You have the great idea, you have the enthusiasm, you even have the money to get started, but you still have more questions than answers when it comes to starting and sustaining your ecommerce website. To help address the issues all ebusinesses face, we've compiled this list of frequently asked questions. We'll continue to add to the listing, so keep FAQ checking.
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It's easy to complain about customer service departments: they always seem to suck. But with so many companies struggling to keep hold of customers, I'm left wondering if they realize their customer service departments are a huge part of the problem. In this economy, you must put your best feet forward on all customer-facing fronts. Today we'll look at some best practices for customer service, along with some good and bad examples.
Make Your Contact Information Easy to Find
Some companies make it notoriously difficult for users to find their contact information. Don't be afraid of your customers: make your customer service phone number easy to find.
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If you haven't added a blog to your online store, given the state of the economy, now is a good time to consider doing so, as they can be an affordable way to market your ecommerce web site.
For some Web shop owners, it is the perfect forum for offering insider tips and sharing your expertise, while for others, it's a great way to involve customers in the buying experience by either discussing products or topics pertinent to your business or by simply keeping them updated on company news in a more personal way.
To help you decide if blogging will add value to your online store I'll explain what blogs are, how to integrate one into your site and explain what a blog can do to help you build your brand.
Understanding Blogs
A blog is different from a traditional Web site in that it is more like an online diary where the blog owner posts short messages on a semi-regular basis. These blog posts are organized chronologically with the most recent post at the top so a visitor can browse down the page to read earlier posts. This chronological layout is very different to the hierarchical layout use for most online stores. While it makes for easy reading, it isn't optimized for finding things quickly so you wouldn't use a blog to sell product, for example. What you will use a blog for is to stay in contact with your customers and to communicate with them about your business and products.
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