Web Design: Virtual Stores

Web sites come in all kinds, shapes and sizes. The final result will depend on the creativity of the web designer and the needs of the customer. There are very talented Web designers in the market that can help you to build a very functional Web site. Right now, we want to share a few good tips to keep in mind when you are planning to incorporate an online store to your Web site.

The Virtual Store has three basic elements:

- The Online Catalog.
- The Shopping Cart.
- The Checkout Box.

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind while you are thinking about a perfect design for your virtual store:

• The process must be very simple. 2-3 Clicks must be enough to close the transaction.

• You have to try to keep the buyer in the shopping area.

• Facilitate the management of the products that are in the cart.

• Make the payment easy and safe.

• Inform the buyer of the status of the order.

• Guarantee privacy and security.

• Make sure to be clear about the shipping and handling. • Confirm orders and shipments.

• Provide support offline.

In summary, everything must be a clear step-by-step high quality process. Besides the technical parts, you can't forget to design an appropiated strategy in the following areas: Customer Service, Loyalty Programs and Corporate Branding.

We would like to finish this article by sharing with you a few good examples of successful virtual stores that are in the market. In order to do so, we will focus our attention on Online Clothing Stores. These stores have successfully created online stores that capture the essence of a good design:

JCPenney - Customer Service

Executives from JC Penny have tried to respond to the needs of their consumers in the best possible way. Through constant monitoring of the site measures, the company has managed to assemble a site that is constantly being updated; it offers a consistent image, motivates the action and generates enough traffic. During the third quarter of 2007, the company increased its sales over the Internet by 11.8%. The site of JC Penny has sales greater than $ 1.3 trillion annually. It is one of the sites most visited by men who seek clothing online. As an online shopper, I have enjoyed buying at JCpenny.com. It’s very pleasant and they have exceptional customer service.

GAP - Loyalty Programs

GAP.com has a virtual store where you can shop from four different stores in one single checkout. That makes it simple for the consumer.

GAP Inc. is a company that takes very seriously the importance of loyalty programs in all its brands. Those programs are successfully transferred to the websites of each of them. If you subscribe to their e-mail list, you receive periodic discount coupons which are easily redeemable at the time that you are buying at its website. In 2006, GAP Inc. reported online net sales of $ 730 million for all its brands (Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic). With well-developed loyalty programs GAP has achieved to develop a close relationship with all its customers.

GUESS - Corporate Branding