Site Traffic

What steps have you taken to drive traffic to your site? What has worked? What isn't working? What could you do better? How are visitors finding your site?

Web Site Activity

If you provided site visitors with navigation to your product sections, did it work? Check your store stats to see which are the most visited product sections. Then look at sales of the products in those sections. The numbers will show how well you funneled visitors into your most popular areas.

Customer Activity

Once the visitor reached your online store, did they purchase or did they fail to complete the process? Is the selection of products in your store relevant and appealing to your target audience? Are your descriptions compelling and detailed? Are the items organized as well as possible? At what point in the process do customers stop when they don't complete the purchase?

Promotional Activity

In the competitive world of e-commerce, promotions are more important than ever. Do you use any “hooks” to lure customers in? Do you e-mail previous customers to bring them back? Have you tested any special offers such as free shipping, a free gift with purchase or a discount? What worked and what didn’t? How well did your promotions convert browsers to buyers?

Inventory Management

If you have multiple items that are frequently out of stock, fix the problem! If necessary, adjust inventory levels seasonally, based on sales from the previous year. Closely monitor any items you expect to be big sellers, and increase or decrease stock levels as needed.

How Good Is Your Customer Service?

Customer service is as vital to e-commerce as it is to traditional retail business. If your customer service department is a full voice mail box, shame on you! Would you shop at a department store where the help flees as you approach? An e-commerce business can connect potential customers with real human beings. Consider adding part-time help to answer the phones during peak periods or contracting an outside call center.