Consumers on the hunt As the technological age has allowed the consumer to become better informed about products prior to purchase, it has also afforded them the opportunity to search for the best deal when they make the decision to purchase an item online. They should no longer be merely characterized as “online shoppers”, but in fact they are now sophisticated price evaluators, with the simple goal of paying the very least for what they want. More and more recently though, the consumer is no longer just satisfied with paying the “On Sale” price for a product; but moreover they wish to have the price even further reduced by the time they reach your website’s checkout screen.  You may ask yourself, how will they do this? Through coupons or promotional codes that the website owner has setup and successfully marketed in order to drive traffic to their site to lead to more sale conversions. Searching for coupons is now an integral piece of...

PayPal Express Checkout & Web Shop Manager Unite! In the world of eCommerce, the faster you can get a customer through the checkout process, the better. As a part of Web Shop Manager’s (WSM) never ending quest to provide our clients with the most powerful applications and effective eCommerce solutions, we are now offering support of the PayPal Express Checkout feature! PayPal Express Checkout has been increasing users' PayPal conversions by 18% !  But what exactly can PayPal Express do for you? Well, in a few words: Offer the fastest and most fluid checkout process possible Receive a seal of trust from PayPal on your website Increase orders via PayPal than ever before! Sounds Awesome! How does it work? Step 1: Unlike PayPal Standard which is traditionally embedded as a payment option in the merchant's checkout, PayPal Express Checkout is initiated within the shopping cart via the familiar PayPal logo. The customer simply clicks this...

Categories are the sections of your website that are broken down into related topics that you can place relevant products into. Think back to the times that you have shopped online and it become immediately apparent how important they were to your overall experience, but are you aware of just how important it is? What categories will be presented on the home page? How many will there be? How many sub-categories will this one have? What about that one? It can be a long and arduous process to get your categories set up exactly how they need to be, but once you realize what an effective category tree can do for your online sales, you will definitely want to take the time to do it. Categories help customers by narrowing down the amount of products or items they have to choose between. A rule in retail has always been to give the customer 2 or 3 choices, because if you give them 50 choices they will rarely be able to make a decision. This is where deep categories in eCommerce websites...

Google Analytics Metrics & How You Can Improve Yours! Having a deep understanding of what your Google Analytics account is telling you through all the different data and metrics is a very important step towards mastering selling online. In case you missed part 1 of this blog series, you should check it out here: “ Using Google Analytics & Website Metrics- Part 1 .” Carrying on with the same theme, this article will delve deeper into the metrics themselves, explaining various ways you can improve upon the results you have been seeing. Visitors vs. Unique visitors What can you do about it? When it comes to generating more traffic, there isn’t some industry secret that you can tap into; there’s no magic formula. It’s a process that takes time, but creating captivating content that draws users in and focusing your SEO efforts on targeted keywords that aren’t dominated by industry leaders is the first step towards increasing...

Creating and maintaining success in eCommerce is very much an ongoing battle. You can’t get everything moving in the right direction and then simply let your well oiled online selling machine fare on its own! Utilizing Google Analytics metrics as your guide is a great way to keep an eye on what is and isn’t working on your website, and track the effects that changes have on things like traffic on site visibility. Those who have spent time using Google Analytics know that it can be, at times, a little overwhelming and confusing. There are so many different metrics being tracked, with very little explanation as to what each one means. But don’t let this deter you from utilizing this powerful program to its full potential, take control and learn Google Analytics definitions and how they work! Below are some of the most important Google metrics with brief descriptions of what they mean, and why they can be useful: How to Use Google Analytics Metrics & What...

Utilize the Growth of eCommerce and Start Selling Online! Often research is not meant to necessarily inform us, per say. Rarely do we come across research where there isn’t a moment of “Yes, I thought that was case” or “I figured as much”, and this is especially true to those of us who have been involved in eCommerce in regard to online selling in general. However, when you take a moment to analyze the growth shown in this infographic, and even going further back it is almost shocking to consider how quickly eCommerce has taken off. The retail experience, regardless of the sector or industry, is being transformed through the web. We know this just by looking at how we manage our own shopping habits. These numbers are interesting in that the growth for eCommerce so readily outpaces everything else, that it should be an encouragement to keep moving our efforts even more towards eCommerce and online interactions. So, what are you doing to...

A solid merchandising strategy is a must when it comes to retail success in a brick & mortar setting, so why would this be any different for eCommerce ? Setting up a store in a specific way that is meant to entice customers and convince them to buy more is not a strategy limited to physical retail locations; you can utilize these same marketing strategies on your eCommerce website ! The internet is inherently perfect for customers who tend to make “impulse buys.” An impulse buy is purchasing something that you were not actively searching for; meaning you saw something interesting, and subsequently made a quick decision to buy said item. There are a variety of strategies you can implement on your eCommerce website to convince people to click that “add to cart” button, here are a few of them: Seal the Deal on Your eCommerce Site With These Strategies Create time sensitive sales. You can see this strategy used at pretty much any given time in...

Quick View in eCommerce One of the main goals of an ecommerce site is to decrease the time it takes consumers to add products to their cart. By utilizing a "quick view" feature, a site can remove many obstacles (including clicks) and help shoppers initiate their ordering with relative ease and efficiency. When a visitor is browsing through product pages, constantly clicking on products, and subsequently hitting the back button, it can become tiresome. Providing a more fluid shopping system can be a huge benefit to eCommerce websites, and the team at WSM is excited to announce that we are doing just that! "Quick View” or “Quick Look” enables visitors to view product details on a category page, a cart, or any other page without a page refresh. The product details are launched in a pop up window, which opens on the page the visitor is on, and typically displays a predetermined set of product details. This feature can effectively eliminate the loss of...

The checkout process implemented in your eCommerce website plays a vital role in how successful the site will be, and how many conversions it will generate. Often times, however, it doesn’t get the attention it deserves. This is understandable since the website design process can be hectic; constantly making tweaks and improvements until you settle on a site layout that encapsulates the vision you originally had perfectly. Throughout all of this, the checkout process is easy to forget about and neglect. The checkout process implemented in your eCommerce website plays a vital role in how successful the site will be, and how many conversions it will generate. Often times, however, it doesn’t get the attention it deserves. This is understandable since the website design process can be hectic; constantly making tweaks and improvements until you settle on a site layout that encapsulates the vision you originally had perfectly. Throughout all of this, the...

The imagery on an eCommerce website is extremely important to the amount of success, and conversions, that site will generate. The customer does not have a tangible product to hold or inspect, and as such it is the responsibility of the website itself to provide high quality online product images, and general eCommerce imagery throughout the site. The speed and impatience in which people generally surf the web (most people just scan content on pages instead of reading lengthy paragraphs), means that images provide you with a unique opportunity to quickly impress and capture the attention of potential customers. Utilizing Images to Lead Sales While there is no way to absolutely guarantee that your imagery will appeal to everyone that comes across it, there are general guidelines that you should always try to follow in order to maximize the effectiveness of your eCommerce product pictures. Take the time to take your own professional quality photos. While it may...

What is Word of Mouth Marketing? Word of Mouth Marketing is a part of everyday life; a basic part a human interaction that has always been around, and is only getting more prevalent as technology advances. But why is it so effective? What is the real appeal of WOMM ? A big part of the answer is the lack of bias that comes with it. A friend telling you about an amazing new automotive eCommerce website they did business with is immeasurably more credible than an advertisement produced by the corporation itself, because obviously the company is going to tell you they’re the best, but peers have the capability of being objective. Word of Mouth Marketing in eCommerce manifests itself in a variety of ways; it is undoubtedly the most diverse and broad form of advertisement available to small business owners today. Here are the most common forms seen on a daily basis: Peer to Peer: This kind of word of mouth marketing is the most effective by far....

What is Reader's Rides? It is a comprehensive profile that can be built by registered users of a website, and allows them to keep track of cars they are building and show them off to other users. Complete with pictures, descriptions, and lists of parts used in each project, the Reader’s Rides section functions like a kind of online community. The overall idea for this feature has been requested periodically by numerous clients in the automotive eCommerce industry, with the idea being an easier way for registered users to manage and keep track of their favorite hobby. While this idea has existed in various forms, integrating it into the back end of our CMS to be used so easily is groundbreaking. In our never ending quest to provide our clients with dynamic and powerful features presented in a fresh and easy to use fashion, we are now offering Reader’s Rides as a standard feature for automotive eCommerce websites. Offer Your Users Something More...

Every year, the amount of people that choose to enjoy their shopping from the comfort of their own home increases. The ease of use is the major factor here, quite often they need something but don’t have the time to run to the store. This increase creates a huge market for those looking to start a web presence, so it’s very important to offer the highest quality online shopping experience possible. But it takes some effort; there’s an inherent level of mistrust when it comes to shopping online. This is mostly due to the fact that the customer isn’t actually there and they can’t physically touch whatever it is they’re thinking about buying. As an eCommerce retailer, it’s in your best interest to alleviate as much of this uncertainty as you can. The simple solution to this obstacle is creating quality eCommerce product pages . There are general guidelines to follow when it comes to making these pages the best that you can, and...

Running an eCommerce website, or any online presence for that matter, requires quite a bit of attention. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can just launch a website and it will do all the work for you; e-business is still business and the more effort you put into it, the more successful you will be! The “set it and forget it” mentality won’t get you very far in an e-business. The web is a constant competition for supremacy; similar companies are always vying for the top spots in search results in order to be found, but there’s only so much you can do when it comes to maintaining and perfecting your site’s content. In the world of eCommerce the struggle is even more apparent, since you’re not just competing with local businesses, but competitors all over the world. Inbound links are a part of what you get when you invest some time into using online directories, and they are extremely valuable to your SEO efforts. So...

It’s no secret that Social Media in general has become a huge part of not only our social interactions, but the world’s business interactions as well. The age of Social Media is here to stay, so what else is there to do but embrace it? Sure, you don’t need your own personal account to get by, but as a growing business it could be quite foolish not to take advantage of some of these websites. Interested in Pinterest? Pinterest is a relatively new Social Networking site that offers a fresh take on the ways in which we use Social Media. Essentially, the site is a giant community scrapbook; users find pictures or information they like on the web and “pin it,” which subsequently attaches it to their Pinterest account and shares it with friends and followers. Obviously they have uncovered something special over there, since Pinterest recently became the fastest site to hit 10 million unique users in history. Just in case you didn’t fully...

Bandwidth Explained Whether you're in the web hosting business or in the market for a new website, bandwidth is a term that will be thrown around quite a bit, and it's important to understand exactly why it's such a huge factor. The simple explanation of bandwidth is the amount of traffic that passes between your website and other computers connected to the internet. Depending on the quality of the network provided by your hosting company, you will have higher or lower bandwidth limitations. A basic conceptualization of bandwidth is a great start in understanding what it is, but in order to grasp the importance of it, a more in depth explanation is necessary. The internet, on a basic level, is millions of computers that are interconnected via different networks. The connections between these networks vary in size, and this is what determines the bandwidth of a particular website. Bits are the individual measurements that begin to make up the total bandwidth of a page,...

As with anything that grows and evolves at a rapid pace, the internet and the way it affects marketing has changed quite a bit in the past few years. The web has become a much more in depth experience to its users, and its potential for successful marketing has become inarguably clear. In terms of gaining visibility and support from the public, there are few tools at your disposal as powerful as Social Media. Websites such as Facebook and Twitter have given business owners the opportunity to spread their message to the masses with unbelievable efficiency, and the kicker? All it costs is a little time. 30 minutes to an hour a day spent liking things and communicating with your client base can prove to be invaluable in the long run. Since the Social Media marketing process consumes such a small amount of resources, you can focus less on pushing your product or service onto potential buyers and devote some effort to building a sense of community. People have developed a general...

Wireframes The team at Web Design Solutions firmly believes in the power of planning and strategizing concepts in order to produce a final product of the highest quality. Too often web design companies will put all of their effort into the aesthetics of a website, and worry about functionality after the fact. That’s not how we operate; at WDS we will begin your process by building a Website Wireframe. This ensures that your site will be built efficiently and work properly when it’s time for launch. Conceptually, a wireframe is like the blueprint by which your website will be designed and built. We work with you, take the creative visions you have for your e-business, and make sure that every page layout used on your site is exactly what you want. Taking the time to wire frame your website allows us to frequently address numerous structural questions and concerns that more than likely would have been overlooked otherwise. While it’s always possible to...

Search Engine Optimization is a complex and intricate process that takes time to perfect. It’s safe to assume that every web page has certain SEO aspects that can be improved upon. Optimizing your site is a marathon, not a hundred yard dash; it’s important to constantly be on the lookout for improvements you can make. Below is a list of a few do’s and don’ts that can instantly increase the SEO value of your website. First and foremost, write quality content. You can throw in all the keywords and links you want, but if the writing on the page is subpar it’s a safe bet that any visitors won’t stay very long. This doesn’t mean you need to write with the complexity of a scientific journal, it’s much more important to make your site an easy read. This can be accomplished by catering to the audience your company appeals to; write for who will be reading the information For each individual page, choose a relevant keyword or...

Getting your online eCommerce website up and running is a huge step for you and your growing e-business , but it’s not the only step that needs to be taken. The work isn’t done just because you have some sort of online presence. Just like a brick and mortar store, your site needs to be constantly growing and evolving with the flow of business in your industry. There are so many different options nowadays for people who are browsing the web that a kind of “browsing impatience” has become the norm. If your website doesn’t deliver something relevant and important right off the bat, people will simply move on to the next one. Here are some tips for keeping your eCommerce website fresh and interesting: Tips On Growing eCommerce Success The only constant in any industry is change. In other words, the only thing you can be sure of is that information, techniques, prices, and ideas in general will always change. It’s tremendously important...

For any kind of business, it is much easier and more cost effective to maintain returning customers than it is to bring in new ones. For an eCommerce website, it is especially crucial. Marketing, ad campaigns, and the numerous other advertisement strategies that are necessary to bring in more business consume a massive amount of resources. Even after spending all this time on generating more clients, it is entirely dependent on timing. A new prospective customer will only bring their business to you if it’s something they happen to need at that moment. Not only is it cost effective to you and your growing e-business , but a repeat customer is like your own personal promoter. If someone is bringing their business back to you, they obviously liked what they got the first time around. Chances are they will spread the word to anyone they know that might be looking for a similar service. Here are a few tips to maintaining a solid foundation with your clientele: Be...

The Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, is one of those things that sound like a great idea, an idea that will do nothing but good. Piracy is illegal, right? People who make their living in the entertainment industry lose a ridiculous amount of money each year to websites dedicated to pirating and torrents, so it's easy to take a step back and feel sympathetic for them. But is SOPA the way to fix this issue? This is the question a number of online industry leaders have been asking, including Google, Yahoo, Facebook, and Twitter. These companies didn't waste any time taking a stance against the bill and it's easy to see why; user generated content plays an important role in their success. With users having free reign to post whatever they want, they could easily be targeted as violators of SOPA.   Even A Former Vice President Is Against The Stop Online Piracy Act Despite some of its questionable applications, the internet is responsible for an almost overwhelming...

Here at Web Design Solutions our primary goal is to help you be successful in your online ventures. Whether this is through industry tips, superior customer service, or quality website management, your satisfaction is of the utmost importance. Recently we posted an article explaining the importance of a Google Analytics account , and some basic information to get yours up and running. Have You Heard The News? Analytics Tracking, In The Header Is Better One of the most crucial steps in properly using your Google Analytics account is adding your tracking code into the template section of your site. The format for this widget code is {{google_tracker id='UA-XXXXXX-X'}}, with the X's being replaced with your unique UA number. With Web Shop Manager this is extremely easy, as you only need to enter it once instead of on each and every page. Previously we had instructed you to enter the code towards the bottom of the text on the page, right before the </body> tag. A...

The holidays are over and now existing and aspiring eCommerce business owners are thinking ‘what can I do to different in 2012?’ A new website can be just what is needed to take advantage of the booming eCommerce web sales. The US census bureau reported that in the 3rd quarter alone, e Commerce sales hit $48.2 billion dollars! A new web site design or a brand new website could be just what you need to get your part of the pie. With the economy on an upward trend and eCommerce showing greater growth than retail sales, new websites have an amazing chance of being profitable in 2012. What type of new website are you looking to launch this year? What Type Of New Website Do You Wanted Designed? A new Automotive Website using a year make model look up can help customer find parts that they are looking for faster than ever. Do you have all of the product information for your new automotive website? No, not a problem! WSM can help populate your new website with...

Web Shop Manager offers a cost effective solution capable of 100% PCI compliance to anyone looking to start up an online business. Most small business are left to figure out how to be PCI compliant on their own, but here are Web Shop Manager (WSM) we can guide you to operate a successful PCI compliant ecommerce store. Shopping online should be easy, fun and productive. When consumers have to worry about their personal information, it takes away the allure of shopping online. This the basic premise of why you should choose a ecommerce platform that is 100% PCI compliant. What is PCI compliant hosting ? If you are running an online business it is crucial that you have your shopping cart PCI compliant to ensure that you are helping promote a safe and secure outlet for shoppers. When shoppers feel safe to check out online , the entire e-commerce industry benefits! Payment Card Industry (PCI) mandates that any ecommerce transaction is completed over a PCI compliant server...

Develop a Better Converting Web Shop Manager Website with Google Analytics Information is power, and with the astonishing amount of information that you can get from a Google Analytics account you will start making better decisions for your company’s website. The purpose of using Google Analytics is to observe your website’s traffic, monitor your site’s goals as well as your shopping funnel, track your email campaigns, banner ads and social media efforts, create customized reports and dashboards and so much more! If all of this sounds way over your head, do not get discouraged. Utilizing your Google Analytics account to its fullest potential should be an ongoing project. You do not need to try and figure out how to use all of its features in one day. The purpose of this article is to provide you instructions on how to set up your account, add the tracking widget to your WSM site and create site ‘Goals’ to be tracked. First, you will need to set...

The best Integrated Content Management System just got better... Over the last six months Web Shop Manager TM (WSM) has received some serious improvements. We believe that you will find that our Content Management System ( eCommerce CMS) is the most comprehensive, easy to use CMS out there. We are continuously working on adding more features, and fine tuning WSM to help our clients run their shopping carts more efficiently, and to make more money. Order Management for eCommerce Stores Order processing and shipping are major component of an eCommerce website's effectiveness. In a continuing effort to help our eCommerce thrive, we spend a considerable amount of time listening to our clients, and responding to their comments and suggestions. Just one example is how we have streamlined the eCommerce order processing function even more. Now you will find that when 'Will Call' is selected as the shipping method for your local customers, tax is...

We may begin to see the sun peaking through the recession clouds, but we are not of its shadow quite yet.  However, the quickest companies to rebound will be those that are willing to invest in the technologies that allow them to increase market share.  And where has the market turned?  The Internet.     “When the recovery fully takes hold, the growth will be driven by the web, and retailers that want to survive and grow need to fish where the fish are. eCommerce Merchants with worn-out old systems won’t be the ones getting the business online. The ones that will are making a sound investment in better e-commerce technology now.” Kasey Lobaugh, retail analyst and principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP Solutions for a Newbie or an eCommerce Veteran As business owners we need to ask ourselves what our customers want and need.  Listening to our market, Web Design Solutions developed an ideal solution, Web...

After a lot of fussing we are finally able to show the world our new site. Along with all the new eCommerce features we have been launching we felt the need to our website to the next level as well.

Please let us know what you think!

The new eCommerce checkout system for WSM3 is now live! Completely redesigned and enhanced, this new system features a much easier and faster checkout experience for your customers needs.

After a 2 years of planning and 1 year of web development it's finally here. If you are currently using V2.3 please contact us to coordinate your free upgrade to Web Shop Manager V3.0. The list of new eCommerce features are endless!