There is a right way to make changes on a e-commerce site to increase sales and strengthen the brand, although few are doing it right. E-merchants guess what changes customers want, implement them and hope they have made the right changes. Instead, they should let visitors contribute to decisions about changes and to test whether the changes produce the desired results when they are implemented.

E-merchant X is a bit dissatisfied with his e-commerce site. He does not think it builds the company’s brand and he hopes that visitors will buy more. He does not really know who visits the site, why they are visiting and if they are leaving the e-commerce site happy, but he knows he is not satisfied with his sales.

He raises the issue with the advertising agency. They agree with the problems and start to talk about the customer experience. They say they like to ”spice up” the e-commerce site with a new design that captures the visitor, reinforces the brand and attracts visitors to buy.

E-retailer X gets what he has asked for: a better looking site. But because he did not have knowledge of the visitors and their preferences, it is not certain that it will lead to more buying, or a stronger brand. His sales will probably not increase.

E- retailer Y has heard that a red buy button in the right corner works better than a green one on the left. She implements the change immediately, because she really wants to increase the conversion rate.

The problem is that she does not test the change before implementing it, and the customers who are accustomed to the green button do not see the new button. This will make the customers annoyed, but Y will not notice because she has no tools to listen to customers or to test the new design of the buy button.

E-retailer X and Y are making changes to their e-commerce site in the same way that most e-retailers do. A study done by Web service award, in collaboration with Wipcore, only 15 percent of e-commerce works with statistics, tests and evaluation.

There is a right way to make changes and achieve goals for an e-commerce site. Right change requires the right decision basis. This can be collected from visitors and statistics. When the change is implemented it is essential to test and measure the effect. Making changes with this information does not need to be expensive, and it will strengthen the brand and increase sales.

Begin by asking the visitors what they think about your e-commerce site with the help of a simple questionnaire in which the visitors can rate your e-commerce site, indicating the purpose of their visit and whether it was achieved. Afterwards, if they did not achieve their purpose ask them to tell you why, and those who achieved their purpose may give suggestions for improvement on the site.

The survey gives the company the decision basis necessary to make changes to appeal to visitors.

When you make changes on the site you should test their effect. An effective and inexpensive way is to divide the visitors into two groups and let them test the old version alongside the new and compare how they behave. In this way, they can refine the change and the broad launch until it is perfect.

Do not turn to the advertising agency to improve customer experience and increase conversion rates on your e-commerce site. It is a mission impossible without the right decisions basis. Instead, take the time to analyze traffic statistics and ask your visitors what they think first.

By listening to their requests, understanding the web analytics and measuring the impact of the changes on the e-commerce site you will increase your sales and strengthen your brand. It is a pity that so many make chances and hope when they change their e-commerce rather than to be sure and do right the first time. Shortcuts are not the best way to succeed with an e-commerce site.

My tips for e-commerce managers

• Collect visitors’ opinions, which come in via phone calls, e-mail and personal meetings, all in one place.
• Provide customer service in the mission to make monthly reports on complaints on the e-commerce site.
• Perform site surveys
• Implement continuous improvement according to customers’ requirements
• Test the changes correctly with A/B testing or with multivariable testing.
• Have an ongoing process that measure, analyze and test.