The Rahvalor Blog

Planning your eCommerce web site: how to attract visitors and convert them into customers - Part 7 of a 7 part series

In Part 1 we discussed the basics of building a good eCommerce web site.
In Part 2 we planned the product inventory.
In Part 3 we established business rules.
In Part 4 we discovered how a custom database can accommodate your inventory and business needs.
In Part 5 we explored maintenance options.
In Part 6 we determined the best ways to get a customer to buy.
All these things are important to effective eCommerce development. Now, if only you could get customers to your site in the first place...

Planning your eCommerce web site: how to attract visitors and convert them into customers - Part 6 of a 7 part series

In Part 1 we discussed the basics of building a good eCommerce web site.
In Part 2 we planned the product inventory.
In Part 3 we established business rules.
In Part 4 we discovered how a custom database can accommodate your inventory and business needs.
In Part 5 we explored maintenance options.
Now you're ready to get to the bottom line. If you build it, they may come... but will they buy?

Planning your eCommerce web site: how to attract visitors and convert them into customers - Part 5 of a 7 part series

In Part 1 we discussed the basics of building a good eCommerce web site.
In Part 2 we planned the product inventory.
In Part 3 we established business rules.
In Part 4 we discovered how a custom database can accommodate your inventory and business needs.
Now it's time to decide how your site will be maintained and whether a web site content management system is the best tool for the job.

Planning your eCommerce web site: how to attract visitors and convert them into customers - Part 4 of a 7 part series

In Part 1 we discussed the basics of building a good eCommerce web site.
In Part 2 we planned the product inventory.
In Part 3 we established business rules.
Now you're ready to build the database - the warehouse - for all of this information.

Planning your eCommerce web site: how to attract visitors and convert them into customers - Part 3 of a 7 part series

In Part 1 we discussed the basics of building a good eCommerce web site.
In Part 2 we planned the product inventory.
Now that you know the "what" of doing business, it's time to figure out the "how". Whatever your business rules offline, be sure to establish them online.

Planning your eCommerce web site: how to attract visitors and convert them into customers - Part 2 of a 7 part series

In Part 1 of Planning your eCommerce web site we discussed the basics of building a good site.
With the foundation in place, it's time to move on to the core of any eCommerce site: the product inventory. Before you add a single product to your line, ask yourself what you're selling.

Planning your eCommerce web site: how to attract visitors and convert them into customers - Part 1 of a 7 part series

If you're a small business just starting out in the online arena, or a large organization that wants more sales from your eCommerce web site, now is a good time to examine the fundamentals of a good eCommerce web site so that yours will bring in (and keep) the customers you deserve. In the next series of articles, you'll read about what goes into planning an eCommerce web site and explore ways to make yours a profitable part of your business.

Good web site design practices: using elements of design to turn visitors into customers

Have you ever been asked about your web site design preferences and used words like "clean", "subdued", "corporate", "blue"? Most of us think about web site design in terms of our aesthetic preferences, but good web site design incorporates some fundamental elements that will make your web site work for your business and your customers.

The ideas you'll read here are some basic design principles to consider as you plan your web project. For more about effective web site development, read about the fundamentals of a good web site.

Why do you need a Search Engine Marketing program? Debunking the "build it and they will come" myth.

Did you know that over 75% of  visitors to your site will reach it through a search engine? With a statistic like that, who can afford not to have a search engine marketing program?

No matter how terrific your site is, if nobody can find it reasonably quickly on a search engine, you're losing a major potential customer base. You need to spend time, and sometimes money, to make sure your site can be found. It's not enough to put it out there on the web where every day the big engines are bragging about the millions of new documents they've added to their indices.

What makes a good web site? Ten things you should know before you start.

At first glance, this may seem like a question with an obvious answer. We’ve all seen and used enough web sites to intuitively understand when one is "good" and when one drives us mad. Whether a web site is visually aesthetic or glaringly horrific is a matter of opinion, so we don’t include "pretty pictures" on our list of what makes a good site. But there are a few things that make a web site "good" across the board, whether it is strictly informational or a complex eCommerce site.

The next ten points will provide some general principles for building a good web site. For even more ideas, read about good web site design practices and how little things can make a big difference for your site.