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Business Review 2006 from
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Why web business is a must
Daniel Coleman
associate director, E-scape International
If I were to make a prediction for the coming business year it would be that Jersey businesses will begin using their websites to increase revenue far more than they currently do.
Whereas e-commerce is currently an option for local businesses it is fast becoming a necessity. 2005 saw a significant increase in internet usage from both businesses and consumers. Online sales and advertising investments soared, with over 50% of adults spending a total of £5 billion on Christmas shopping via websites, and businesses investing more money in online advertising than in any other media. What's more, this activity is predicted to increase a further 36% this year.
These figures illustrate the growing acceptance of the internet by customers and, as customers come to expect internet facilities, it is becoming increasingly obvious that businesses cannot ignore it as a vehicle for customer acquisition and lead generation.
Jersey is currently lagging behind leading world businesses in e-commerce and the recurring reason we encounter for this is a lack of knowledge in the products and services businesses can employ to maximise their e-commerce potential. Jersey businesses need to realise that there are several affordable and accessible options which have proven sales conversion success, and which bring the customer greater ease of access.
One such application is click-to-call. It is a simple service which allows visitors to your website to speak with a customer service representative. By clicking on the website's click-to-call button the customer can enter their phone number and request an immediate call back or a call at a more convenient time. It's also possible to use voice over internet protocol (VoIP) for customers who have the technology in place.
Jupiter Research has found that the majority of consumers prefer phone contact above any other, including email, self-service tools and text chat. Click-to-Call has been tested and approved by internet pioneers such as Google, Yahoo! and Amazon.com. I recently tried the Amazon version; I had barely finished typing in my number and my phone was ringing. Within seconds of deciding that I wanted to speak to a person instead of browsing the website, I was on the phone to them. It was like a virtual shop assistant appearing on demand, while allowing me the time and privacy to browse at my leisure.
One of the main reasons businesses lose potential online sales is website abandonment. Customers will abandon a sale because of a lack of information or anxiety about making high-value transactions online. Businesses who have tried click-to-call have seen a 22% to 25% percent reduction of website abandonment and as much as a 100% increase in transaction conversions.
The service works because it bridges the company's online and offline channels, adding a human presence to the abstract void which is cyberspace. And what's more you can install this service in a way which does not increase your customer relationship management costs.
This is where web analytics can help. Before installing any services to your website you must assess where on your website it will have maximum impact. By employing web analytics you can measure the flow and direction of traffic to and from your website. You can see where customers come from, what they look at on your site and what they do next. It will enable you to know how people use your website and how you can tailor the content to your customers requirements. In other words, if analytics show that customers head to one section of the site, you can concentrate on developing and improving that part. You can also use web analytics once you have installed a new service to monitor its success and efficiency.
Jersey businesses have never been in a better position to make use of the internet. Most businesses will have some sort of web presence and the e-commerce industry is just buzzing right now with options to improve your web identity.
If Jersey is to keep up with the rest of the business world it must start embracing some of this e-potential. I am confident that the next few years will see a rise in faith in e-commerce and our business is here to help your business make that transition.
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