It may sound overly simplistic to keep things simple, but I am constantly amazed at how hard some companies make it to buy their products. It's not just about the products being sold; it's about how they’re sold.  It is vital to convey the message to your customers that it’s safe to purchase from you, that you are credible.  It's not just about the product anymore. 

Here is a quick list of simple things that will increase your customer purchase conversions. Although they might seem like “no-brainers,” it’s  amazing to me how many small business owners don't do these: 

1. In the footer of each page, put links to Company Info, Privacy Policies, Return Policies, a stand alone Contact Us page, a page about security, and possibly a FAQ page. I will explain these more in detail below. 

2. Make it easy for your customer to get an estimate of shipping costs. The best place to give them an estimate is at the cart page before they start adding their bill-to/ship-to/credit card info. This builds credibility and makes the customer feel more comfortable. Let them know that they will see the exact cost once their ship-to information is inputted into the check out system, and that they still have the opportunity to cancel their order. Many of our clients will use a percentage of sale rate or a flat rate charge if they can't dynamically pull from UPS or FedEx on fly. You will also want to copy this on to its own Shipping Costs page with a link to it in the footer of each page as we talked about above. 

3. Privacy Policy - This is a big deal when it comes to customer trust. Even if they don't read it [they see that you have one it’s an enormous confidence builder. The Privacy Policy has become a subliminal industry flag that shows your customers that you are a real, legitimate, online business.  (And, for you guys who are wondering if anyone actually reads them, the answer is yes.  So now you know.  Go ahead and write one!)..... 

If you are a small business it's ok to keep the Privacy Policy short and sweet.  The policies that make me feel more comfortable are the ones that read "We do not give, sell or trade your personal information with ANYONE!". That's it. Strong, to the point and a heck of a lot better than two pages of attorney legalese  (Maybe it’s just me, but if a Privacy Policy is too much for a small company, I am a little skeptical.  I feel like they might be trying to slip something by me!) Of course there will be cases when that type is needed. If you are a mid-to-large sized business, you better have your attorney write it. 

4. Return Policy - Huge confidence builder! I want to know what to do with it and how I can return it if I don't like it or it's broken. You will go along way by allowing your customer to return the product without any hassles. My wife owned a company called AvalonGarden.com. She just sold it after building it for seven years. Her return policy was a 30 day, no questions asked policy. In all those years, I know of only a few times when someone didn't purchase something else when after returning a product. She didn't charge restocking or processing fees. "Only pay the return shipping if you don't like it." If it's broken, we paid the fees. She did whatever it took to make sure that the customer was happy, even if she lost money once in awhile. It was that commitment to excellence that kept the customers coming back! 

5. Contact Us - Just do it! Let your customer have the ability to easily find your email addresses. (Yes, spammers WILL find you.- setting up forms works better if you can), mailing address, fax and phone number. The biggest confidence builder here is the phone number. Make sure that it is a toll-free number, and it’s posted it in the header and footer of your site. If you are a small business or a one-man show this is also the hardest to manage. The worst thing you can do is drop your customer into voicemail. Make sure that the call gets picked up somewhere. If you can't be at the company phone all day, forward it to your home phone or cell phone. You can easily loose 20%-40% of your sales depending on your market by letting voicemail take the call. 

6. About Security - Tell your customers about your site security and let them know about your certificate. Use third-party credibility indicators such as Verisign and ScanAlert's HackerSafe. Like the privacy policy, most shoppers won’t read it, but having it enhances their comfort zone.  

7. FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions. This is another good place to list the pages I’ve just discussed and to answer the most commonly asked shopper questions over time you will find a customer trend which you can handle online. Work smart! Do your best to answer questions only once. You've got better things to go like marketing your wares! 

These few things are just the beginning. Keeping it simple for the customer is an ongoing process, but these 7 keys are a good foundation.  Remember, it's all about satisfied customers, customer conversion and return on investment.

Keith Enloe