E-retail is a fast growing business, as you’ll know if you’ve been reading this blog over the last year or so. But some experts point the finger at more luxury end fashion retailers as one of the slowest to embrace the on-line trend.

However, there is one top brand that has been has been successful in ecommerce. It was as far back as 2002 that Gucci started to make a big on-line presence and in the last 18 months Gucci.com has had a major overhaul.

The iconic site boasts 2.5 million unique visitors. While a good-looking site, it is also functional and allows customers to browse Gucci fashions and check out of their shopping cart as though in the actual stores.

Perhaps this is the lesson that other e-retailers should learn. It can be all too easy to create a website that is rather more basic in looks and feel that the established high street brand.

The goal of retailers online should be to match the high-end experience of a retail store, so that it does not degrade the quality of a brand.

And don’t forget to also offer customers good service by way of email or live chat customer service, as well as Facebook and Twitter networking. Facebook Gucci has almost a million fans! Not bad for a single fashion brand, eh?

Check out the great ecommerce deals at WebCreationUK. While the prices might be low, you can be assured that the look and quality of the website design is high.

Have you ever spotted a sign with a mis-spelling or an apostrophe out of place? Did it make you reconsider the professionalism of that place, shop, restaurant or establishment? Of course it would. Poor spelling and grammar appears sloppy and careless.

The same is true of websites and ecommerce sites. In surveys, more than 50% of people are turned off by spelling and grammar errors on websites. Many of these say that it would put them off using the website whether it’s a service of an e-tailer.

So it’s clear that it’s worth spending some time checking that your website is free of spelling and grammar mistakes. If you do not trust your own judgment then ask a trusted friend or pay a journalist or copywriter to take a look over your website.

It is highly likely that they will find a few mistakes (everyone makes mistakes) and they may even find a whole host of errors. Once these have been sorted you can be sure that potential customers will not be put off your site by something as simple-to-rectify as inaccurate copy.

If you are interested in having an online shop, stop by WebCreationUK for more information on our fantastic ecommerce packages.

Google realtime is marching forwards with its own home page and a raft of new tools to help users to refine their searches.
Some of the new Google realtime tools re:

* Geographic refinements, so you can find updates and news in a chosen region.

*Conversations view, which makes it easier to follow a realtime chat. There’s a new “full conversation” feature that allows you to browse the entire conversation in one view.

* A new “updates” content for Google Alerts means you can create a realtime alert specifically for keywords that appear in Twitter.

SEO is an integral part of the website design service, speak to WebCreationUK for information on our advanced SEO package.

One of the fastest growing trends for websites is “interaction”. That is, interaction with visitors/customers and your on-line business. A successful website will offer a range of interactive features that allow customers to offer feedback, such as reviews and comments, and to share information.

Rather like a high street shop that has gained a reputation for being approachable, open and knowledgeable so an interactive ecommerce or e-retail site offers a great degree of service for customers.

Research has shown that on-line businesses that offer interactive features create a more effective web presence with increased customer conversion rates and improved brand loyalty and recognition.

Here are some of the key tools for a more interactive ecommerce site:

Newsletters: Collect email addresses of potential customers and send out direct promotion via newsletters.

Comments/reviews: The usual place for this type of interaction is found on blogs. This also allows you to build on content, especially via user-generated content.

Google map: An interactive Google Map can be used in a number of ways. It can display an interactive map of your location or you can use one of its features, such as distance calculator, to add more functionality.

Related articles: You can improve the readership of your website by offering visitors content that is related.

RSS feed: This makes it simpler for users to subscribe to your website updates by email.

Social bookmarking: Visitors and customers can use social bookmarking to manage favourite content and share it with others. It also helps in promoting your website and therefore generates more traffic.

Feedback forms: These are still an effective and easy to collect responses from visitors and customers. Try to customise the form to the specific needs of your website.

Survey/polls: Another way to collect vital information from customers.

Most good web design companies will be able to work with you to add great interactive features to your website. Check out what leading web design company WebCreationUK could do for your site.

Gap’s on-line sales website for UK customers is now up and running. At the same time the parent company, Gap Inc, launched a site for sister fashion brand, Banana Republic.

Both websites have an .eu domain and on-line customers can choose Gap, GapKids, babyGap and Banana Republic products with one shopping basket,  checkout and shipping.

Stephen Sunnucks, president of Gap Inc, Europe, is reported as saying: “We put a lot of research and time into building a dedicated UK eCommerce platform. We are delighted by both websites.” Their next step will be to expand on-line shopping to further European countries.

If you are interested in having an online shop, stop by WebCreationUK for more information on our fantastic ecommerce packages.

One of the biggest complaints from customers is confusing ecommerce websites. With so many rival websites it’s therefore important that your web design is as slick and customer-friendly as possible.

Here we bring you some top tips for ecommerce web design. If you are looking for great ideas and beautiful ecommerce design then check out the portfolio of WebCreationUK.

Six great tips for ecommerce and e-retail websites

Good navigation: Buying a product should not be a challenge or a bid to get your customers to solve a puzzle. Make the buying process straightforward. From reading about the product, to  popping it in their basket, to getting to the checkout, all processes should be simple and signposted.

Search option: A “search for product” option is a great idea. Sometimes a customer wants to quickly find out if you stock one product and to save them scrolling through long lists of products or accessing various categories they could find exactly the product they want within seconds of searching.

Call to action: Make each part of the purchasing process simple. Add call to action buttons such as “buy now”, “add to shopping basket”, “go to checkout” throughout your ecommerce website.

Less clicks is more: Shorter buying processes will gain you customer friends. If the purchase process is long-winded then they will be tempted to head to another site. It’s important to let customers have a chance to check their purchase list but apart form this the procedure from choosing the product to buying it should be simple and straightforward.

Clear prices and labeling: Customers want to know what a product is and how much it costs. Delivery costs are also important. So make sure all these points are covered, simply and clearly.

Customer service: A customer service that is easily accessible, such as an email response or live chat, will give customers greater confidence and trust in your on-line company.