Online Purchasing Behavior

Part Five - Guide to Increasing Online Sales

Have you ever stopped to think about how people make purchases online? How is purchasing a product or service different online than it is from an off-line shop or outlet? There are pros and cons to online purchases and there are aspects to the behavior of online purchasers which are important to consider.

There are many people who are reluctant to make online purchases and they have some practical reasons for this reluctance. Here are a few of the common, reluctant attitudes towards online purchases.

I can't hold a product in my hands and examine it.

I want to deal with human beings not computers.

If there's something wrong with the product I can just bring it back to the shop.

I don't like giving my credit card information over the internet.

These attitudes or opinions are very important to consider when designing your online purchasing process. It's no accident that some of the most successful online retailers have addressed these issues. The top online retailers make every attempt to mimic the offline purchasing experience.

They try to recreate the offline purchasing process by encouraging interactivity, creating atmosphere, offering warranties, providing the ability to ask questions about a products, and the list goes on. You can see how addressing these issues can lead to an increase in sales. The reasons that people are reluctant to make online purchases are dealt with as much as possible.

Of course there are many, many people who are quite comfortable with making online purchases and this number is growing by leaps and bounds. What are the benefits of making online purchases?

Price. Online prices for many products is usually much less than you can find in your local store.

The internet provides and excellent method of researching the product that you intend to buy. You have a vast storehouse of information available at your fingertips.

Price comparisons are very easy to conduct. Imagine trying to compare the price of your favorite brand of shoes in twenty or thirty off-line shops. This can be done in a short time online. Without spending a dime on fuel or having to look for a place to park.


Part One - Introduction to Online Sales
Part Two - Web Site Usability
Part Three - Defining Calls to Action
Part Four - Optimizing Sales Copy
Part Five - Online Purchasing Behaviors
Part Six - Price Comparison Behavior
Part Seven - Building Online Trust
Part Eight - Understanding Conversion Rates
Part Nine - The Payment Process
Part Ten - After The Sale


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