Web Design That Converts

I was recently interviewed by CNN Money to review a  recently redesigned Ecommerce website.  So I looked at the website and to be honest, the site was still very far from having the potential to become a successful online store (i.e. designed with conversions in mind). And really there are no excuses because in today’s internet, it is so easy and cost effective to get a professional Ecommerce website up and running within a matter of days! There are countless platforms and website solutions out there – many of them are very professional and it is easy to get a website that converts and generate profits. Obviously, there are also a lot of traps in the web design world, especially when it comes to Ecommerce or SEO, and it is a very tricky field, filled with amateurs. You have to be carefull and make sure your website will NOT end up being a cheap and amateur looking website – like the one I was reviewing.

For example, Website Temple has a great Advanced Ecommerce section where you can get a full blown Ecommerce website designed by conversion specialists, up and running in a matter of hours, for just $200 or $300 a month (all included with hosting, SSL, support, maintenance, etc…). No matter how little your online store’s monthly income is, this is a very small investment that brings a huge value. You can then invest in marketing, advertisement, promotion, and SEO with the confidence that your money is optimmally invested to generate profit and that your website will actually convert targeted visitors into customers.

My advise to any serious enterpreneur looking to ride the Ecommerce wave is to stop playing around and get a professional solution! Everybody has great ideas. Everybody has a cousin or a friend who’s a web designer. But in today’s economy and in today’s internet market, buyers are not shopping on crappy sites! Period. Remember that no matter what your industry or target audience is, customers are savier, smarter, and more particular about their online shopping experience than they were just a year ago. In the end, you’ll always be competing with other online vendors and your website has to keep up with the standards of the industry.

So here is to any Ecommerce owner who’s site looks like an old brochure: get back to the drawing board, abandon whichever web team you’ve been working with, and “get real” about your online business. Seriously. It can be done easily! Just as a quick example off the top of my head, we’ve recently launched an Ecommerce website for a client based on Website Temple‘s solution: www.tsurumipumpsales.com. Take a quick look at this Ecommerce site that has been implemented in a couple of days, with a budget smaller than what is invested in most amateur online stores. You don’t need to be a conversion expert or know anything about the industry to know that this Ecommerce website has been designed with conversions in mind.

Stay tuned – I’ll let you know when the article is published. Thanks for reading!