But there are things any e-commerce website should do to give its customers the best possible online experience, especially when you’re talking about busy shopping times.

Positive Online Shopping Experiences -
How to Get Customers To Come Back

For me, the biggest concern when I’m shopping online for the holidays is “Will my gifts get to me on time?”

The best of the websites I’ve used this year have done the following things to increase my confidence in shopping with them:

• Delivery times clearly stated on the website, and not just when I’m checking out. Dynamic delivery times specific to each product and/or supplier are even better.
• Named delivery services – and the choice of courier type. I’m one of those people who, if next working day delivery is available and not too expensive, will go for that instead of a standard Royal Mail service.
• E-mailed confirmation of my order including an expected delivery date.
• Tracking numbers – when possible – also provided through e-mail or by logging in to a customer account on the website.
• Contact details – including a real-world physical address and telephone number – are clearly displayed on the website and in the order confirmation e-mails.

Negative Online Shopping Experiences -
How to Scare Your Customers

Unfortunately, not all of the shops I’ve used have been quite so helpful this year. Shopping online can be a bit stressful if a customer doesn’t have enough information.

If you’re an e-commerce site and you want to scare off a potential customer:

• Don’t talk about your delivery policies –  your customers don’t need to know how you deliver their goods or when they’re going to get them, do they?
• Don’t confirm your company details in order confirmation e-mails – send a list of the products the customer bought, but don’t include any contact details if things go wrong.
• Don’t show your company registration or VAT information anywhere on the website.  Speaking of the Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002 … surely they don’t mean your company is legally required to include that information?
• Make the customer register before they can place an order with you – but make sure that registration is a white elephant, of no practical use in future. Customers don’t really want to know if their order has shipped yet, even if they’re logging in to check.  In addition, your registration system should be awkward, intrusive and impossible for your customer to avoid.

And a minor issue, which might not apply to all e-commerce sites…

If you have a physical shop as well as an online presence, keep in mind that your customers may see a product in your shop that they like… but not the right size or colour. Do you stock the same products in your online shop?

Making it easy to shop online – and making sure you show what your customers need to know –  will get your customers to come back, and to recommend your site to others, too.