

But for all the focus on conversion rates, many merchants note that the concept is ill defined, and in truth, it's not always an accurate predictor of an e-tailer's success.

What Do Sites Do to Increase Conversion?
1) On-site search...
2) Having the right product/price...
3) Streamlined shopping cart...
4) Displaying an attractive assortment...
5) Anything Free...
6) Good Navigation...
7) The Product Page...

full article: http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/solutions...hp/3562211

[mandy]

Part II of the article:

Knowing that effective merchandising is essential to increasing conversion, in a related survey Freedman asked 250 merchants to rate a list of 44 merchandising techniques...

The top ten winners were:

Seasonal promotions: 94 percent
E-mail as merchandising vehicle: 91 percent
Keyword search: 91 percent
Sales or specials: 90 percent
Cross-sells: 84 percent
Free Shipping: 79 percent
What's New: 78 percent
Up-sells: 75 percent
Advanced Search: 70 percent
Affiliate Program: 68 percent

full article: http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/solutions...hp/3563956