Posts Tagged a-big-number

7 Quick Shopping Cart Tips = 11% Increase in Sales

Written on September 17, 2009 by admin

Filed Under: marketing

If you’re B2C web site is not displaying McAfee’s SECURE trustmark you may as well pack up the shop and go live off the land. At least, that’s what McAfee would like you to believe.

In its new (somewhat self serving) report Digital Window Shopping: The Long Journey to Buy, McAfee found that in a study of 165 million shoppers–my, what a big number you have–sales conversions were 11% higher on those sites that displayed some kind of security seal. In addition, 65% of shoppers take their sweet time making their final purchase–with an average delay of almost 34 hours from decision to handing over their credit card digits.

McAfee goes on to share some rather vanilla advice to etailers, but here’s my take on the topic.

  1. Secure your shopping cart: if you’re asking for a credit card number, you’d be better be showing https and not http in the navigation bar.
  2. Use a padlock: that little yellow padlock that displays when a web site is secure? Yeah, use it too!
  3. Be transparent: I’m not entering my credit card until I know what tax and shipping you’re going to charge.
  4. Don’t make me register first: look, it’s OK to ask me to create an account, but do so only AFTER I have completed my transaction. Asking me prior, may scare me away.
  5. Who, where, how? Who are you, where are you located, and how do I reach you if I have a problem? If your site doesn’t answers those basic questions, I’m off!
  6. Privacy & T&C: We both know I’m not going to actually read this stuff, but if I don’t see the links anywhere in your footer, it will raise a red flag.
  7. Sealed with a kiss: OK, yes I admit, some kind of pretty security seal–a la McAfee–will help too! ;-)

Those are my tips. What tips do you have for securing retail transactions and improving conversions?



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7 Quick Shopping Cart Tips = 11% Increase in Sales

Shiny Future for Chrome?

Written on September 17, 2009 by admin

Filed Under: marketing

chrome-logoFor all of the talk of social media, software as a service (SaaS) and the future of the Internet one of the most important components for delivery is that workhorse of the whole deal; the browser. Right now, Internet Explorer is the market leader with Firefox a solid second. While Safari will always be limited to the Mac-iverse the introduction of Chrome version 3 for the PC reminds us that Google needs to be a part of this mix as well. Hey, it wouldn’t be the Internet unless Google was involved, right?

TechCrunch reports that there is more to the picture though as revealed in an interview by Reuters like Mac users finally getting their chance to see their reflection in the Chrome world.

While Chrome currently has just under 3 percent of the browser market currently, a year from now, they’re planning to have at least 5 percent. More importantly, 2 years from now, if Chrome doesn’t have at least 10 percent share, Google will be “exceptionally disappointed,” Chrome Engineering Director Linus Upson told Reuters. And Google’s own internal projections for the browser are even higher, apparently.

But Google also has a big wildcard it has yet to play: Mac support. And in the same Reuters article, Google confirmed that its Chrome for Mac will be available before the end of this year.

As pointed out in the article, right now Mac users are a bit stuck with a slow Firefox experience but a lot of add-ons or a quicker Safari with fewer bells and whistles. Chrome for the Mac promises to bring both to the table. Personally, I am very excited because I am wearing out the force quit on Firefox as a recent Mac convert. TC’s MG Siegler makes takes the anticipation to another level

Chrome promises to bring a combination of both speed and plug-ins to the Mac. I’ve been using the developer builds of Chromium (the open source project behind Chrome) for months now, and it’s definitely getting really, really close to being ready for prime time.

I’m in. What’s your browser preference and does Chrome look to be a part of your future?

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Shiny Future for Chrome?