BCF Commerce Blog by Phoenix Systems Group, Inc.

Header Design: Part 3 – E-retail header links useful, but not boring

Jenny Goldberg — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0000

In part 3 of our recent series on good header design for ecommerce sites, we’ll explore what I refer to as header “utility” links and resources. When you think of utility, don’t you think of basic, useful, necessary, get-down-to-business, and, well, perhaps mundane? It’s rare that I might consider utility as clever, stylish, or smart. Yet, some websites’ utility header links are just that. And, in some cases, they are not where you’d expect to find them. Read more →

Header Design: Part 2 – Top spot shines focus on limited-time e-retail promotions

Jenny Goldberg — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Don’t bury your promotions and special deals! Tell your shoppers right up front and center, in the header, what you are offering and why they should buy from your website today. A good place to make special, limited-time offers is in the header of the website. This article is part two of a three part series on good header design. Read more →

Header Design: Part 1 – Good ecommerce headers support branding, promotions, search

Jenny Goldberg — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:00:00 +0000

We started a website design series, recommending that e-retailers start at the bottom and give adequate time and attention to the once-neglected footer. Naturally, it makes sense to go back to the top, or the header, where ecommerce websites have an equally important opportunity to balance marketing goals and shopper needs. We'll look at: logo, tagline, promotion ad space, and utility links. Read more →

Smart site search features decrease abandonment, increase sales

Jenny Goldberg — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:49:24 +0000

How your Internet retail site search behaves is even more important than how it looks or where it resides. Marketers are realizing that smart, polite, and helpful features ensure that searchers are successful and become spenders. Read more →

Site search still deserves spotlight on retail websites

Jenny Goldberg — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:48:17 +0000

Online shoppers are trained —and with good reason—to know that most retailers place search in the top right, top middle or top left. At a time when most retailers are actively pursuing tactics and strategies to use search to increase their bottom line, why are some Internet retailers shoving the search utility down in the left sidebar? Some experts claim that pushing navigation over search pushes shoppers down a strategic path to checkout completion and away search abandonment. Still other Internet retailers seem to understand that some shoppers are savvy searchers who want the search option front and center when they need it, rather than relegated to a secondary position that initially could be overlooked. Read more →

Moving to modern footer design can pay off for Internet retailers: Modern Footers Part 2 of 2

Jenny Goldberg — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Website designers have long ceased using the footer as just a place to repeat the main navigation links, find a home for miscellaneous links, display copyright information, or to anchor the page. In part 1, we looked at how today’s footer has become so much more in terms of size, content, utility, and style. In part 2,we'll explore six websites and three different approaches to footer design: traditional, on-the-fence, and modern. Read more →

Update four key ingredients to modernize website footers: Modern Footers Part 1 of 2

Jenny Goldberg — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:06:23 +0000

Website designers have long ceased using the footer as just a place to repeat the main navigation links, find a home for miscellaneous links, display copyright information, or to anchor the page. In part 1, we'll look at how today’s footer has become so much more in terms of size, content, utility, and style. In part 2,we'll look at 3 types of footers: traditional, on-the-fence, and modern. Read more →

Growing number of states, groups want out-of-state e-retailers to collect sales tax

Bill Heaven — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:00:27 +0000

As state and local governments struggle to fill the revenue gap caused by the recent financial crisis, the time may have come where out-of-state online retailers are required to collect sales and use tax. Read more →

Get into scommerce with free Facebook storefront apps

Gabe Hodges — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Currently, a business page allows customers to become engaged with your company, but you still must drive customers to your ecommerce site in order to make a sale. There’s another option, however, that helps businesses take full advantage of the social networking site: Create a Facebook Storefront. Read more →

Page owners reluctant to adopt Facebook upgrade should reconsider

Jenny Goldberg — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 22:00:00 +0000

You may have a lot going on or you just want to delay the upgrade of your Facebook page a little longer instead of embracing it now. Avoidance, however, will not work much longer for you or me. As the end of Facebook’s “preview” period nears, it's time evaluate the impact and consider your next moves. Otherwise, the changes will be forced on your page on March 10 regardless of your inaction. Start today by learning more about the upgraded features and then consider how you’ll put them to work for your page and its users. Read more →