Do or Die Tips to make your e-tail site a success

With so many brick-and-mortar companies migrating to online withestablished brands-and with 67 percent of online sales beingdominated by the 50 largest online retailers-how can you ensureyour pure-play or multichannel e-tail site will be successful?

Elaine Rubin, president of the Woodbury, New York, e-commerceconsulting firm ekrubin Inc., and chairperson of Shop.org, a SilverSpring, Maryland, trade association that focuses on electronicdirect-to-consumer marketing technologies and trends and Internetretailing offers this advice: "Any company that's creatingan online strategy and business needs to first understand theiraudience, who they are trying to reach online and what they can dofor their customer online that could not be done offline. Internetretailers have the ability to offer unique products and servicesthat can and do make a difference in customers' lives. The keyfor retailers is to focus on delivering a compelling experience forthe online customer."

So if you want to understand your customers better, check outthese eight lessons for online retailing, based on findings fromThe State of Online Retailing 2.0, a joint study conductedby Shop.org and The Boston Consulting Group:

• Trust and security issues are the leading inhibitors of onlineshopping.

• Consumers cement their online loyalty after three consecutivevisits to a site; afterward, they are hesitant to switch onlinebrands without a compelling reason.

• Affiliate programs can be used to understand customers'online behavior, and portal relationships attract high volumes oftraffic and potential customers.

• It's important to provide a high level of attention andservice throughout the purchasing cycle.

• The informed online consumer often buys more-and moreexpensive-products.

• Use a multichannel approach; consumers use online and offlineresources to research and purchase products as well as service alltheir existing products.

• Replicate the in-store sales experience; provide consumers withmore interactive, exciting, personal communications.

• Build a recognized brand name to create a relationship of trustand make an investment in advertising and marketing to help onlineshoppers recognize your brand name.