INTRODUCTION

Groceries are different from many other products, such as music and books, that are
commonly purchased online. Many grocery products are perishable and therefore time-
sensitive in terms of their delivery needs. In addition, groceries are a replacement
product, i.e., the same basket of products is more-or-less purchased on a regular basis.
Finally, groceries are high-touch items, meaning that consumers like to inspect the
quality of items they are purchasing.

This growing market had attracted an number of “pure-plays” - companies that focused
exclusively on selling through the Internet, and attempted to replace traditional bricks-
and-mortar supermarkets. Most of these pure-plays failed spectacularly. Today,
traditional bricks-and-mortars stores are increasingly entering the online market in an
attempt to leverage both brand awareness and create distribution efficiencies

The decision to purchase groceries online occurs after consumers evaluate the benefits
and costs of this decision versus using a traditional brick-and-mortar versus a straight
online store. There are five critical elements that determine whether a consumer shops
online or in a traditional grocery store (MyWebGrocer, 2001):

1. Price;
2. Ambiance;
3. Convenience;
4. Service; and,
5. Product variety.

What is an Online Store?

An online store is a place where potential customers can find information quickly.
An Online store is a place where potential customers can:
♦ Find what they want and what they need without delay. ♦ Find information and
research products.
♦ Do their homework.
♦ Compare pricing.
♦ Spend money.
♦ save money.
♦ Shop without tearing their hair out.

Why consumers shop online

Convenience of 24/7 shopping
Saves time
Less hassle / no crowds
Easier than in store shopping
Unique products not in stores
Free shipping
Easier to comparison shop
Better prices
Pay less / no taxes
 Every single potential customer needs to be able to:
• Navigate easily.
• Browse for products.
• Search for products (if you sell many).
• Understand the products.
• Get to their shopping basket.
• Get through the checkout procedure.
• Know the order was successful.
• Know how to contact you if there’s a problem.

How to develop online grocery store:

GROCERY SHOPPING
The basic task of grocery shopping is simple when viewed at a high level of abstraction. It is simply a matter
of:
1. Decide what groceries are required
2. Select the groceries
3. Pay for the groceries
4. Get the groceries home
5. Put the groceries away
This simple model also applies to internet grocery shopping with the difference that
item is carried out by the supermarket rather than the customer. If one views internet
grocery shopping as a service, then the way in which that service is implemented will
affect the dependability of the service.
 A BASE MODEL

Our literature review revealed that no prior study has attempted to link the three key
concepts of intention, adoption, and continuance and investigate the process of online
consumer purchase as a whole. By integrating Fishbein’s attitudinal theoretical model
(Fishbein 1967) and the expectation-confirmation model (Oliver 1980), we attempt to
associate the three elements together and form a base model – Model of Intention,
Adoption, and Continuance (MIAC) (as depicted in Figure 2) for the development of an online consumer
behavior framework Fishbein’s attitudinal model has been widely used in the marketing context (Lilien et al
1992) and this paradigm provides researchers with a useful lens for examining the
factors explaining consumer purchasing intention and adoption. According to this
model, behavior is predominantly determined by intention. Other factors like attitudes,
subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are also shown to be related to an
appropriate set of salient behavioral, normative, and control beliefs about the behavior.
However,
Fishbein’s model stops at the adoption level and does not capture other important
factors that explain and predict consumer continuance behavior (repurchase).

The expectation-confirmation model (Oliver 1980), on the other hand, focuses on the
post-purchase behavior. It is a widely used model in the consumer behavior literature,
particularly in explaining consumer satisfaction and repeat purchase. Satisfaction is the
central notion of this model and it is formed by the gap between expectation and
perceived performance (Oliver 1980). The expectation-confirmation theory suggests
that if the perceived performance meets one’s expectation, confirmation is formed and consumers are
satisfied. Bhattacherjee (2001b) stated that satisfied users are more likely to continue the IS use. Thus, we
point that adoption and continuance are connected to each other through several mediating and moderating
factors such as trust and satisfaction

Online Merchants and Intermediaries Characteristics

Researchers such as Hoffman and Novak (1996) and Spiller and Lohse (1998) have
suggested a broad classification of Internet retail stores as well as the key attributes
and features of online stores. These studies provided us with a better insight into the
study of online merchant and intermediary characteristics. In the current study, we
included factors like service quality, privacy and security control, brand/reputation,
delivery/logistic, after sales services and incentive in our framework of online consumer behavior.
These five domain areas were integrated into our base model (MIAC) to form a framework for the study of
online consumer behavior. This proposed framework not only provides us with a cohesive view of online
consumer behavior, but also serves as a salient guidance for researchers in this research
area.

Figure 3:

Previous Studies
One market segmentation study on online grocery buyers indicated that customers are
upscale (income over $70,000), young (under 45), and educated (some college) where
saving time is the key benefit (Morganosky and Cude, 2001). Another study reported a
similar profile for American online grocery shoppers: 35 to 44 year old, white female
homeowner, household income of 50 to 80 thousand dollars per year, with teenage
children (Ano-nymous3). In addition, the per order profit is not important if they shop
regularly, for example, once a week. Ac-cording to Darrel Rigby, Director of Bain & Co.,
“Online retailers should take a more focused approach because all customers are not
created equally. It is more important to have a loyal group of the right customers than
to have lots of the wrong customers” (Pastore, 2002). Ahold, one of the few large retail
grocers actively in the online grocery business with prospects for online profits in the
near future, has narrowed and focused its online presence to a smaller number of
cities, a scaled down list of commonly wanted products, a minimum order of fifty
dollars, and a delivery charge. Even with an average order of $132, they can only clear
a small profit, suggesting segmentation is essential. Safeway Inc. is using the on-line
grocery model that Tesco developed in the UK. They successfully use store level
inventory, special grocery carts with the order and a map of the store displayed on a
screen, and use pickers during off-peak time in order to avoid interfering with the
regular in-store customers (Toby and Grimes, 2002). Other retail grocers are viewing
the online grocery business as a growth area but only in niche markets. Products like
fine wines and luxury, gourmet, and organic foods are all attractive online markets
since the products yield higher profit margins and typically attract knowledgeable
customers.

Market Analysis Summary

By household size, grocery spending ranges from an average of $51 per week in one-
person households to $130 per week in households of five or more. Per-person
spending is inversely correlated with household size: per-person weekly expenditures
are only $23 in households with five or more members but $35 in one-person homes,
according to the the Food Marketing Institute.

To make our advertising and printing dollars work their smartest, we need a team that
will work its hardest. The Viking Creative Services Department is ready to meet those
needs by providing everything from concepts and design to printing and signage. They
are experts in the process of creating and printing advertising, brochures, newsletters,
business forms, stationery/business cards, P.O.S. materials, screen-printed
clothing/merchandise, and weekly 4-color grocery insert mailers/circulars. Whether we
need a bag stuffer, a new logo, billboard advertising, radio spots, TV commercials, or a
video, their creative and professional team of associates and state-of-the-art printing
equipment offer customer high-quality products in a timely and efficient manner.

Market Segmentation

Seventy-three percent of our shoppers are female head of the households, 11 percent
are male head of the households, 15 percent are both and 1 percent are other.
Household Income: Average weekly household spending ranges from $68 for shoppers
earning under $15,000 to $118 for those earning more than $75,000 per year.
Spending on groceries at the consumer’s primary store also increases with income from
$57 per week for those families earning $15,000 or less per year to $95 per week for
those earning over $75,000.

Target Market Segment Strategy

Our store will meet the grocery needs of the surrounding neighborhood of female or
male head of households earning $15,000 per year or more.

We will reach our consumers by taking full advantage of Viking Stores’ single
clearinghouse for manufacturers’ coupons, Viking and manufacturers’ in-ad coupons,
and warehouse damage coupons. Our redemption programs will include Viking gift
certificates, selling-show vouchers, and mail-in rebates. Other services include the
Viking Gift Certificate program, in ad coupon redemption, and scan-down service to
manufacturers and brokers.

Technology: Electronic Marketing

Viking is committed to keeping up with technology changes, thereby gaining a
competitive edge in the marketplace. Computers and other information systems are
integrated to provide management information and time-saving tools.

These include:

• E-mail systems
• Standard accounting software
• Computer-based training

Support is always available to answer system and software development questions, or

provide programming solutions as new industry developments appear.

To support our retail store(s), electronic marketing allows us to access complete data
analysis and marketing services. These services include data storage, strategic
planning/consultation, sourcing for card/key tag manufacturing, custom marketing
program development, promotions and campaigns, electronic marketing training and
education, retailer-specific data analysis, and support of third-party programs.

INDIAN SCENARIO

The ecommerce industry in India is all set to touch Rs. 9210 crore by the end of FY08.
(30% jump from Rs 7,080 crore in ‘07). Here is the division, as per the survey
conducted by the IAMAI and IMRB.

• Online Travel Industry: expected growth rate of 30% to Rs 7,000 crore by end FY08 (from 5500
crores in ‘07)
• Online Classifieds: expected to reach Rs 820 crore by end FY08
• eTailing (i.e. online retailing/auction): expected to be a Rs 1,105 crore industry by end FY08 (from Rs
850 crore in FY07.
• Digital downloads (i.e. downloading from Internet to mobiles using wap phones or web) and paid
content (research/exclusive videos/articles etc) accounted for the rest of 285 crores.

Few interesting excerpts from the report:

• Out of the 13.2 million internet users across 26 cities covered in IMRB’s earlier research of 2006, 14.2%
use the Internet to buy travel tickets; 5.5% people do online shopping especially products like Books,
Flowers, Gifts etc. and 5% people deal in stocks and shares through the internet.
• It has been observed that most of the Online Shoppers start their e-Shopping journey with
buying Air/ Railway Tickets. This might be because the service provided in case of Travel, especially
Ticketing is undifferentiated with the place of buying the tickets. The buyer is ensured that he would get
the same service as his co-passenger who has bought his tickets from the physical counters.
• Size of Online classifieds industry stands at Rs. 820 crores (Online Matrimony Segment = 140,
Online Jobs Segment = 600, other segments: property, automobile, etc = 80 crores).
• Size of Digital Download Industry is Rs. 255 crores (50% jump from last year
•
The major triggers of e-commerce in India were:

• Saves time and efforts

• Convenience of shopping at home
• Wide variety / range of products are available
• Good discounts / lower prices
• Get detailed information of the product
• You can compare various models / brands

And some of the major barriers at present were:

• Not sure of product quality

• Cannot bargain/Negotiate
• Not sure of security of transactions / Credit card misuse
• Need to touch and feel the product
• Significant discounts are not there
• Have to wait for delivery
 FACTORS AFFECTING THE E-GROCERY BUSINESS MODEL PERFORMANCE

There were many factors which had to be taken into account when planning to take the
e-grocery business model into use. Some of them were external factors to the company
related to the national and industry-related marketing environment. In addition, there
were many internal factors which could enable or inhibit successful performance of the
e-business model.
It was found that a silent revolution in e-business was taking place, traditional and
electronic markets were complementing each other, and multi-channel model was
gaining popularity. It was also noticed that mail order companies had their strengths in
capabilities of remote selling, logistics and selection, and e-business was integrating
into the basic structures of companies.

The trading company’s e-commerce trading expanded considerably, and accounted for
nearly five percent of its net sales in 2002. For the most part, the e-commerce sales
consisted of sales to retailers and other business-to-business trading. In comparison
with b-to-b trade, e-commerce sales to consumers were at a modest level, although
clearly on the increase. The multi-channel model was adopted meaning that the
customers may choose the channel they prefer. Although the problems of e-groceries
all over the world are basically the same, there are some specific national features.
Extensive consumer surveys had been conducted, and knowledge on actual consumer
behavior, the size and the purchasing power of target groups had been obtained.
According to these, consumers expected an easy, fast, and reliable way of shopping at
a competitive price. The markets seemed to be gradually getting ready for further
actions. In Finland the e-grocery potential is very small, the population is small
dispersed in a large geographical area with a growing elderly people, who are not keen
on technology.

On the other hand, there are many favorable prerequisites for e-commerce in Finland,
such as high Internet and mobile phone penetration, population’s migration to bigger
cities, high utilization rate of advanced e-banking technology, high acquaintance with
self service in retailing, as well as relatively high confidence on national institutions and
companies. The critical success factors at grocery business are a cost efficient way of
working (restricted selection of merchandise, outsourced services such as logistics),
sufficient regional purchasing power, regular customers, regional companies
specialized in local distribution, and private households as well as small and medium-
sized companies as customers.

Several feasible business models were considered. Distribution, the distribution channel
conflict issues, and logistical solutions (local distribution, inventories, picking, and
unbroken cold chain) had been thoroughly discussed. A potential future business model
could be based on regional storages offering merchandise according to the same
concept of marketing and pricing for all or on small companies specialized in local
distribution. There are no regional logistics companies in Finland.

The regional storages’ logistics arrangements should also serve the physical
distribution chain, because the online retailing is not yet enough to provide profitable
business. New ways of business could mean giving up or restructuring traditional value
chains, and also finding new partnerships and networks.

The trading company has gathered knowledge into its e-business unit to serve the
whole company. Although business-to-business commerce is important for the trading
company, investments in resources in business-to-consumer sector will also be made.
For the retail chain business-to-consumer e-commerce is important for image reasons.
Even if consumer behavior changes slowly, the retail chain aims at obtaining
knowledge about any such a change. They are the market leaders and expected to be
the first mover in this business. Local entrepreneurship and centralization of activities
were important in the chain cooperation. Ordering systems and extranets for retailers
had already been built. The retailing and wholesaling information systems were
changing, and the information for managing the local retailing was to be obtained
through the Internet from the joint system.

A local retailer can easily and cost-efficiently set up his/her website and all stores have
their own Internet connections and e-mail. A lot of information is available for the retail
chain through the customer relationship management systems enabling also m-
commerce. For example, in the store, recipes and additional product information could
be offered, mobile phones could be used as payment devices, and a shopping list could
also be activated by a mobile phone. The company’s vision was a multi-channel model,
in which customer relationships were seen from the interfaces of physical stores up to
ones of mobile devices and digital television.
Goals and Functional Requirements Specification
General goals
Examples of general goals for a shopping genre site:
• To provide consistent information to all web site users
• To provide reliable and continuous access to information
• To provide a communication tool that is effective for the tasks to be performed
• To optimize resources (e.g. time, staff)
• To promote operations and activities that are not feasible in non-web shops

User specific goals

Conflicting needs among different groups of users have to be identified. For example,
some users will know what they want and require fast access, while other users may
wish to browse. Different users will be interested in different types of product.

Functional requirements
Examples of functional requirements for a shopping genre site:
• Allow user to browse through entire selection of products and order any single item
or combination of items
• Allow users to search for specific items
• Handle the complete transaction process including payment
• Allow users to specify delivery details
• Provide users with information tailored to their shopping history

Non-functional requirements
These could include:
• Users should feel they are deriving a benefit by using the web site
• Development and maintenance costs should not exceed benefits
• Web site should be easily accessible by all users

The Web Site Context

Usability issues within the site context include:
• Creating a user-centered focus
• Positioning the content
• Navigation
• Making the site visible

User-centered focus
User-centered design can include the following considerations:
• Keeping the user in focus. What do I need to do to target the intended audience?
• Design for clients’ hardware and software environments. Factors include,
computer type, network connectivity, physical location
• Site personalization. Anticipating the needs of the user
Positioning the content
The experts in this area are the content owners and authors, usually the client rather
than the designer. They should be part of the usability design team from the start.
• Specifying the goals. Goals and functionality should be clearly marked and visible on
the home page, possibly by using buttons or tabs with keywords denoting the site’s
primary functions.
• Specifying the tasks. The designer should specify and priorities the tasks. The
priorities can help decide the order of functionality representation.
• Organizing site and content. Make the site’s content coherent supporting the users’
mental models of the content.

Navigation
Web site users navigate:
• On a single site and across sites
• Within a single site to find specific information or simply to explore
• Through the web to find a site relevant to their goals

The way a site is designed to allow users to navigate is closely related to the way in which the information in
the site is organized

Visibility
Visibility is both a design and a marketing task.

Marketing:
• Arranging reciprocal links with other sites
• Submitting pages to search engines
• Joining a banner exchange programme

Design:
• Using well chosen keywords
• Placing keywords prominently in page, preferably toward the top, and in META tags
• Composing site name which reflects the content
• Using the business name as the domain name for companies
• Otherwise creating memorable domain name
• On frequently accessed pages only including internal links – links to other sites
should be on secondary pages
• Providing multiple language pages if necessary

The Web Page Context

Issues involved in the web page context include:
• Consistency
• Coherence
• Information placement
• Information coding
• Color
• Text clarity
• Type of page

Some of these issues are covered in the web design guidelines listed previously. We will
deal with two of these areas in more detail here.

Information placement
Page design is visual information management, using the tools of page layout,
typography, and illustration to lead the user’s eye through the page. Users first see
pages as large masses of shape and colour, with foreground elements contrasting
against the background field.
Secondarily they begin to pick out specific information, first from graphics if they are
present, and only then do they start dealing with the harder medium of text and begin
to read individual words and phrases
Users expect to see a caption or graphic which introduces the subject material. Most users expect to view,
scan or read in Western culture’s left-to-right orientation. The result is that if all objects are given equal visual
emphasis in the way they are presented, it is likely that the viewer will look first at the top left corner of the
screen. It is common practice to place the most important content there. Often this is the site identification or
company logo.

Another strategy for providing a starting point is to provide a stimulus which is noticeably different from the
rest of the page, such as a large graphic or an animated object.

Page types
There are three main types of pages:
• Home page
• Content page
• Transaction page
Each type has its own unique design issues.
Home Page
• Should establish site identity
• Information should fit on one screen
• Provides clear links to main areas of site
• At the top of a hierarchical site organisation
• Contains little textual information

Content Page
• Provides information
• Content should be chosen to be of interest to audience
• Information should be split into sections with subheadings
• Long pages permissible here
• Provides links to further content
• Should indicate position in site and provide link to home page or higher level page
• Content can be static or dynamic

Transaction Page
• Requires user action – interactive
• Must make it clear what to do
• Should provide feedback to user
• If transaction requires more than one page, the stage reached should be clearly indicated

Web elements: to make website more users friendly:

We design our websites for the web user – We want to attract the user, keep the web
user interested and eventually turn the web user in an actual client. To achieve this
goal we want to point out the following practical tips in creating a user friendly website.

Balance and Layout

The main focus of a user entering your website will be at the top left of the page,
gradually moving focus to the right of the page. A further interesting fact is that today’s
web users are more focused on the text on the page, more so than images or graphics.
It is therefore important to grab the users initial focus at entering point, and then keep
the focus with the text throughout the rest of the page. Balance also ensures a visually
appealing page - it will make your page easy to navigate, read and find the necessary
items. The main aim of balance is to create a page that flows.

Simplicity
Simplify your website! At first glance, the web user wants to understand your website
and find what he/she is looking for. Unnecessary visual elements may cause confusion
and important items should be highlighted to immediately stand out. White space on
the page is visually pleasing and easier for user to differentiate items/topics and makes
navigation quick and easy. Complex websites with overpowering visual effects and
cluttered content will leave the user confused and stressed in their attempt to decode
information on the website. The result – the user will exit your website in a hurry!

Fonts – Size & Type

The size and type of the font will have an effect! Web users want to read the
information with ease and not decipher the text, at the same time we don’t want the
user to step back and read from across the room. San-serif fonts such as Arial and
Verdana, with sizes no smaller than 10pt and no larger than 14pt are popular choices
for on-screen reading.

Clean Backgrounds

A background is exactly that – a background! Be subtle and refrain from using textures
and bright colours. Your background serves as backdrop for the main focus of the page.
Background textures and graphics are distracting, and the more you add, the less
noticeable your text and images become. A white background with black text will
always result in a crisp, clean look and is easy to read. If you want to use colours,
ensure that the colours will contrast with the colour of the text - i.e. using a lighter
background with darker text. Darker and bright colours such as red and yellow cause’s
visual fatigue - the reader will loose focus and will not continue reading the page.

Graphics

Our entire website is custom designed – this means that the graphics on your website
will be unique, taking into account your own company profile and target market. We
can therefore integrate all your design elements in a uniform format throughout your
website, incorporating your branding – this makes the website visually appealing, easy
to browse, and creates a lasting impression on the user.

Graphics are often overused – cluttering the page with graphics. This serves no purpose
other than increasing the loading time of the page. A consistent use of graphic style
ensures that the user becomes familiar with the graphics and anticipates seeing them,
enabling easy navigation.

Easy Navigation

This is an absolute must! The user must be able to find the required information quickly
and easily. The user is visiting for website to gain information; if they can’t find it they
will leave the website. Current practice is to place a toolbar across the top of the page
or on the left hand side of the page. A well placed toolbar or navigation tool creates a
sense of familiarity and facilitates quick and easy navigation.

Text Readability
You have a lot of information to share with your user – It is important to share and
display this information effectively, by making your pages easy to read by breaking up
blocks and creating short paragraphs. Highlight key points with clearly defined
headings and subheadings also make for more effective readability.

Most users first scan a page looking for the relevant topic information and will then only
read all information. Therefore highlighting key words or phrases by properly formatting
content is essential.

Scrolling

Horizontal scrolling is disorienting and annoying – users will find this frustrating.

Vertical scrolling is the best option, keeping the scrolling down to a minimum – users
won’t scroll down endlessly and important information will be lost should they need to
do so. Consider moving larger blocks of information to another page and provide links.
It is also important to provide the key information at the top of the page – if this is the
relevant information the user is looking for, he/she will take the time to scroll down.

A Fast and Slick Website

Users want to make contact without hassle and in the quickest possible time. Ensure
that your pages load quickly – all users get impatient when it takes too long to load a
page. Eliminate unnecessary graphics and reduce the use of scripts and in-line styles.
You need to make an immediate impression so that the user is enthusiastic and wants
to see and read more, otherwise he/she will move on to the next website.

Easy Steps to a User Friendly Website

1) Create a Site Map

No matter what the size of your website, you should include a detailed, text-based site
map, with a link to every page and preferably, a short description of what each page
offers. The advantage of using a site map is that you don’t have to link to every page
from your home page, but you should link to your site map from every page. Not only
are site maps useful for visitors looking for specific information on your site, but they
are great “spider food”, meaning they allow search engines to easily find and index
every page on your site.

2) Use a Logical Navigation Structure

When designing your site navigation menu, use logical headings and link descriptions.
For example, web site design services are much more intuitive to a visitor than Internet
services. Use Cookie Crumbs to show visitors where they are on your site at any point.
These are headings you often see at the top of websites and search portals showing
what category and page you are currently browsing (e.g. Home > Travel > UK > Bristol
> Bed & Breakfasts). Guide Visitors to specific pathways throughout your site. You can
do these using Call-to-Action links instructing visitors what page they should view or
what action they should take next e.g. Click Here to Order, Bookmark This Page, or
View Our Catalogue Now.
3) Check for Errors Regularly

There’s nothing worse than browsing a site or following a link only to find it leads
nowhere. Make sure you check your site at least once a month for any broken links.
Make sure your HTML code is designed to display correctly in different browser
versions. Also ensure that your site hosting provider is stable and reliable to avoid any
unnecessary downtime of your website.

4) Use a Consistent Design and Layout

Common sense rules here - make sure you use a consistent design and layout for each
page on your site. This means using the same general color scheme, logo, consistent
navigation menu, header and footer in the same location and consistent link attributes
(e.g. always underlined). This way you never alienate your visitor or cause them to
become confused and lose their momentum to keep looking.

5) Include a Site Search Tool

A user friendly website provides the visitor with the ability to search the site for specific
keywords.
ATOMZ SITE SEARCH. This is a software program that provides site-wide search for
websites of 500 pages or less, for free. It’s a quick and painless way to setup and
customize your own site-wide search tool. They also offer a paid version for larger sites.

6) Ensure All Forms Work

It sounds obvious and it should be. If you’re going to make your site interactive with
feedback forms, newsletter sign-ups, guest books and the like, then make sure they
work! Double check each form field is large enough to accommodate even the longest
of names. Think about your international visitors when creating fields such as Zip Code.
Make it clear which fields are required by marking them with an asterix. Test the form
to make sure it submits correctly and displays the right confirmation message upon
completion.

7) Ensure Shopping Carts are Functional

This is vital for any type of e-commerce site. Ensure you have adequate product
descriptions, pictures, specifications and crystal clear pricing. Include information on
shipping and freight costs and integrate any taxes within your price list.

8) Include Obvious Contact Details

With all the scams proliferating the web these days, people are understandably
sceptical when it comes to online business. To build trust, you absolutely, positively
need to display contact details prominently on your site. If you’re not willing to provide
a way for people to contact you, why should anyone be willing to buy from you? You
should include your business address (preferably your street address and a postal
address), a telephone number and at least one email address.
9) Use Easy to Understand Language

The Internet is no place for verbosity. People are in a hurry - they want to find what
they seek quickly and easily with the least hassle possible. You can help them in this
quest by ensuring your site pages use simple language and easy to grasp concepts
throughout. For example instead of brand-building web information architects, use
website designers specializing in brand promotion. Keep the text on each page to a
minimum, using bullet points and sub-headings to get your main points across or to
demonstrate your product benefits. Use the old WIIFM (What’s In It For Me?) adage
when composing your body copy to keep the user’s interests at top of mind.
Remember your international visitors by avoiding regional word usage or technical
jargon that could alienate. Want your visitor to take a particular action? Spell it out
for them in plain English.

10) Make it search engine friendly

Last, but by no means least, make sure your site is search engine compatible. A user
friendly site is generally a search engine friendly site too. Use body text and
headings in place of graphical text. Use a text-based navigation menu instead of a
graphical or drop-down javascript menu. Avoid frames, Flash or any code that could
trip up a search engine spider trying to index your site. Use logical Title and META
tags for each page, tailoring these to match the content found within. Scatter target
keywords and search phrases throughout your body copy to give your pages better
ranking potential on engines and directories for related searches. Don’t compromise
the readability of your copy to achieve this - hire an expert copywriter to strike the
right balance if need be.
 REFERENCES

1. Bughin, J. and Zeisser, M. 2001. There is light at the end of the tunnel: Profitable strategies in online
retailing, Available on http://e-commerce.mit.edu/forum/.
2. Burke, R. R. 1997. Real Shopping in a Virtual Store, Peterson Robert A. ed. Electronic Marketing and the
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