Copyqueen
12th April 2006, 13:15
Hey all.
As a freelance copywriter for several mail-order websites, and in-house expert for Multi-Channel Marketing magazine, I have to read a lot about ecommerce. Research, news and all that sort of thing.
So... I thought a five-minute digest may be of interest here. I have also considered adding something similar to my site - but just wanted to probe for interest first. Would be glad to hear your thoughts.
Anna
_____________________________________________
One of the big things that's been capturing my attention lately is internet fraud, particularly online. Over in America they think that around a third of internet users avoid shopping online because of security concerns.
Of course internet fraud is more of a threat over there, but we're catching up. Last year, identity fraud was shown to be the UK's fastest-growing crime.
And it looks as though one of ecommerce's biggest challenges, over the next decade, will be building trust and security online.
But how to do this? Jakob Neilsen's recent Alert Box repeated something he says a lot - ecommerce sites must have a clear and early pricing structure. Give users sample or accurate prices and delivery information early in the buying process, and fewer people will abandon their trollies.
And something else from my own experience - companies are becoming more concerned with their company history sections (what is usually labelled 'About Us'). People have been asking me to work on these a fair bit recently.
Of course, an interesting and trust-instilling 'About Us' is a tough job. But I'm working on it. Injecting some personality and warmth is always a good start. Have a look at the series of 'Team Studies' in the latest Peacock Blue catalogues.
Research into women users last year also said that women in particular need to feel secure when they come to a new ecommerce website. This has a lot to do with copy (but I would say that). It should always be friendly and snappy, but the best sites have copy that really reaches to the audience. A copywriter that knows your audience is one of the best things you can find.
End of lecture. :-)
As a freelance copywriter for several mail-order websites, and in-house expert for Multi-Channel Marketing magazine, I have to read a lot about ecommerce. Research, news and all that sort of thing.
So... I thought a five-minute digest may be of interest here. I have also considered adding something similar to my site - but just wanted to probe for interest first. Would be glad to hear your thoughts.
Anna
_____________________________________________
One of the big things that's been capturing my attention lately is internet fraud, particularly online. Over in America they think that around a third of internet users avoid shopping online because of security concerns.
Of course internet fraud is more of a threat over there, but we're catching up. Last year, identity fraud was shown to be the UK's fastest-growing crime.
And it looks as though one of ecommerce's biggest challenges, over the next decade, will be building trust and security online.
But how to do this? Jakob Neilsen's recent Alert Box repeated something he says a lot - ecommerce sites must have a clear and early pricing structure. Give users sample or accurate prices and delivery information early in the buying process, and fewer people will abandon their trollies.
And something else from my own experience - companies are becoming more concerned with their company history sections (what is usually labelled 'About Us'). People have been asking me to work on these a fair bit recently.
Of course, an interesting and trust-instilling 'About Us' is a tough job. But I'm working on it. Injecting some personality and warmth is always a good start. Have a look at the series of 'Team Studies' in the latest Peacock Blue catalogues.
Research into women users last year also said that women in particular need to feel secure when they come to a new ecommerce website. This has a lot to do with copy (but I would say that). It should always be friendly and snappy, but the best sites have copy that really reaches to the audience. A copywriter that knows your audience is one of the best things you can find.
End of lecture. :-)