What Really Frustrates Ecommerce Users

June 23rd, 2009

Are you preventing your customers from buying at your e-store?If you own an online store or thinking of owning one, here’s something that you should make a note of.

Ecommerce is about making the buying process as simple and as easy as you can.

An ecommerce transaction that is completed means a few things:

1. The buyer has the intention to buy.
2. The buyer has adequate money or has the budget to buy.
3. The buyer lives in the area that you deliver to.
4. The buyer feels confident about your products.
5. The buyer is able to complete the check-out process easily without backing out.

Now the final step is the most important.

If the buyer fulfills steps (1) to (4), it still does not mean you get a customer.

Most ecommerce stores lose out when the buyer cannot complete the final step (step 5 above).

Why Do Buyers Get Stumped?

One of the reasons is that the ecommerce store is not designed for the buyer. It is mostly designed for the store owner.

The check-out process should not be full of obstruction or challenges. It should not make the buyer hesitate and think twice about spending money.

Many ecommerce stores have so many ‘hurdles’ that buyers have to jump over that the buyers will abandon and quit halfway because the processes are either too tough to understand, too much work (filling in too many unnecessary boxes) or too difficult to pay.

According to a study in 2008, most ecommerce buyers get peeved about:

1. Finding out the product is NOT available after they’ve put it in their shopping cart
(The easiest way to solve this is to get a clever system which automatically disables the BUY button when the item is out of stock. Luckily our ecommerce system has this and this helps save the owner from irate buyers!)

2. Malfunctioning websites
Don’t you just hate it when you’re 5 seconds away from getting your hands on the product and then the whole ecommerce site malfunctions and you wonder if your payment has gone through? Well, ecommerce buyers hate it when the site ‘dies’ on them. (Test and test your site thoroughly. Get it audited. Our system’s 100% audited so you don’t need to worry.)

3. No return policies or unclear policies
This is the onus of the ecommerce store owner. What is the return policy for the products? Do you even have one? A return policy puts the risk on the owner, not the buyer but it enhances the buyer’s trust in the company. Stating one’s return policy clearly gives that added boost of confidence to the buyer and yes, helps him buy more!

4. Unclear shipping information
When comes down to it, shipping information counts for a lot in ecommerce transactions. Let the buyer be very clear on what he is buying and HOW the product is sent to him (as he will be billed on the shipping costs). If I am paying for something, please tell me what it is and why I’m billed for it.

5. No email of acknowledgment
Buyers online need to feel secure and safe. They need to know that their product is on the way to them. So keep them updated and acknowledge where their product is at the moment. Is the order being processed? Is it being shipped? Even a short email helps satisfy buyers. (Our ecommerce system has a one-click email acknowledgment which helps you easily send out the emails to your buyers. This saves you from re-typing the same emails over and over.)

What Else Causes Buyers To Leave?

As an ecommerce store owner, ask yourself these questions:

1. How many steps does it take for your buyer to check out?
2. Does your product description answer buyer’s questions?
3. Do you meet other needs of the buyer (gift-wrap service, store pick-up service, delivery)?
4. How self-explanatory are the product photos?
5. How many payment options do you offer?
6. What is the quality of your product photos? (Sharp vs blur means a lot implicitly to a buyer)
7. How successful are you in relaying confidence to the buyer? (through store concept, colours, copy)
8. Do you allow buyers to zoom in for a better look?
9. Is there a section for FAQ or buyer reviews?
10. Do you clearly tell the buyer what the shipping costs are? How is shipping cost calculated?
11. How fast are you when it comes to answering buyer’s emails?
12. What about stock availability? How soon can a buyer get his items?
13. Do you offer alternative forms of spending such as gift certificates and coupons?

Make It Smooth To the Check-out Line

The key is: make it smooth all the way to the check-out line.

If you aren’t, other ecommerce stores are.

The key takeaway is to find out how much friction you’re causing for your buyers. If you are causing lots of issues for your buyers, you need to solve them with your ecommerce or shopping cart provider.

If you start with a good ecommerce system, all these issues are solved even before they exist. [Contact us if you want an ecommerce system that not only reduces your workload and helps you automate most of the stuff but also lets your customers buy easily in just 4 simple checkout steps!]

As an ecommerce store owner, your job is to allow your buyers have a great shopping experience.

Are you doing that? Or are you frustrating your buyers?

Enjoyed this article? We’ve more ecommerce articles for you in our Free Articles section.


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13 Things You Can Do To Promote Your Business

December 26th, 2008

Redbox Studio's gift to you

In the spirit of Christmas, I am going to share with you 13 super tips you can use to promote yourself online.

I got the idea of writing this post because I know many people have websites and businesses but they have no clue at all how to promote it. And without promotion, the website is as good as dead because no one is going to find it and no one will visit.

Without promotion, you will not get anyone to buy anything from your website. That’s a sad fact of the online world but that’s the truth.

So here goes, 13 tips you can use to start promoting yourself and your website. Add on more if you have some great tips!

1. Put your website URL on every outgoing email you write. Make it snappy and short. Remember to hyperlink it so your friends/customers/prospects can click it and be taken to your website instead of having to copy and paste the URL.

2. Sign up for a Facebook account and start a page on yourself or better still, start a fan page for your business. Get friends and family to link to you and help you spread the word about your new website. Facebook is not just for teenagers these days.

3. Get a blog started.
I know this is tough for many folks. Writing is not everyone’s favourite activity but a blog is still a viable method to get the buzz going. Don’t know how to start a blog? Read up with this and this we wrote to help you get it right. (But a big note of warning: It is not for everyone though if you get it right, it can help big time. If you need blogging help and advice, we can plan out a 3-month blogging programme to help you get started. Contact us if this is what you need)

4. Get a Squidoo page up and running and get the traffic to your website. Started by Seth Godin, this is a neat way to be an expert and at the same time, be charitable. Don’t know what’s a Squidoo page? Check this out and have fun! And then sign up.

5. Advertise your website.
It costs money but you get traffic and you may even get a chance to test if your products are as hot as you think they are. Of course you know the big ones like Google Ads. But pay attention to the up and coming ones like Facebook ads. Like all online ads these days, you decide how you want it to run, what words you want to shout out and who you want to target. Here’s more info on how you can get started on Facebook ads.

6. Get into an online community.
I mean, really GET into a community online. You are not there to lurk or hide but you are there to help, advise, comment and share. Any online community or forum will do. If you’re selling baby products, go hang out with the mommies and daddies online at the popular forums. Go by your business and you will find plenty to occupy your time with!
Tip – Start with 3 forums first and work your way around this. You want to really give your support to the online community, not just hang about and annoy them with your blatant ads.

7. Don’t be blatant
While I am on this subject of hanging about forums, also be careful that you don’t overdo it. It’s easy to say “Come visit my new website and buy my products” but it’s not pleasant to be bombarded by these messages. If you have nothing to contribute to a forum, don’t piss people off by asking them to visit your website. If your website is interesting, people will visit.

8. Offer to do something, for free
I know. This sounds so counterproductive to your business. But if you have a skill that’s much sought after, offering to do something for free will get you lots of goodwill. Of course if you say you will do it, then please stick to your word. For example if you are a graphic designer, could you not offer to design a logo for free? This gives people an idea of your services and your expert skills too.

9. Offer something for free
OK, so maybe you are not in services. That’s OK. If you are selling products, can you sponsor your products? Offer it as a prize in an online contest or lucky draw. Offer something fantastic – not something that’s old and dusty. Again, you will get tonnes of goodwill! And people will love you for your big heart.

10. Collaborate with someone else
Can you partner with someone who complements your business? If I am a chocolatier, I will team up with a florist to sell my products. If I am a real estate agent, I will team up with a renovation contractor. The pairings are endless. You don’t need to pair with 1 person either. You can pair with so many other businesses which don’t rival yours.

11. Get a Twitter account.
It’s not just a place for silly updates of what you’re doing this hour or this minute. It’s useful for getting resources, getting updated on what your idols or fans are doing and getting bite-size nuggets of important information. Before you run out to sign up for one, familiarize yourself with this new thingy with this how-to article.

12. Get into business networking sites.
I mean, I know. Facebook will take up your time but before Facebook came along, there was and still are a bunch of business networking sites to promote yourself and your business and your website in. In 2004, Ryze.com used to be so hot.Now it’s withering. With business networking, it’s a lot more specific. You know why you’re there. You can be a free member (to see if you really like it) and then you can upgrade yourself to a paid membership. You can find Redbox Studio in a few business networking sites and yes, you do need to pay a premium but this is an investment in your business. Check out Xing.com, Ecademy.com, LinkedIn.com. And there’s also one called Affluence.org which calls itself the exclusive organisation of the world’s wealthiest people. I am sure you would want to join this too!

13. Create your own social network for your fans
If you want to be a leader, then create your own social network. Do this by going to Ning.com . You can interact with your fans. You can connect with your customers. You can inspire, educate, raise awareness. By the way, you can also create a fan page in Facebook too.

Actually I have another 11 more tips to share but this post is already long enough (it’s 1130 words long – phew).

Come back next week for the next batch of super hot tips.

Merry Christmas!

Share your own tips with us here? ;-) It is Christmas after all!


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See You at WOU Carnival!

July 1st, 2009

If you haven’t heard yet, there’s something exciting happening at Wawasan Open University on Sunday, 5 July 2009 (10am to 8pm).

It’s called the WOU Learning Carnival where you get to participate in a number of activities such as budget movie-making, guitar clinic, paintball target shooting, learn how to make kaya or egg jam from the Nyonyas, have a Nyonya makeover, take part in a basketball shootout and lots more. Music is another big attraction with bands and singers like Pop Shuvit, Dasha Logan, The Areca Jazz Assemble and loads more.

I’ll be there to help out at the Mensa Malaysia booth. Mensa is the intellectual partner for this event and as a committee member of Mensa Penang, I’ll be volunteering my time.

We’ll be conducting Mensa IQ tests throughout the day so if you want to be invited to join the high IQ society, come and give your brains a workout.

And if you want to chat or get to know more about Mensa, come on over too.


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Women & Pixel Power

June 18th, 2009

Finally, our holding page for The Pixel Project is up! (Thanks Vern! You’re amazing!)

This is a temporary page while we get our bearings in order and work on the website.

the official pixel project logo

When I first met Regina last year (we were among the 18 finalists in the running for the Great Women Of Our Time Awards), I didn’t know this project was growing in her!

When she approached me in January this year, I thought, why not? I’m always excited about projects which can impact lives.

After all, women issues are very close to my heart. I have been involved in one way or another in women’s issues ever since I was in university. I take quite the stand when it comes to women’s rights and issues.

Plus it’s our principle in Redbox Studio to give back using what we do best so we consider this a community project worth supporting.

So here I am, roped in by her to join her and other volunteers in this project.

Everyone of us, spanning the globe from US, UK, Malaysia, Australia and more, are doing this on a pro bono basis with the project kicking off in December this year.

Thank God for things like Skype as we’re spread across 4 continents, 5 timezones and 10 cities, proving that there are no cultural or social barriers when it comes to this issue.

As a volunteer, I’m tasked with web design and web marketing – something that we usually do in our capacity for clients anyway. I’m definitely not alone as a few more web-savvy social media evangelists will be doing their part to get the project into viral mode.

It’s also encouraging and amazing to note how volunteers are eager and enthusiastic about this and how everyone is keen to help!

The 1 Million Challenge

The project is challenging – to raise a million dollars for Women’s Aid Organisation in Malaysia and the US partner, The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. It’s been given an official nod by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Of course, by doing this, we’re also raising awareness about domestic violence and violence against women.

Lots more will be revealed soon (how we’re raising the money) and how YOU can help.

But great things are in-store for The Pixel Project. We recently got award-winning international photographer, Jillian Edelstein as our principal photographer. Jillian has photographed some of the most famous names in the world including Tony Blair, Nelson Mandela and Kate Moss.

Plus celebrities (can’t reveal who at this moment) are coming forward to help too!

How you can join us to fight violence against women

You can help by following us on Twitter as we need lots of people power and you can join our group on Facebook to help us spread the word.

Because no woman deserves violence. EVER.


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Monday Monopoly and Cendol

June 15th, 2009

Just got back from seeing a new client – getting materials, photos and extra info.

Seeing that today is so warm and humid, we decided to go in search of ais kacang after we finished meeting the client.

But first we went in search of a van which sold ‘wan tau long’ only to find that van was not where it was supposed to be on Weld Quay.

So we had to go to the famous Penang Road cendol stall. I asked Vern which stall she favoured.

This is the famous Penang Road Teochew chendul, spelled the old-fashion way!

(There are 2 stalls, each as good as the other but it seems the stall on your right as you turn into this narrow road is STILL the favourite of many people. Branding? Maybe. Because taste-wise, the other opposite stall does not taste too off the mark either.)

We settled on the FAMOUS one because it seemed the guy had more energy! Now the price of a bowl of thirst-quenching cendol is RM1.70. And he sells so many bowls it’s hard to keep count.

There's really no typical day at Redbox Studio...

Now you can order and go sit in his ‘green house’, a little shop painted a bright green, a little further down from his stall and slurp the cendol comfortably instead of standing by his stall and being so dangerously close to the passing cars and trucks which ply this little road! The shop sells meat puffs, Penang rojak and egg tarts too.

Mondays are actually quite fun come to think of it.

Time for a Monopoly game in the office!

Take last Monday for example.

We played Monopoly in the office. I had not played this game in decades, not since I left school. Vern brought her Monopoly set from home. I realized how fun and social board games can be.

Monopoly was one of my favourite board games while growing up

In the world of Nintendo Wii and all those zippy digital games, I still love the camaraderie and enjoyment of a board game where dice are rolled and people talk while playing.

Oh ya, Nic won in the end. He had bought up all the railways, took our properties, bankrupted us and laughed guffawed all the way to the finishing line.

Even though I had my red hotels on Park Lane and Mayfair!


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10 Reasons Why Businesses Fail

June 13th, 2009

One of the best presentations we heard during the Robert Kiyosaki seminar last month was one by Kelly Ritchie.

Kelly is one of Rich Dad advisors and wow, he was a powerhouse on that stage. With massive energy and lots of humour, he made sure we knew what he was talking about. When we met him after his session, he was the big, friendly Aussie that we knew he was. (He’ll be in KL again in July to conduct his Cashflow Club seminars.)

His personal story is interesting. He was successful at his business but he was really a big S on the cashflow quadrant (if you don’t know what it is, it’s Self Employed).

He was in his own words, “a super super S”.

The difference between being an S versus being a B on the same quadrant is that the B (Business Owner) can leave the business and it will still run without him. People who are in the S quadrant cannot do so without ruining their business. The S people are the people who run the business. Without them, their business fails.

Most people who are super super S are the smartest folks in their business. But it also means the business runs them, they can’t take a day off, they’re NEEDED desperately to run the business or it all collapses.

Here’s where things are different in the B side of the quadrant. The B (Business Owner) should not be the smartest guy in his business. His goal is to work with smarter people and run the business on systems. This means he’s not chained to his business. He can leave for a while and the business still runs as efficiently as ever.

I guess Robert wised him up to the fact that he really ought to stop being a super super S.

Kelly’s 1 hour talk was on 10 reasons why businesses fail.

Kelly himself is an entrepreneur and business owner. He’d joined the Rich Dad Company in 2005 as a franchise advisor as Kelly is experienced in setting up business franchises in Australia and North America. Right now, Kelly is in charge of Rich Dad’s Franchise, a global franchising business. (Someone who had heard him speak a few years before said he spoke much better this time around.)

Nic, Krista & Kelly Ritchie

The first 3 reasons are simply about failure to sell.

If you cannot sell, Kelly says, your business is doomed.

DOOMED. Ya hear that?

#1: Selling yourself.
The first thing you sell is yourself. That means how you look, what you wear, how you speak. It’s the visual appearance that helps you sell yourself to your potential customer. Here’s where I completely agree. It’s not called vanity. It’s called respect for yourself and the people you meet. At least look presentable and neat if you can’t be fashionable. I really don’t want to look at your torn jeans and scruffy I-fell-outta-bed hair.

#2: Selling the relationship.
The next thing you need to sell is the relationship. Kelly emphasises that you need to know what the relationship is between you and the prospect. If you don’t know what it is, then how are you to sell what they need? What is the connection between you and the other person? What are you tryng to do? Get this right first.

#3: Selling the product.
Only if you have managed to convince others of YOU and the relationship, can you sell your the product. I would add that you have to believe in your product. If you don’t, you ain’t gonna sell anything. If you don’t have enthusiasm for the product, how about faking the enthusiasm? Fake it till ya make it.

#4: The Big Reason.
What is the big reason that prompted you to start your business? Basically it boils down to your mission. Is your mission sound enough? Is the WHY convincing enough? If the “why” is missing, you’ll give up the business easily. If you don’t know your “why”, you best find it. The Big Reason keeps you ploughing along even when challenges seem big and hairy and burly.

#5: Code of conduct
Besides The Big Reason, what holds you together is your code of conduct. It’s what we call Principles. I read once that Robert Kiyosaki gave up his velcro wallet business back in the 1980s because he didn’t like the idea that his wallets were produced under dire sweatshop conditions in China. Someone once said that if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. True. What guides your business? Would you do something illegal, dishonest, unscrupulous? Would you do something that goes against your personal convictions?

#6: It’s teamwork.
Robert Kiyosaki takes a lot of examples from his military background as a US marine. In the military, it’s about teamwork. Kelly reiterates the same. If you are the smartest guy on your team, your business is in big trouble. To grow, you have to build a team of people smarter than you. It’s imperative to build a strong team as no one can do it all alone. Find your teammates and work with them.

#7: Lead!
A business needs a leader. You have to be able to lead your team if you want to win. In order to lead, you have to grow into the role of leading. You have to rally the team around and keep them motivated and inspired to work with you. A leader is a tough role but any business that seeks to succeed needs a fine leader. Learn to lead.

#8: Price versus cost
Kelly was amazed that most businesses fail because they didn’t know the difference between the price and the cost of a product. This is the number one art of business. What does it cost you to produce your product or service? It’s not just about the physical materials; it’s also about the time you spent (time is not free), your team’s input in addition to other resources. Know your price and know your cost.

#9: Bad partners
Most businesses fail because of bad partners. Yes, know your partners well. If your partner is lousy, what makes you think your business is going to be rosy? A bad partner however may seem bad at first glance. So you have to be choosy and work with really good partners if you want your business to succeed.

#10: Procrastinate
The final crunch is that most businesses fail because they are too afraid of risks. They don’t want to do the real stuff that grows their business. So instead of say, calling up prospects, they’d do paperwork or filling. Instead of handling a tough task, they do the easy ones.


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