Web Store Review Criteria

Each web store that we review is checked to see how it performs in the key areas of construction, selling, order processing and support.

Construction

How easily and quickly can customers find what they are looking for and place an order? We rate web store highly that:

Load quickly
Are easy to navigate through
Have an attractive, professional appearance
Have a simple construction – a customer should be able to place an order within 3 mouse “clicks” of entering the site
Provide a text only version
Provide a no frames version (if applicable)
Make extensive use of “Alt” text for images
Are fully searchable

Many sites fail because they forget to sell. We rate web stores highly where:

It is clear what is being sold
The benefits of the product are emphasized
An explicit request for an order is made
The vendor attempts to establish credibility
A degree of personalization is offered
Traditional selling techniques are utilized (e.g. coupons, promotions, competitions, cross selling)

How easy is it for a customer to place an order and pay? We rate web stores highly that:

Maximize the number of ways to place an order
Maximize the number of ways to pay
Provide secure, on-line credit card processing
Recognize the global nature of the Internet (e.g. offers currency conversions, world-wide shipping info)
Acknowledge orders with an unique reference number
Provide online order tracking
Send a notification when goods are shipped

How good is pre-sales and post-sales support? We rate web stores highly that:

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