E-commerce: Tactics for Developing Customer Loyalty to Your Web Site

Those e-merchants who can save customers time and/or make online shopping easier are in line to build customer loyalty, writes Ken Burke, founder and chief executive of MarketLive and author of “Intelligent Selling: The Art& Science of Selling Online.” Following are four action steps to take:

1. Offer advanced search. “Searches that use Boolean operators and multiple keywords can be powerful ways to allow experienced users to find what they want more quickly,” Burke writes. And it can incentivize shoppers to visit your site vs. a competitor’s site.

2. Send e-mail confirmations. Detail what they bought, total cost and shipping data, Burke suggests.

3. Allow multiple ship-tos. “Allow customers to fill a cart once and pay for it once, and designate different parts of the order to go to different locations,” Burke writes. “This is particularly valuable if you offer cart total discounts, because the customer will have one large valuable cart rather than several small ones that may never reach the point at which they earn a reward.”

4. Offer gift or wedding registries. This is a good way to also bring potential new customers to your site, Burke says.

To reach Burke, call: (707) 773-3434, or visit the MarketLive Web site: http://www.mmlive.com.