Online Shops And Traffic Flow - Essay Example

? ONLINE SHOPS AND TRAFFIC FLOW BY PRESENTED TO Online Shops and Traffic Flow Currently, online shopping is the most promising marketing strategy that promises the largest clientele base in the market. Online shopping attracts a large number of visitors particularly when such an online shop has an appealing design, is easily accessed and utilises methods that would attract as much traffic to their site as possible. The online shopping technology requires a deeply integrated shop that can be recognized and stand out from the thousands of shops available online. The proposed Dreamdecor .com online shop specializing in unique home decors would be designed in an attractive way that would draw as much traffic to the shops as possible. DQ1 Following a company online is informative and exciting. One advantage of following a company is that one has a better to learn about the most current and newly launched products even before such products get to the market. Following a company makes one to lead in customer forums and be well informed with latest news on any product, or the performance of the company in the market. Lieb (2009) explains that companies are extensively investing in strategies s that would lead as much customers to their shop. This implies that by following a company as they do marketing, one stands to benefit immensely from a company by either having latest news in predicting their stocks and products dynamics. Following a company is essential in taking advantage of discounts and sales that in most cases last for a short time, mostly 24 hours only. In order to attract customers, companies come up with daily sales to reward regular customers where huge discounts on coupons or products are given. For customers unaware of such discounts, they do not take advantage of such discounts and saving incentives; they have to buy at the market prices. By following a company, one gets firsts hand information on discounts and sales incentives from the company and makes a rush to take advantage of such discounts. Increasing the number of fans is the ultimate goal of any business. For example, Purehomedecor.com a similar company has managed to increase visits to their online shop due to their strategic marketing approaches that have resulted in increased traffic, which translates to profit for the company. One way to increase followers and visits for Dreamdecor.com would be to increase the shop’s online visibility through search engines. While searching for any product, people will most likely make a first stop in search engines such as Google, where they look for their dream products. There will be need to use Google tools such as Google’s Webmaster tools and Google analysis in monitoring the search visibility of the company in search engines. Google analytic tools help in assessing the search dynamics and the keyword to search term relationships (Brightpearl, 2011). Blogs are an alternative way to increase traffic to the shop. Creating active blogs with professional content in home decor will attract more interested parties. Blogs are designed with follow links that lead the customers to the main shop once clicked. The large number of people visiting blogs currently would be ideal for tapping and increasing traffic on the online shop. Ina addition to creating such blogs, there are a number of leading blogs that allow contribution of articles on every subject including home decor. Such blogs allow follow links to be integrated in the leading to different companies to give customers a variety of choices on home decor and other products. Linking to such blogs would increase traffic; more people will be led to the shop through such links. Having social network links would also be ideal in increasing the traffic to our online shop. Pozin (2009) noted that social networks promise a versatile and limitless potential market. Integrating and advertising the business in social networks such as Facebook or twitter will expose the shop to an infinite number of followers since millions of people use social networks every day as more and more people will follow the links to the main shop where they will have a good experience of the available products; many companies have benefited from getting loyal customers from such sites. DQ 2 Dickson (2011) asserts that customers are the heart of any enterprise and have to be placed at the center of any vision in a business. This implies that customers are the spirit behind any business; a business without customers will collapse in the shortest time and wind up. Consequently, there is need to offer customers a provision to leave comments or reviews, especially in on inline business. Such views are used for planning, and making changes where necessary to ensure the business satisfies customers as required. However, giving customers unrestricted space to leave views and opinions though a good way to learn the best way to improve the business may be counterproductive. One way to control customer reviews is through filtering of messages or opinions. Though it is healthy to have both negative and positive reviews in the business, some customers go way beyond the required limits to write vulgar, abusive, discriminatory, or other messages that would be offensive to the business and other customers. Google offers content filters in its support services. Activating the support files and highlighting the words to be filtered would make all messages passing such filter in Google server be checked for such words, and if any word is detected, such a message is filtered and removed. In addition to blocking messages, Google support can also quarantine any unwanted message or email. The quarantined messages appear in the junk quarantine inbox of the receiver. The business administrator can then edit such messages by removing the offensive words and then publishing such messages in a more professional way without affecting the positivity or negativity of the messages. In addition to using Google support filters, the business administrator can handle the process manually though it takes time for a customer’s review to be published before it is edited or confirmed to meet the required standards. This would entail allowing customers to leave a comment or reviews. The reviews are channeled to the administrator who goes through them by removing the offensive messages, editing the ones that can be changed to reflect a professional comment, and then publishing the message. Dixon (2011) explains that there is a need of taking care of customers’ conversions not only in protecting the business, but also in protecting other customers against bad language, biased, unjustified and wrong information, and to inject professionalism in the conversation with customers. Customer reviews offer good learning opportunity to prospective customers, when those who use a company’s products narrate their experiences. Such experiences are important and can be equated to rating criteria of the product or service by customers used. Rating has to be based on professional and unbiased views. In addition to the case above, filtering can also be done by designing a scale where customers enter the corresponding rating number based on a scale of one to five depending on how they perceive and experience the services or products offered. Though not holistic in understanding the actual feelings of a customer, the higher the rating the higher would be the customers’ satisfaction, while the lower the rating, the lower would be customer satisfaction. This would be a good way for customers to offer their feedback without the worry of having vulgar language being used in the reviews. Online shopping is the most promising type of shopping currently that would fetch an infinite number of customers. Linking the online shop to blogs, social networks, and using Google analytic tools that help in designing search terms as well as a rich SEO would help in leading traffic to the business. Since customers are the heart of any business, they have to be allowed to leave comments and reviews. However, to avoid unprofessional comments, filtering or use of rating scale would be paramount. This would lead to a highly performing online shop, with infinite number of prospective customers. List of References Brightpearl 2011, Strategies For Attracting More Shoppers To Your Online Store http://www.brightpearl.com/sites/default/files/t27/media/PDFs/whitepapers/InboundInsight-6StrategiesForDrivingMoreShoppersToYourOnlineStore.pdf [Accessed 11th April, 2013] Dixon, M., 2011.The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation, London: Portfolio Hardcover. Lieb R, 2009. The Truth about Search Engine Optimization, NJ: Pearson Pozin I., 2011. 7 Tips for Online Marketing on a Tight Budget, Forbes Magazine, 29th June, 2012 http://www.forbes.com/sites/ilyapozin/2012/06/29/7-tips-for-online-marketing-on-a-tight-budget/2/ [Accessed 11th April, 2013] Read More