Building An Effective Furniture Sales Web
Site
By: Jim Ray
Web sites that feature products – especially furniture or other large
items – require a careful balance of text and images to convey the value of
each product.
Let’s face it. Consumers like to see, feel, and “experience” a product
before they make a purchase decision. If you can elicit the senses in your
on-line presentation of an item, you will increase your chances of making a
purchase tenfold.
In addition to the basics of an effective web presence, such as complete
contact information, a successful furniture sales web site will convey the
following:
* Credibility of the merchant to provide any product available through the
site;
* Dimensions, an invigorating text description, and multiple images for each
product;
* A replacement or repair policy in the event an item is damaged during
shipping;
* Delivery or shipping options, with pricing;
* Customer testimonials from those who have shopped with the merchant;
* Full payment options, preferably with telephone, on-line, and invoice
credit/debit options.
Style and Navigation
Again, developing a successful furniture sales site depends on the web
designer’s ability to elicit the senses through a careful combination of
text and images. “Presentation” design elements, such as Flash and Java
components, may be useful in establishing a professional, yet comfortable
tone across the site.
Site navigation should be effortless and flow seamlessly throughout the
entire web site, including on pages that do not relate specifically to
products. Subconsciously, the site’s ease of use will affect the
prospect-customer’s impression of the merchant. |
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Content Elements
As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” This is certainly
the case in on-line furniture sales.
Each product should include at least two unique photos, complete with
thumbnail and enlarged versions, but may have as many as six. The goal here
is to encourage the prospect-customer to become familiar with the product,
to envision the furniture in their home from all angles in the room.
Product descriptions should vibrantly relate the texture, colors, size, and
“feel” of each item. Choose words that connect directly to the senses. A
throw pillow, for example, could be presented as “a soft burgundy compliment
to any sofa pictured above.” Of course, while it is appropriate to be vivid
in your product descriptions, remember to remain true to each product’s
features.
Customer service options are a must. A hyperlink to the merchant’s contact
page or customer service area should be available on each page of the site,
uniformly. The merchant’s telephone number should also be listed on each
page.
A shopping cart system is not required, but can certainly promote
prospect-customer conversion based on convenience. For the product-based web
presence, the next “action step” after selecting a product is to make a
purchase decision. If a purchase requires picking up the telephone, the
merchant risks losing the customer during this transition. Offering on-line
payment with telephone support is the optimal way to promote an on-line
sale.
Tweaks and Tips
* Offering financing options and/or incentive-based sales offers, such as no
interest for a 6- or 12-month period, will increase your competitive edge
and promote a quicker purchase decision.
* When developing content, be sure to include plenty of key terms and
phrases in the site’s general text. Search engines such as Google rely on
content text, not meta tags, to determine search placement.
* Include key terms in image description tags and hyperlinks. Describe each
image or link using terms and phrases relevant to the image, industry, and
merchant.
If you are a furniture merchant attempting to develop your first web
presence, seek the advice and support of a full-service small business web
design firm. Professional, affordable web design is available. Creating a
“do it yourself” site may appear cost effective, however this can quickly
become a complicated and time consuming project. Stay focused in your
profession, and recruit the wisdom of a web professional.
About the Author: Jim Ray is a seasoned web developer and
president of Web Presence, a national web design firm serving the small
business market sector. To learn more, or for a free quote for your own
web site, visit the Web Presence at
http://www.web-presence.net.
Source: www.isnare.com
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