Online retailers that have historically underplayed the value of reviews are beginning to change their tune. Perhaps they’ve been more concerned about site design, improving conversions and providing an excellent customer experience – all of these are important aspects of eCommerce, but they don’t negate the need for product reviews. There is a reason Amazon and eBay have used customer reviews since the late 1990s – reviews often improve the average order value. Reviews are especially important where electronics are concerned:...

Saying that content is king can sound a bit cliché these days, especially considering the importance of a website's performance. If your pages don't load properly, consumers can't be expected to twiddle their thumbs to access your content – no matter how good it is.  However, content should still be considered the crowning jewel for any high-performing website. In the same way that smart technology can boost the way a website functions, smart technology can also help business owners create great...

The International Retailer Conference & Exhibition took place at Chicago’s McCormick Place more than three months ago. Oh how time flies. Regardless of the time that’s passed, however, the team at NetSphere Strategies is still benefiting from the networking and educational opportunities provided there. Long story short, if we were to give the event a rating and review, we’d be sure to bestow it with a high number of stars as well as a comment indicating the caliber of speakers who...

Creating an exemplary product page that instills consumer confidence should be top of mind for eCommerce business owners. To shed some light on the task, the following five best practices should be adhered to when producing a product page. Although it’s not an exhaustive list, the following product page elements should get the wheels turning.     1. Ratings and reviews: Giving customers their two cents According to a survey conducted by Dimensional Research, a whopping 90 percent of respondents who read...