So you want to sell online … great idea!
Let’s talk about merchandising.
“At a retail in-store level, merchandising refers to the variety of products available for sale and the display of those products in such a way that it stimulates interest and entices customers to make a purchase.” – Wikipedia
A very simple definition, and yet it touches on so many key points. Magento Enterprise (a wondrous ecommerce platform) goes above and beyond common expectations to exemplify an ideal online shopping experience. How does Magento Enterprise manage to stand above the crowded web of competing ecommerce platforms in the world of online merchandising? Through dedication to established best practices that are geared to accommodate both the seller and buyer; everyone wins.
As a designer, I’ve come to recognize that in most, if not all scenarios where form follows function, there’s a higher rate of successfully connecting with the user and allowing the desired action to be completed. Basically, it’s always better to stay the heck out of the way. Let the user get in, get what they need, and get out, without a hitch.
I’d gladly argue that this is something Magento Enterprise manages to do with ease. Below is a list of features where Magento recognizes and devotes special attention. Below, I’d like to highlight a few of these features that as a designer I especially appreciate.
• Marketing Promotions and Tools
• Analytics and Reporting
• Search Engine Optimization
• Site Management
• Catalog Management
• Catalog Browsing
• Product Browsing
• Mobile Commerce
• International Support
• Checkout
• Shipping
• Payment
• Customer Service
• Customer Accounts
• Order Management
Magento takes advantage of a layered/faceted navigation system for Catalog Browsing, a key element of successful online merchandising. Catalog browsing through product attributes is a proven, intuitive and user-friendly experience. They also offer product comparisons and product reviews, proven methods for increasing purchase confidence.
The “One-Page Checkout” offered by Magento is clear, and concise. It uses a series of successive steps, on a single page, that simplify the checkout process and make it approachable. Some additional features include account or guest checkout, and shipping to multiple addresses within one order.
I’ve established that Magento Enterprise makes it simple to find products and to purchase them, but what features are in place to “entices customers to make a purchase?” Selling involves more than just displaying products and allowing for a payment method, and Magento has that covered. Capitalizing on attribute and category-based product sorting, Magento allows for the promotion of related products, cross-sells, and up-sells. Wrap all this up with a more than satisfactory user review/rating system, and all you need is a little help from Gorilla and something to sell.
