A big reason a customer may opt to forego online shopping is because it’s hard to read a description of something in your online store and know if it’s what they actually want. That’s why pictures of your products in your online store are so important. Making sure that they are good ones should be a priority. Showing multiple views as well as close-ups of details will make a big difference to your customers. Many times using something common as perspective to show the size of something, for instance, can be way more helpful than just listing a product’s measurements. No one, including you, wants to deal with returns & exchanges simply because the description and images weren’t good enough.

Whether the question is about a product or shipping and return policies, answering them before a customer asks them is better for everyone. Make sure your store policies are easy to find. Have as many details as possible on your website to avoid having to make the customer contact you. In the time it takes to find out the answer they may have already found somewhere else to buy the product.

Comparison price shopping is something most savvy online shoppers do. If similar online stores offer free shipping for instance, perhaps you should consider offering something similar. If that’s not a viable option for you then perhaps other incentives like a next order discount or free gift wrapping service should be considered.

A ‘Live Chat’ feature on your website is a great way to interact with potential customers. The quicker they get the answer to what may be a small question, the more likely they are to stay on your website instead of finding a product elsewhere. If live chat is not a great option for you then a quick response time to emails and form submitted questions can be the difference on whether you make a sale.

Don’t forget that these days almost all of your potential customers will at some point visit your online store from their phone or tablet. Make sure the experience they have there is just as easy to navigate as it is on a desktop PC for instance. Make sure things like ‘mouse overs’ are adjusted to work for the mobile viewing equivalent.