A couple of people have emailed in to ask what the answer was to our competition brain teaser this year...

So, this year we went for something a little less PHP-specific.

About 30% of entrants got this one right - so well done to all of you!

The very first step with this challenge is recognising base64 encoded data when you see it - which is pretty easy if you've ever worked with email content or the CSS embedded image data-uri feature.

WW8gZGF3Zywgd2UgaGVhcmQgeW91IGxpa2UgYmFz ZTY0OlIwbEdPRGxoS0FBS0FJQUFBQUFBQVAvLy95SDV CQUFBQUFBQUxBQUFBQUFvQUFvQUFBSS9qSStweXdr ZkhvaHlJbmh0MWdiaWVIQ2dRM1laRmFhcEtGN3VwRl VrdTN3bXJJNTNXYnZtcjZ0d1dybGdMbGFrQVNVVW1L
emppVEpEdG9iMTJpZ0FBRHM9

So, after we pass the string through base64_decode(), we get the following output:

Yo dawg, we heard you like base64:R0lGODlhKAAKAI AAAAAAAP///yH5BAAAAAAALAAAAAAoAAoAAAI/jI+py wkfHohyInht1gbieHCgQ3YZFaapKF7upFUku3wmrI53 Wbvmr6twWrlgLlakASUUmKzjiTJDtob12igAADs=

Pop culture reference up next (pimp my ride) - and into the repeated encoding... another base64 encoded string.

Decoding this second string give us some binary output - but with one give-away human-readable prefix:

GIF89a...

So, writing the output of the last decode to a gif file completes the process:

file_put_contents('test.gif', base64_decode($str_data));

And finally, the magic phrase:

Which is a nod to the competition prize - a brand new MacBook Air 13".

Thanks to everyone who entered the Docnet PHP NW 2012 MacBook Air Competition.

Amidst much fanfare the winner was randomly chosen today by our very own ERNIE (Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment) and we're sure you'll want to join us in congratulating Bas Mostert who is the lucky winner!

As we've said before we are always on the look out for PHP Whizzes, why not check out our Jobs page to see if anything catches your eye.

Also don't forget we'll pay £1,000 if you introduce someone who we take on. We're currently looking for top notch Senior and Lead PHP candidates. Get in touch today if you know someone who is looking!

UPDATE

Bas has to wrestle Docnet's Managing Director Chris for the MacBook Air - but in the end he managed to claim his prize!

Docnet's company lunches are legendary. This month we grabbed the Olympic torch with both hands and had our very own contest over lunch...

Nerves of steel, a steady hand and a 1st in computer programming (sorry ladies, he's taken).

What the heck is that thing?

Keep your eyes on the prize, Cutter!

Oi Tom, I've got my eye on you!!

Elaborate window displays, great offers, fantastic visual merchandising and human interaction; just some of the reason`s consumers are still attracted to good old fashioned in store shopping.

But, the question remains…how do you inspire the savvy high street shopper to interact with your brand through other channels - notably, your online store?

For those shoppers feeling a little uneasy about entering the vast world of e-commerce, a helpful nudge in the web direction within a familiar store environment could be all the encouragement they need to go on and realise a whole new digital retail world.

It’s your store, but not as they know it

So, how do you get your in store shoppers to engage with you online? Previously, interactive store kiosks have been large, clunky and unattractive, but new tablet based kiosks are sleek, attractive and a cost effective option for retailers.

With engaging competitions, online purchasing, web offers and product reviews all accessible in store, clever placement of an ipad kiosk could motivate and inspire consumers to venture online; bridging the gap between in store/online and connecting customers with retailers through another channel. In turn, ipad stations can assist retailers in customer data collection and information gathering.

So what does this look like in a practical sense?

• Ipad kiosk installed at POS/till queuing areas – presents the opportunity for customer to sign up there and then for a percentage discount code for use online
• Can’t find what they’re looking for in store? Provides a facility to shop online and collect in store or purchase for home delivery
• Feedback – Ask your customers for opinions on new lines, next seasons colours, product ideas
• Brand based media – season collection photo gallery, youtube channel/promotional video content, events calendar, notice/message boards, product reviews, interactive competitions

Engaging with customers in store is vital to any retailer wanting to maximise their multi-channel revenue.

Consumers want to interact – they just need to know how, where and why.

Thanks to everyone who entered the Docnet PHP NW 2011 MacBook Air Competition.

Amidst much fanfare the winner was randomly chosen today and we're (fairly sure) you'll want to join us in congratulating Marc Easen who is the lucky winner!

As we've said before we are always on the look out for PHP Whizzes, why not check out our Jobs page to see if anything catches your eye.

Breaking news! Our Head Of Production, Tom Walder, is going to feature on tonight's radio programme with Tony Livesy on BBC Radio 5 for a discussion about international e-commerce - and we're very excited!

Tune in at 11:45pm to hear Tom share his widsom with tonight's host, Adil Ray (who's filling in for Tony). Go get 'em, Tom!

Update: Here's a recording of the interview!

Tom Walder from Docnet on BBC Five Live 30th March 2011 by docnet

Whilst overall retail sales dropped 0.3%, Internet and mail order sales were up 18%*. Convenience, stress reduction and better prices have all been highlighted as major reasons for 44% of UK consumers spending more online this year. House of Fraser’s online sales grew 120% compared to 8.5% overall sales in the 5 weeks up to the 8th January, and for the first time ever, sales on the House of Fraser website were higher than any of its outlets. *compared with December 2009

This year also saw a 10% rise in the number of consumers using the Internet on Christmas and Boxing Day, 22% of which used their mobile phones stressing the importance of mobile optimised websites for retailers.

Supermarket Morrisons is said to have missed out on sales to its online competitors Sainsburys and Tesco this Christmas, forcing them to trial an online service later this year.

Over in the US, online retailers have achieved similar success with online sales for this holiday season reaching a record of $32.6bn, a 12% increase on last year.

Despite this huge growth in online spending, Tealeaf say online retailers have actually missed out this year. Nearly half of all adults who shopped online this Christmas said that they encountered problems causing 32% of shoppers to abandon their baskets at the checkout. Top reasons for abandonment included: errors on the retailer’s website, high delivery prices and late delivery dates. Tealeaf’s research then went on to find that 46% of the shoppers who encountered problems would be less likely to buy from that company again.

UK retailers are blaming the 0.3% drop in overall retail sales on the big freeze, with Debenhams saying the weather has caused them to lose out £30million worth of sales.

Looking forward to 2011, Docnet’s main advice for retailers is;

• Don’t lose out on valuable sales coming through mobile devices. Test your website out on mobile handsets.

• If you don’t have an online store, you’re going to miss out on market share.

• Create a hassle free checkout that will reduce abandonment.

Register Now For Our Complimentary Webinar!

In today’s crowded marketplace it’s essential for you to differentiate yourself from your competitors. What better time than the turn of the year to ensure you are doing just that. Here at Docnet we’ve been taking a look back at 2010 to see what has been successful and what has not. We’ve summarised the most important lessons we’ve learnt and come up with 7 resolutions that if implemented we believe will optimise your online store and get next year’s sales off to a kick start.

Join our complimentary webinar at 10am on November 30th and learn how to implement our 7 simple strategies which will make your site as user-friendly and easy to navigate as possible. The webinar is due to last for half an hour and will include a question and answer session at the end. Within this webinar we will be covering-

• What visitors should see when they land on your homepage and why

• How to use your product pages to entice browsers and reduce returns

• How to inspire visitors with the same level of personality and customer service as you would in-store

• Tips on getting your delivery offer right

• Creating a hassle-free checkout that will reduce abandonment

• How to ensure you aren’t missing out on valuable sales coming through mobile devices

• How to build up a loyal customer base

We hope you can make it!

Space is limited

Reserve your complimentary seat now at GoToWebinar.

This week saw the launch of the first national daily newspaper for almost 25 years, a brave move in today’s digital age when many choose to access the news online. i went on sale Tuesday with the aim of targeting lapsed readers of quality newspapers. The idea is to serve the time poor by summarising the day’s news from around the globe in short concise articles. The paper also comes at a much lower price than its parent paper, The Independent, at just 20p.

Having had a read through Tuesday’s edition of i, the layout and concept of the paper do appeal to me. The short, to the point information boxes seem to offer something for everyone. Having no large chunks of copy means that even if a story is of no particular interest you needn’t waste too much time skimming through.

On a more negative note, there has been speculation that the paper may have to go free to succeed and I must admit I agree. The Independent says i is a great answer for rushing commuters yet if they’re in such as hurry it is hard to see why they would walk all the way to a shop in the morning to buy a paper when the can pick up a free metro on either the bus or the train. On top of that i must compete with people having the ability to access most national dailies via smartphone apps. That said, the speculators could be wrong and it will be interesting to see whether readers will choose to adopt i as part of their daily routine.

Is it just us or is it really busy at the moment?

We must be doing something right as we keep on bringing on wonderful new clients. To help with this expansion we have a few openings at the moment. We'd love to hear from you if you're a :

• PHP Developer (Mid to heavy weight ideally - although if you're an ambitious junior that's cool too.)
• Digital Account Manager
• Business Development Guru

Check out our jobs page and see what roles we've got open at the moment and then let's have a chat!

Photo credit: tomislavmedak via Flickr

Join us at 10.00am on Oct 21st to ensure you are doing everything you can to take advantage of the most profitable time of year.

With less than 12 weeks left until Christmas day and with the competition growing fiercer year on year, retailers must put their e-commerce strategies in place now to catch those early birds. The webinar will last for 30 minutes and will focus on 8 topics we feel could make or break your Christmas period. Within these we will share with you;

• Trends in consumer behaviour around the season
• How to get your Christmas delivery offer right
• How to make EBay and Amazon work for you
• How to improve conversion rates through paid search
• Simple tips to improve the success of your email marketing
• Are price comparison sites right for all retailers?
• How to prepare for mobile shopping
• Are Facebook and Twitter really worth the effort?

Hope you can join us!

Space is limited. Reserve your complimentary seat here.

The Dressing Room has re-launched its unique range of designer womenswear brands online with the arrival of a new and improved e-commerce web site, supported by Docnet’s SprintEcommerce system.

Founded in 2005 by fashion expert and buyer, Deryane Tadd, the store quickly garnered praise and attention from all the right places, winning a Drapers Award for Best New Business in 2006, and another Drapers Award in 2009 for Best Independent Womenswear retailer, marking the continual expansion of this up and coming boutique located in St. Albans. Now with its new web site, The Dressing Room aims to offer 5 star boutique services to its Internet customers as well.

Docnet are thrilled to have The Dressing Room aboard and with SprintEcommerce supporting their online adventures, we look forward to seeing even more awards coming through the door.

www.the-dressingroom.com

We all know it’s much cheaper to retain existing customers than acquire new ones. The same can be said for visitors to your e-commerce site: the cost of getting someone to follow an AdWords advert is much greater than someone remembering your e-commerce URL.

But is it possible to diagnose the health of your web site by looking at visitor statistics, such as new customers vs. returning?

For retailers in general, a new and returning customer ratio of 1:1 is ideal. Based on our experience, this represents a strong but steady growth consolidated by repeated visits. However, this might change depending on the lead time of your average customer: longer lead times are best balanced by strong stream of new visitors; the opposite is true for companies with shorter lead times.

This information is easily accessible using your Google Analytics account: simply click on the ‘Visitors’ tab and select ‘New vs. Returning’ from the drop down menu and view statistics and graphical representations of the data.

Remember to drill deeper into the number of times people are actually returning, as this will give you a greater indication of how many loyal visitors you have (people who return 5+ in a month), which in turn will serve as indicator of your site's potential longevity.

There are so many factors that determine an e-commerce site's success and visitor loyalty is only one of them. If you are unsure how to set up a Google analytics account for your web site, or would like some additional help in understanding your existing account, get in touch!

Writing search engine friendly content - from a technical point of view - doesn't need to be overly complicated. Of course, the more unique and useful the content, the more likely it is that people will link to it, making it more relevant in Google's eyes.

We'll leave it up to you to come up with a unique content idea for your business (although we can help you on a one-to-one basis). For now, we'll leave you with these 10 simple pointers to ensure you're doing everything right from a purely copywriting perspective.

Do:

• 1. Place most important key phrases at the top of the page - search engine spiders weight content towards the top more heavily
• 2. Place most important key phrase at the end of the page too - less important that the top but search engine spiders recognise this is where you're going to summarise your main points, so don't neglect it
• 3. Use headings and sub-headings regularly and place your key phrases in them - these also carry extra weight
• 4. Think of two or three synonyms / variations of your main key phrases - anything that customers might use to search for your services and include them in your copy
• 5. Use key phrases as link text for your internal site structure - these help search engines understand what your site is 'about'
• 6. Use bold text - this can be used to emphasise content both for users and search engines (but use the technique sparingly)
• 7. Use bullet point lists - there are also useful spots for including key phrases without them seeming 'out of place' to human visitors

Don't:

• 8. Get caught keyword 'stuffing' - if your main key phrase appears too many times, you will get penalised. While there's no known accepted limit, if the page reads unnaturally and human visitors could guess what your main key phrase from the amount of times it appears in the copy, you're probably using it too much
• 9. Copy and paste brand descriptions - search engines value unique content and dislike content that is copied word for word from other sites
• 10. Target too many keywords - one primary keyword and two to three secondary keywords will ensure your SEO efforts aren't diluted

By now you’ll have noticed that any location-based search query brings up Google Maps listings with the top seven to eight businesses listed at the top of the results page.

This is prime search engine real estate and a huge search engine optimisation win for any businesses offering localised and specialised services. If you’re an independent store, then you need to be featured here.

That's why we’ve put together this short ‘How To...’ guide to help you get to the top quickly.

1. Claim your unverified listing! – If you haven’t set up a listing of your own, chances are Google will have already put one there. You can claim your listing and have complete control of it by signing in with a Googlemail account and adding and amending your details; you’ll then be asked to verify your identity by taking a PIN number via automated phone call to your main phone or a postcard delivered to your business address (this option can take between 2-4 weeks).

2. Information overload – Google loves to serve up relevant and informative search results and the more information you give (category, company description, opening hours, photos etc), the more valuable Google will think your listing is, pushing it up the rankings.

3. Choose your categories wisely – you’re only given room for 5 options, so make them count. Do some keyword research to find out what customers are searching for and put these as your categories. This will help you appear for more searches.

4. Get customers to review you – just like in its natural search results, Google is looking for other people to corroborate what you’re saying, so listings with reviews tend to be favoured. It’s not necessarily about quantity though – quality reviews made over time are likelier to be seen as more trustworthy than a sudden flood of 20 five star ratings (you’ve been warned)!

Bing! Local Listings and Yahoo Local Business offer similar services, and there are also larger review sites like Qype.com worth checking out.

Increasing the visibility of your business in all of these channels is an important cross to tick on your SEO and online marketing checklist, so do it today while it’s on your mind!

Online sales continued to rise throughout June, with the British Retail Consortium (BRC) reporting that e-commerce, mail order and telephone sales rose by a total of 17.3% compared to June 2009.

The good weather and early launch of clearance sales saw the largest rises occurring in outdoor and clothing sectors. Televisions also did well, thanks to a recent football tournament in South Africa.

The signs are that online retailing is becoming more familiar to and accepted by consumers. Recent moves from The Trading Standards Institute to clarify refund policies surrounding European distance selling regulations will likely boost consumer confidence even further.

The growth in online sales coincided with a smaller rise in overall sales both on- and offline. Total sales in all categories rose by 3.4% in June, or 1.2% on a like-for-like basis.

Link building is an important part of every popular e-commerce site's success. Its how new customers find you and how your web site appears on the first page of search engine results, so it’s important to get it right.

If you’ve been firing off link request emails to no response, follow these tips – soon you’ll have a net of links catching visitors’ attention and pointing them towards your web site.

Use the personal approach - short cuts are not appreciated by people online and sending a 'one size fits all' link request email will definitely rub them up the wrong way. Why? Because essentially it’s spam. Write personally, take the time to find out the contact’s name and refer to their blog by name in your email. This will create a warmer reception.

Send useful and relevant content - bloggers want to please their audience; entertaining and informative articles are integral to that. If you can make their job easier by sending informative material, they will most probably thank and credit you for your efforts with a link. Write strong, attention grabbing content and let it do the work.

Is the link not ideal? Ask politely for them to edit it - if the link is not pointing at the page where you are focusing your SEO efforts, a short polite email asking them to redirect it (and why) is better than not sending anything at all. Just don’t push them if they don’t – there’s such a thing as looking a gift-horse in the mouth!

Comment on their blog - show you actually value their content by responding to posts in a thoughtful and helpful manner. Directing them to articles that reinforce their main point always goes down well. Bloggers always notice comments and they might be driven to check your blog / web site out in return. Comment consistently, build a relationship and you’ll probably earn a link.

We hope these four pointers come in useful for you. If you have any questions about building links with bloggers, or any other aspect of e-commerce and online marketing, don’t forget to contact us – we always enjoy talking to people who are interested in what we do!

Just imagine the amount of search volume the World Cup is getting each second. With the potential stakes so high for retailers, innovation and best practice should be coming to the fore.

The England team are out of the competition and you might be a B2B / B2C business that has nothing to do with football, but pay per click can be a beautiful game. Here are a few tips and tricks we’ve picked up from the field.

Be On The Lookout For Goal Opportunities

Before the match, a search for ‘England vs. Algeria’ in Google brought up betting sites, holiday deals to South Africa and a Badiel & Skinner football podcast. However, one ad stuck out more than the others.

Here, Dominos Pizza are getting in on the action with a simple, to-the-point PPC ad: ‘Football and pizza’. No extra effort like football-themed URLs or landing pages, just the mouth-watering idea of fast food. Placed prominently at the top of the page, it’s likely a fair few eager fans will have seen this ad and started thinking about their tea. A winning strike for Dominos, we think.

Are you regularly on the lookout for similar opportunities? Find your way in where the competition hasn’t.

Aim To Play In The Big Leagues

A generic search for ‘World Cup’ in the same week also brought up a similar mix of adverts, including this one for the Homeless World Cup. Less well-known than FIFA’s version, this charitable cause has understood that sharing a pitch with a worldwide event of this calibre will increase awareness of its own cause too.

What high-profile events and news stories can you associate yourselves with?

Don’t Leave Your Defence Wide Open

Unusual at any time of the year really, but a search for ‘South Africa’ or even ‘South Africa World Cup’ turns up very few adverts for flights to the country, to watch the tournament or otherwise. If you’re after a nice lace wig, however...

You might be strong at going after the more competitive opportunities, but never leave your side of the pitch unprotected. Owning the top half of the search results page does great things for awareness of your business, and prevents competitors squatting search phrases that are rightfully yours.

Now, with this hat-trick of PPC suggestions under your belt, you can revisit your own paid search campaigns and get them working together as a team again.

A recent study has reportedly shown that ‘offering at least three social options leads to 55% higher click-through rates’ in your email marketing.

It sounds great on the face of it: include a simple button that links to people’s Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media accounts and watch your email campaign spread across the Internet like wildfire.

The B2B and B2C marketers that aren’t doing this are clearly missing a trick!

Except, we’re not sure it’s that simple. Can you really just paste a couple of buttons on your email footer and call it a job done? You’ve got to ask yourself why the recipient of your email will consider it worthwhile forwarding to get the kind of click-through’s mentioned above.

The Email Marketing Popularity Contest

I hate to sound cynical but in reality, there are really only two reasons why people forward email marketing to their networks. They are:

• It earns them kudos from their contacts
• They get some material benefit from doing so

Your email will need to satisfy one or both of these criteria to stand a realistic chance of gaining wider exposure.

How To Win Friends And Get Them To Forward Your Email

Social media buttons are not a magic solution to your CTR woes; they are simply a way of leveraging the assets your email already has.

If you’re experiencing low levels on engagement with your existing mailing list, start thinking about the following:

• Are you being ambitious enough with your creative / content? Emails that try something new or pull off the old tricks especially well are likelier to be forwarded
• Does your email provide an undeniable benefit? Opinion-rich coverage on how the most recent budget announcement affects your mailing list will be very link-worthy right now
• Are you giving recipients an incentive to forward your emails? Prizes and promotions can drive a huge response if you’re prepared to be generous and reward those who share content

I’ll explore more ways of making your emails shareworthy in future blog posts. In the meantime, send us any examples of great shareworthy emails you’ve seen lately by filing out our contact form or following the Docnet Twitter account.

Ladies fashion retailer, Gemini Woman, are the latest company to start using Docnet's SprintEcommerce platform.

Gemini Woman first opened its doors in June 1985 when Claire Wright and her friends decided that what Stratford-upon-Avon was missing was an independent store that sold only the best of women’s desinger labels. Customers in the local area obviously agreed - the store has enjoyed great success over the past 25 years and underwent its biggest phase of expansion in 2004 when they moved to a new premises.

The new gemini-woman.co.uk web site represents another significant leap for Gemini: in partnership with Docnet, they are looking forward to growing their online sales through all the channels that e-commerce has to offer. You can view their web site and the many fantastic brands it sells online here at Gemini Woman.

www.gemini-woman.co.uk

Some interesting figures on web site and checkout abandonment have surfaced recently, which we thought worth sharing with you

• Of all online shoppers, approximately 88% claim to have abandoned a basket before (44% of whom cited high delivery costs as the cause, followed by not being ready to buy (41%) and wanting to price check (25%))
• 79% of shoppers surveyed would be less likely to make another purchase from a slow web site (half of them thought as little as two seconds was pushing it)

Clearly, online shoppers’ expectations have risen, and retailers need to be prepared to make bigger leaps over the bar in order to win those sales.

Some quick takeaways:

Do not conceal delivery charges - it’s better to be upfront and transparent than wait until the last second before springing postage & packaging on customers. Instead, try offering a range of delivery options (or even in-store collection) and show you have a flexible customer-orientated attitude towards delivery.

Speed limits are for cars, not web sites - when was the last time you sat in the hot seat and took your web site for a spin? If you don’t know how quickly your web site is loading, you’ve no idea how many potential repeat customers it is driving away. If your site pages take more than two seconds to load on a decent broadband connection, get help quick!

We’ll keep an eye out for even more vital statistics. If you find any others you’d like to share with us and other blog readers, please contact us.

"Be prepared." The boy scouts have a good motto, but it's not like they own the copyright. It’s a concept every business should take to heart when it comes to planning their online marketing, whatever form that may take.

Boring Blogging and Effortless Email

In particular, we’ve got your preparedness for business blogging and email marketing in mind, because these channels are easy to put on ‘autopilot’.

Another blog post about the latest industry gossip?

Another email with special offers and new stock in?

Sure, these two approaches will get the job done but they’re unlikely to get it done to any degree of excellence, which is how you win new customers, gain media attention and become an even more successful business.

Proactive vs. Reactive Content

Are you sitting at your desk, waiting for the material to come to you? Or are you getting out there, thinking about how you can provide new and interesting content to the world?

You don’t have to be a genius to come up with original content. A combination of drawing on your personal experiences and planning ahead will generate content that actually starts a conversation and closes a sale.

A Good Workman Never Blames His Tools

Consider yourself lucky. Unlike, say, a professional mountain climber, you only need three tools to achieve your ultimate goal of a winning blog and email campaign (and you already have one of them in abundance). They are:

• Brains
• A diary
• A calendar

(Forgive us if we skip over why your brains are important for this job).

The diary is simply for reflecting on what new things you’ve learned at the end of your working day. Did you test a copywriting technique that got a laugh (and a sale) from your customer? Then write it down there for safe keeping, because it’s useful material to write about.

The calendar, meanwhile, alerts you to events that could be exciting themes to write around and will help you plan when you’re going to be writing your content, and on what subject.

This will ensure that you’re prepared to produce content, which is better than scrambling frantically to create something that only just passes muster because you haven't posted or emailed in a while.

An ROI that’ll make you smile

Combined, these three tools will arm you with ample original material for your blog and email marketing campaigns, which in turn will increase your readership's loyalty and profitability, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

But why stop there: your web site, direct mail, social media, even your pay per click campaigns could all do with a lift, right? The projected cost for this technique, based on a quick scan on Internet prices for a diary and calendar is less than a tenner. Put that figure into your ROI calculations and smile!

Economic forecasters have been talking about a slow but sure recovery lately, but in reality, many customers are still feeling the pinch in their wallets.

Your email marketing needs to use the kind of messaging that resonates with their attitudes or risk alienating them before the economy has had time to fully recover.

• 1. Emphasise value for money – now this may sound obvious, but so much focus can be heaped on discounts and offers that the actual value of using your services and products is drowned out – don’t forget to talk about what benefits your products bring; that’s why people want to buy in the first place
• 2. Emphasise simplicity – keep your emails focused on one topic (unless there’s a really good reason not to) so recipients know exactly what they stand to gain from reading your email – this will improve engagement, response, and ultimately, your return on investment (ROI)
• 3. Emphasise flexibility – with so many distractions, you need to make it as easy for customers to buy as possible; offer multiple payment and delivery options to suit your target market’s needs
• 4. Emphasise contact details – has a customer got a problem with an order, or a query about your email? Make your contact details prominent on your email and turn it into a useful customer service resource as well as a marketing tool

P.S. Emails that come from a donotreply@ address might help stem the number of people replying directly to your marketing but it doesn’t look very 'customer friendly'. Try changing your sender name to something more personable and set up an auto-responder email for people who do try to reply; one that directs them to your correct customer support channels.

Forget ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’; a picture could be worth one thousand pounds if you’re retailing online.

All too often we see perfectly good e-commerce sites undermined by poor stock photography, and given that the customer’s online retail experience is ‘look but don’t touch’, customers are going to need a very good look before they put their hands in their pockets.

That’s why we’ve put together this short list of do’s and don’ts: product photography tips that will help you to choose a style that encourages people to buy.

• DO use a neutral background – a simple white or grey background, matt or shaded, is all you need to display your product tastefully; other colours could be distracting.
• DON'T be ‘arty’ – now’s not the time to show off your Photoshop skills, customers just want to see the product in all its fine detail, not on top of a mountain or on a surfboard, so...
• DO offer multiple perspectives and zooms – this will help shoppers check the finer details and ensure they are fully satisfied with the product before they order.
• DON'T use low resolution photographs – low resolution photographs have trouble with zooming, becoming grainy and blurred, which obviously reflects very poorly on your brand; use a DSLR camera to get the most detailed pixels for your product photography.
• DO use natural lighting – represent the item’s true colour by emulating ‘sunlight on a cloudy day’ conditions (these avoid creating harsh shadows or bleaching the colours) or you can expect people to start returning orders, dissatisfied that you set their expectations incorrectly.

High-quality photography is no longer a bonus of a good web site: it is a requirement for reputable, trust-inspiring and respected e-commerce operations. Follow the above guidelines to ensure your products are displayed in their best light and tempt shoppers to dive in with the credit card.