Every person that comes across your website is different. They have different care-abouts, preferences, and buying behaviors. Unfortunately, your website is either oblivious to these differences or may be trying to appeal to everyone at the same time. Both of these approaches can kill your online … [Read more...]

The coupon code box you have in the checkout process of your e-commerce store is a disruptive psychological trigger. Only customers with a coupon code in hand will sail easily through that part of your process. Everyone else is headed for trouble. When customers don't have a coupon code, it … [Read more...]

In the world of e-commerce, customers expect instant and accurate updates of their order. When there is a void of information, customers start to fear something may be wrong. After a recent purchase from Costco's website, I received a series of email updates on my order: order was … [Read more...]

When a customer calls you on the phone to ask a question or service their account, you'll pay more operationally than if that same customer can self-service on your website. How do you bridge the gap for those customers that reach for the phone first? Tell your customer they can take care of … [Read more...]

My beautiful wife recently bought me a Nintendo Wii for my birthday. In an effort to try some new video games, I subscribed to GameFly, a web-based game rental service, that Beth mentioned in her comments about Netflix and setting delivery expectations. As my first month drew to a close, I … [Read more...]

Does your website let customers pick options that you know aren’t available? To get the most out of your website, it should automate the validation of customers' selections. Validate Inputs My wife and I have been trying for months to get reservations at a local restaurant, Fonda San Miguel. … [Read more...]

With the influx of web-based services and applications, customers don't always have a brick and mortar option when it comes to customer service. Many web apps only offer customer service through email. How can these online companies still provide great customer experiences to customers? As a … [Read more...]

Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com, presented his "Top 10 Lessons Learned in E-Commerce" at this year's SXSW Interactive. Last year, Tony spoke on the Customer Service is the New Marketing panel. The principles they use at Zappos really opened my eyes to true customer service. This year, Tony's … [Read more...]

Any fear, uncertainty, or doubt that stands between your online customer and a successful checkout must be removed for your business to succeed. In a world bombarded by bad news of security breeches, hackers, and spam, customers are more and more weary of anything that doesn't feel right. After … [Read more...]

Your online application or website must stay current or people will lose confidence in your company. This may seem like common sense but unfortunately as your website grows, there will be pieces that you forget about. We recently tried to redeem some of our frequent flier airline miles via our … [Read more...]