Most etailers begin thinking about a redesign when sales flatten and they run out of things they feel they can change on their site to boost conversion. The first thing most will think about is how they will update their site's appearance with a slicker, more professional look. Some get seduced by sexy Flash elements that move and make cool sounds as you mouse over them. Will making your site sexy increase conversions? Not likely.
The sexiness priority usually means that an owner's ego getting in the way of his or her good business sense. Let me say this again: Your website belongs to your customers, not you. It HAS to be about them, giving them what THEY, not you, deem most important.
Unfortunately, those pesky customers seem to want difficult things, like detailed, complete and well-written descriptions, or great photography. It's a lot easier to write a check for that cool Flash navigation.
I was thinking about the topic of best practices for writing online this morning (yes, I AM a geek), and decided to go look at what noted usability guru Jakob Nielsen had to say on the subject. Lo and behold, there is a column that is stunningly relevant to me and many etailers right now, titled "10 High-Profit Redesign Priorities". Jakob often says unpopular things, but the truth of his research has stood the test of time. Read this column.
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