What to look for

14. Data Import

Remember that getting data into your chosen ecommerce solution is as important as getting website content in. Make sure the providers you consider enable easy import of product and customer data and can advise you on this if you are in doubt.

15. Data Collection

Capturing visitor data is a crucial function of your online shopping site. Ask prospective ecommerce solutions providers how they enable you to capture contact details and additional information from your visitors.

16. Search Engine Optimisation

Ranking highly in natural searches for the keywords and phrases that drive customers to your site is critical for your success no matter what stage in the online seller lifecycle you are at.

Look for an ecommerce solutions provider who has an ‘SEO friendly’ CMS that lets you:

• Easily add and edit meta data (e.g. page titles, descriptions, keywords)
• Add ‘no follow’ attributes to pages when required
• Export and import your site’s entire SEO data, as this maybe be required by your SEO agency
• Automatically create both a dynamic HTML sitemap and an XML sitemap to help search bots crawl your site

17. Integrated Email Marketing

Your website is only half the story when it comes to successful online selling. Ask prospective ecommerce solutions providers how they can help you use email marketing to increase your customer conversions, cross-sells, up-sells, referrals and retention levels.

Look for a solution that enables you to send:

• Triggered emails following transactions or sign ups
• Triggered emails following web/product pages viewed
• Triggered emails following shopping cart abandonment
• Triggered up-sell/cross-sell emails following onsite activity
• Customer relationship and retention email campaigns for loyalty building



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