I was finishing up a craft project recently, when I realized I needed spray sealant stat – even Amazon same-day delivery wouldn’t cut it. What’s a crafty gal to do! Fortunately, I saw on Michaels.com that they stocked spray in a nearby store, so I panic purchased (we’ve all done this) the spray online to pick it up later that afternoon. I’ve been an “order online, pick up in store” convert ever since.

According to Invesp, 49% of shoppers say that same-day delivery makes them more likely to shop online. Not only that, more than 25% of shoppers would abandon a cart online if same-day shipping wasn’t available!

If same day shipping isn’t feasible for you, consider offering the option to pick up in store for online purchases. While this also requires infrastructures in place to ensure the product is at the specific store, it allows the customer to receive the product within 24 hours of purchase, with no shipping or handling fees.

Continue reading Shipping Options to Compete with Amazon: Order Online, Pick Up In Store →

Do you think the party’s over once your customer purchases? Wrong!  Keep the customer engaged with your brand by continuing the conversation. We’re talking about optimizing order tracking pages to maintain the same seamless user experience you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

Shipping confirmation emails often include plain text and a simple tracking number linking directly to USPS, UPS, FEDEX, or DHL. Yawn. Did you know many platforms allow you to customize the order tracking page with images, email sign-ups, promotions, and branding?

We’re sharing some of our favorite brands’ optimized order tracking pages.

Continue reading 3 Order Tracking Platforms Optimizing the Post-Purchase Experience →

Skipping social media, because it’s just for millennials? Think again. According to Pew Research, 78% of Americans age 30-49 use at least one social media platform; followed by 64% of Americans aged 50-64 and 37% aged 65 and up.

Social media offers a huge opportunity to build your brand, grow your audience, and encourage customers to show off your products (an implied testimonial).

Whether you’re a social media novice or expert, everyone can use a little social media inspiration. To help, we’ve rounded up our favorite examples of brands going the extra mile on social media and tips for creating your own social campaigns.

Continue reading 4 Social Media Trends and Brand Inspiration →

“Oops! The page you are looking for no longer exists.” We’ve all landed on a website’s 404 error page when trying to find a product or information. Error pages are an important opportunity to motivate browsers to stay on the website and search for a new item, instead of jumping ship and searching for another site.

We’ve rounded up our picks for best and worst 404 error pages. The error page wins are clever, on-brand, and entice us to keep exploring the website. The error page fails need to be overhauled – fast.

Winning 404 Error Pages:

These error pages get an “A” for on-brand design, copy that made us chuckle, and clear calls-to-action (CTAs).

Website: World Market
What’s working:
World Market extends an uninterrupted user experience with a branded landing page, clear CTA, and product category imagery, making it super easy and compelling to continue shopping.

Continue reading 5 404 Error Page Wins and Fails →

Let’s say you’re an online retailer selling a variety of products, and the only navigation option on your website is “Shop.” With no further breakdowns or filters, shopping your website is overwhelming and frustrating.

A clean design and easy-to-follow navigation is one way to help website visitors find your products without getting frustrated. Another often overlooked step is streamlined and intuitive product categories.

Products grouped by category help customers find what they’re looking for. Your products could be categorized by product type (“candles” or “frames”), by room (“living room” or “kitchen”), by mood (“cozy comforts”), or by color (“blue” or “earth-tones”).

Once you’ve created product categories that make sense for your offerings and audience, how do you make a great category page? To help you brainstorm, we’re sharing creative features we love on product category pages.

Continue reading 4 Features That Turn “Eh” Product Category Pages to “Yeah!” →