Some e-commerce sites find that they’ve followed all the rules and done everything the SEO experts say, but their increased site traffic isn’t getting them anywhere. Users streaming into a site aren’t the ultimate goal for e-commerce sites, but how do you get them to take the next step?

The difference between traffic and conversions is a loophole that a lot of bad SEO companies have been jumping through for years. Unless an e-commerce site is clear on what its objectives are when they approach search engine optimisation, things can go wrong. You can talk to our experts at SEO Consult about the special needs of optimisation for e-commerce. Not all SEO companies can or will follow a contract discussing revenue, so the next best thing is for you to be aware of what your e-commerce site needs specifically when you SEO.

Re-focus content to suit your goal

Quality content is a part of most SEO plans, but for e-commerce this comment needs to fulfil different criteria. Buying online is vastly different to buying in the real world. People like to be able to inspect products. To satisfy this urge on an e-commerce site, you need to feature thorough information in your content, replacing the ability to pick up, touch and feel the product. Clear but thorough product descriptions, quality images, and a separate section setting out product specifications are all essential for successful e-commerce.

Don’t ask at the wrong moment

Many e-commerce sites require registration details from users. From the user’s point of view, there is nothing more frustrating than a long, detailed registration process at checkout. If you require these details, see if you can disperse them within the checkout process, and always make registration functions as simple and brief as possible. Some of the most successful e-commerce sites only gather name and email address details, using the checkout information for the rest.

If you can’t get around a formal registration for some reason, offer your users incentives such as vouchers or free shipping. This works particularly well if the bonus applies to the order they are about to make.

Smooth design for e-commerce functions

Your SEO efforts will be useless if your shopping cart and product browsing are in a mess. These are things search engines may overlook, but human users certainly won’t. It’s worth investing in good shopping cart software to make it as easy as possible for users to load up and buy. Don’t forget that software should allow for multiple purchases of the same product. Smooth the way when jumping from product to product by offering suggestions of related products and clear navigation back to their shopping list.

Easy payment leads to more sales

Last of all, it is advisable to offer several options of payment to your users. This makes paying easy and hassle-free. In a world full of options, customers have come to expect that their preferred method of payment will be available. Sticking strictly to what is convenient for you can lose you customers.

Related posts:

1. The True Impact of Slow Load Times for SEO
2. Getting site users to engage more
3. Commerce and Search Engine Optimization
4. Steps to take to create a trustworthy site
5. E Commerce And How SEO Helps It Become Profitable

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 4:24 pm and is filed under eCommerce and Search Engine Optimisation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.