For any business, closing the sale is key.  The same is true for an e-commerce transaction.  However, some e-commerce web sites report that more than 80% of their customers' shopping carts are left full without a purchase being made.

Smart Business magazine listed their top 5 ways to get online shoppers to the finish line:

1. Make registration optional - Half of shoppers surveyed said they were more likely to leave a site if they have to register before buying.

2. Show shipping prices early - More than 80% of web site testers say they want to see shipping prices early in the checkout process - before they click on "Buy".

3. Highlight special deals - Many web shoppers are bargain hunters.  Good deals should get prime screen real estate.

4. Shorten checkout - 60% of testers say they favor entry fields on a single checkout screen, not multiple pages.

5. Save shopping carts - Customers often return to buy items left behind in their carts. Make it easy for them by saving their cart's contents.

The above factors, combined with a well-designed web site, should put you well on your way to e-commerce success.

Source: "In Search of the Perfect Web Site", by Lane Anderson, Smart Business, March 2002.

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