Edu-Safe loves its online presence.
The Springfield-based education safety advising company has been offering sales through www.edu-safe.org for about five years, according to co-founder Dennis Lewis, and while the company's main advisory services aren't available for direct purchase through the site, customers can buy a number of publications on school safety online.
Edu-Safe is among a growing number of business owners who are becoming more aware of what it takes to attract online customers, as technology advances and consumers get comfortable buying online.
Online purchases grew by 11 percent in first-quarter of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008, according to results of a survey of 80 companies released in May by Forrester Research Inc. and Shop.org. The study found that most of that growth came from companies that use online sales as one of several revenue sources, rather than those that are strictly Web-based.
The upshot is that companies will have more competition for online sales, making an effective online presence even more important. One of the keys to a successful Web presence is balancing digital form with function.
"Bells and whistles and gizmos"
For Jarad Johnson, creative director for Web design firm Ethix Studios, beginning work on a new e-commerce site or a redesign starts with functionality.
"When we first start a project, it has nothing to do with the look of a site," said Johnson, whose firm designed Edu-Safe's site, as well as sites for Dovecote Records, Dynamic Body and the nonprofit Africa Oasis Project.
"We do studies about the clients, including who will be their (visitors), and then we look into how those users (surf) Web sites."
After assessing a client's customers, Ethix then puts together a framework for the functions that will be included on each page of a Web site and which information will go where, including online sales options. Only then does the company add graphic elements to make the site visually appealing.
Missouri State University marketing professor Sarah Smith said having form follow function makes sense to help companies avoid the classic problem of making a site too flashy at the expense of the visitor's sanity.
"It can be easy to load your site up with so many bells and whistles and techno gizmos, like Flash and interactive features, that may or may not be helpful to the consumer," said Smith, who teaches classes devoted strictly to online business marketing. "It's important to look at the Web site from the consumer's perspective and ask, 'If someone comes to the Web site, what is their purpose, and how can the site help me form a better relationship with the customer?'"
Johnson adds that if the intended purpose is to get customers to buy something on the site, sales options had better be easy to locate.
"The most important sales aspects should be accessible with one click from the home page, rather than having customers click around several times, get lost, pull up a site map and then figure out where they need to go," he said.
That doesn't mean, however, that graphics can't be helpful. Rick Thomson, owner of Ozark Network Communications, said that while actual online purchasing can be distracted by flashy gimmicks, companies who want to use their site as a more informational tool have several options at their disposal.
"If they're just marketing something and they want to do a demo, you can get really graphical with that," said Thomson, who has provided Web design and programming services for clients ranging from Killian Group of Cos. to Electronic Video Systems. "With service companies, I've seen some really good Flash-driven sites that have lots of information on a service they perform and great demonstrations just to get them to pick up the phone and call."
Sealing the deal
Edu-Safe owner Lewis said that while it's difficult to quantify exactly how much of the company's business comes from the site, he knows the company's online presence is important.
"There are times that, quite frankly, we're not sure where our business is coming from ... but I will tell you that we view direct sales off our Web site as something we would not move away from by any means," he said. "It's a key part of how we do business."
Ethix Lead Developer Landon Lewis said that there are several steps to the online selling process, from product information to the virtual shopping cart to the payment process, but the key to successful online sales is making sure customers can easily find the product they're looking for in as few mouse clicks as possible.
"Once the user hits the landing page, you want them to be within three or four clicks of being in their cart," said Lewis, whose company can design custom e-commerce platforms or use third-party software for clients. "Once it's in the cart, you need to make it very simple for them to continue shopping, and if they choose to go back into the catalog and continue shopping, you need to make sure it's easy to get back to the cart."
The process can be expensive, depending on the level of customization. Johnson said a simple site can be as little as a few thousand dollars, while intricate sites with customized e-commerce platforms can cost $20,000 or more and take more than three months to develop and launch.
Thomson added that whether a company uses its site for direct sales or just for leads, the business has to pay as much attention to its online store as it does to its physical location - a point many e-commerce first-timers neglect.
"You need to merchandise it, and you need to take the time and make the page appealing," he said. "That way people ... will be able to purchase your items as easily as possible."
