Hiring the Internet

For months now, high gas prices have made headlines, spawned dozens of new sites that locate the cheapest stations, and changed the behavior of millions of Americans.

How? Well, for one, Americans are driving less despite recent drops in prices. This may be due to the higher transportation costs that hike up the prices of everyday goods found at the supermarket.

It also seems that higher gas prices are getting people to reconsider their vehicle purchases and residential location, cancel summer vacations, and… shop online!

How to Accommodate Bigger Sales Online

Yes, big retailers like the Gap and Victoria’s Secret have experienced higher online sales while in-store sales have suffered a decrease. Last year, online shopping amounted to $175 billion, but some experts like Forrester Research expects that number to swell up to $200 billion by the end of 2008.

If you run a business only online, this is great news. But if you are both an online and offline vendor, then take care to adjust to these new trends! Make sure that all of your in-store inventory can be easily found on the site, with menu and navigation options that are intuitive and sensible.

And for those shoppers who are new to web-based purchases, do little things to make the experience easier for them. Offer multiple and magnified views of a product (especially if its look is important to browsers). Give them different product options so they don’t feel they’re missing out by not going into the store.

Offset Shipping Costs to Compete with Driving

Most importantly, relate to the customer when it comes to shipping costs. As stated before, shipping cost is a big factor that can make customers retreat when they see the final price breakdown.

Alleviate this concern by offering a low rate for slower shipping. After all, some consumers may end up saving money if they pay for $5 shipping instead of driving to the outlet mall! And of course, provide your customers the option of paying more for expedited shipping. You can also encourage more purchases by offering free shipping for bulk purchases or orders that meet a minimum, such as $100. There’s something satisfying about seeing, “You qualify for FREE shipping!” as if you’ve won a small prize.

How does your site hold up against gas prices?

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