Big Box style e-commerce - by Mike Berlin,

This past weekend, like most weekends, I found myself in a variety of my favorite big-box retailers to purchase my standard electronic gadgets, household items, tools, and landscaping products. Of course I'm never alone in this endeavor, and I'm reminded of this as I navigate through the maze of cars on my way to a parking spot. From the moment that I walk through the door, the store's goal is to get me to each item on my list quickly and efficiently, show me some other products I may be interested in along the way, direct me to checkout and complete my purchase. If it's done right and hassle free, they will earn my repeat business. The online retailer should have the same goals of identifying a need, directing me to it, encouraging my selection and quickly completing my purchase.

Part of the draw of online shopping is speed, not having to battle for parking spots, or wait in line. But in an environment where a single click can end a shopping experience, it is crucial that the online retailer provide efficiency and ease of use. Because the easier it is for the shopper, the more times the "cash register" will ring for the retailer ultimately generating more retailer revenue.

Identify the Need

Companies develop websites for many reasons. Brand extension, lead generation, customer outreach, and product sales are a few. But many sites fail to achieve the desired result because the goal of the site hasn't been clearly defined nor has it been reinforced on every web page. For sites where the goal is to sell products or services, the type of product or service sold and the availability of an online shopping cart should be evident squarely on the home page and throughout the site.

Finding what you want

Many of these same retailers have spent millions of dollars researching the shopping behavior of individuals like myself, and they have designed their floor space to maximize not only sales but profits.  After all these retailers, like websites, are really allowing us to self service ourselves. Of course these retailers are staffed, and you can find a clerk if you need to, but we really do shop alone most of the time.

By making your website more effective by having your homepage highlight featured items, best sellers, seasonal goods, new and sales items, visitors can quickly find the call to action that is meaningful to them, and follow that path to the products that they want. In an attempt to be creative or hip, some companies devise new and unfamiliar names to identify their product or service categories. Unfortunately, instead of being intrigued, visitors become frustrated.

Promoting the purchase

Choices abound in the aisles and product selection is based on many factors, such as brand loyalty, packaging, shelf position and price. If shopping for an item that you've bought before, you might not put much thought into the purchase. But when shopping for a new item, you're more likely to make a selection after you've deliberated.

Introduction of comparison shopping sites like nextag.com and bizrate.com have leveled the playing field for retailers and consumers. These sites help online shoppers find the cheapest price for a particular product from a number of competing websites. Price might be the deciding factor for some online shoppers, but not for all. Here's where the design of a shopping cart can win sales by showing value, especially if your product isn't the least expensive.

In order to improve your conversion chances it could be beneficial to show multiple product views in both small and larger images or even allow visitors the ability to zoom in on items.  Another way to show value on your website is to anticipate the additional needs and call their attention to these items. For instance, people who have purchased "this" have also purchased "that".  Another great idea may be a "how to" section or a "do it yourself" feature which will allow your customers to understand how to use what they might purchase.

Time to checkout

Some big-box retailers are actually following the lead of e-commerce sites by adding "self-checkout" lanes. Shoppers can swipe their own barcodes, bag and pay - theoretically more quickly than with traditional checkout lanes. Whether these lanes are actually quicker might be subject to debate, but the perception is that they are.

This holds true for online shoppers as well, who believe that shopping online is faster than shopping at brick and mortar stores. The purpose of your shopping cart, then, must be to support this perception. While product offerings and company policies will probably determine the amount of information required from your shoppers, streamlining and simplifying the process will be critical to your success.

Michael Berlin is the Founder of Briteskies, LLC and a local entrepreneur. More information about him and his company can be found online at http://www.briteskies.com.