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How Design Can Help Customers Feel Secure at Checkout

Research shows that while online shopping is far from representing the majority of shopping done by Americans, it is still growing in popularity. It is especially popular with the 18-49 year old demographic, the shoppers of tomorrow. Most big and medium size businesses offer their products online and in store and plenty of other businesses operate exclusively online. The greatest hurdle for these businesses is gaining the trust of customers so that people will make purchases. Even regular Internet-surfers can be apprehensive about making a purchase online because they don’t like sharing their credit card number, are concerned the product is not what it seems, and they worry that the return process will be too difficult if they are unhappy with their purchase.

Designpax – Online Web design on demand has the unique ability to help customers feel more secure when making a purchase online by designing the checkout process to be comprehensive, intuitive, and secure in appearance. While the tech department will be responsible for much of the actual internal security elements, designers are responsible for relaying this message to the customers. Here are some tips for creating a checkout process that

  • Keep the Shopping Cart Clutter Free: It can be tempting for marketers to use the shopping cart as an up-sell space. Similar to the checkout line at the grocery store, designers will most likely be asked to make plenty of space in the shopping cart where extra products can be suggested for customers to purchase. While this is a powerful marketing tool, it can also backfire by making customers feel nervous that the business is too pushy or new products are in their cart which they didn’t request. If designers are required to use this sales tactic, keep the suggested products far from the actual products the person is buying.
  • Show a Timeline: Customers always want to know exactly when their credit card is going to be charged. Make sure there is a timeline which shows customers where they are in the checkout process such as “reviewing purchase” or “finished”. While it may seem like enough to have the timeline at the top of the page, it is a good idea to add copy at the bottom of the “next” button which indicates what the upcoming step will be once the customer moves on.
  • Always Display the Total Price: Be sure the total price (shipping included, or show “pending” if the cost of shipping hasn’t been determined yet) is showing at all times in a margin or on each page during the checkout process. This will help customers feel like they aren’t going to be charged for something additional by surprise.
  • Use Custom Icons: Icons are small images which helps customers understand how to navigate a website. These include images of arrows, small shopping carts, and the “click here” hand. Icons combined with good copy are an effective way to help customers always know exactly where to go next during checkout.

5 Ways Small Businesses Websites can Stand Out

You may not have the money to compete with the advertising of Coca-Cola, Nike, or any other big brand names, but that doesn’t mean your small business can’t stand out from the crowd with unique web design. Most businesses today already have a website, but are still looking for ways to improve their web design to attract more of the right customers (namely, customers who want to purchase something or spread the message of your business). Here are some tips that designers working for a small business can use to help their company stand out from competitors.

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Web Designer’s Guide to Testing Usability

Usability describes how easy, or difficult, it is for a person visiting your website to navigate through the site and how quickly they can find what they are looking for. Usability can be difficult to judge however, especially for a web designer who has spent the last few days, weeks, or months, creating the website from the ground up. Additionally, people who work for a company are often very familiar with the company’s website, to the point they could navigate it in their sleep. Familiarity shouldn’t be confused with usability however, and it is critical that web designers test the usability of their designs to ensure customers aren’t turning away from their site because it is too difficult to navigate. Here are some of the best ways to test the usability of a website.

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Banner Ads and CRM

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a marketing strategy for interacting with prospective and current customers and clients. CRM marketing has taken on a whole new appearance with the rise of internet marketing. With so many online businesses saturating every market and industry, companies must be more diligent and creative with their CRM strategy. When it comes to costs, marketing to get persuade current customers to purchase more is much cheaper than seeking out new customers. CRM is all about keeping current customers, rather than finding new people interested in their company’s products or service. So how do banner advertisements play into CRM?

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The Power of Minimalism in Design

While minimalism might conjure up images of uncomfortable chairs and all white interior decorating, in truth, minimalism is a powerful design tool, especially for web design. The roots of minimalistic design are bound in Japanese art culture during the 20th and 21st century. However, the phenomena spread quickly around the world and today elements of minimalism can be found in everything from car design to websites, architecture, and more. The actual definition of minimalism is “design stripped to its essential elements”.

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A Brief History of the Early Days of Banner Advertising

As soon as the public began using the internet regularly during the 1990s, online advertising was introduced and grew exponentially within just a few years. Banner advertising specifically took off and before long banner ads were popping up on every website. In fact, all those banner ads quickly became a bit of an eyesore, and in 1996 the Interactive Advertising Bureau was created to manage online advertising. The Bureau set standards for the sizes and format of banner advertising, but it wasn’t long before web designers and marketers were discovering new ways to innovate their banner ads without breaking the rules.

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8 Power Words for Banner Ads

It might sound like an old-man marketing scheme, but Power Words are an essential part of advertising. With all the innovative marketing being done today, it’s easy for business owners to think that tried and true marketing principles are becoming a thing of the past. However gimmicky the phrase “power words” may sound, these words have been used in marketing since the beginning for a reason. Power words subtly instill the need to take action in the person reading the words. These words walk the fine line between being abrasively in a person’s face, something most customers do not want, and engaging customers in your message in an active way.

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5 Tips for Finding New Customers with Banner Ads

Customer acquisition is the only way to get your new online business rolling. Whether you are breaking into a new market or planning on swiping customers from the competition with your superior business model, customer acquisition will require planning, time, and diligence. Banner advertisements are a popular tool used for enticing new customers to visit a website and with good reason – they are effective! Here 5 tips for implementing a successful banner ad campaign to acquire new customers:

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Custom Banner Ad Design vs. Template

Online business owners are always looking for the best ways to increase profits while still saving a buck. A good online marketing strategy is an excellent way to not only drive new customers to your website, but also to remind old customers of your products and services. However, juggling traditional advertising with online advertising, public relations, and more can get tricky and time consuming. One way business owners with websites attempt to cut corners and save time is by using template web design for their advertisements, blogs, or website. While just downloading a banner advertisement template off the internet and filling in your business’s details and logo might seem like the fastest way to online marketing success, here are some things to consider before you hit download:

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