Sell More Via the Web

Some online retailers seeking to improve their sites can afford substantial investments in sophisticated analysis tools and costly usability consulting. Others can’t. This article aims to help anyone who wants to tune a Web site “on the cheap.”

Step 1: Decide What Needs Improvement on Your Site

After listening to comments from customers and employees, you may already know some of the trouble spots on your Web site. You also may note weaknesses on your site after surfing and shopping from your competitors. And you may even use Neilsen’s law of Web usability, which states — quite obviously — your visitors spend most of their Web time not on your site. Therefore, you must pay special attention to instances in which your site uses navigation or layouts different from what most other online merchants are using.