Shopping cart abandonment is like a nightmare that has come true, for ecommerce websites. It’s a phenomenon that affects most shopping carts or websites that are poorly designed. But, the fact that user’s have abandoned the shopping cart, means they were interested in buying your products and services and participated in the shopping cycle, but left it midway for certain reasons.

It’s estimated that online retailers face almost 50% abandonment rate.  Just imagine the loss of revenue! But to be fair, you can’t ensure that nobody using the checkout process will find faults with it. There is a chance that a section of users will exit the check out process before completing it. But, it’s important that designers and developers leave no stone unturned to implement the kind of shopping cart that is appreciated by a majority of the users. For this to happen, you will first need to identify the different factors that play a role in shopping cart abandonment.

1. A complex buying process

Customers love to spend some time mulling their decision to buy a particular product or service, but once the decision is taken, they don’t want to spend ages trying to buy the product. They want the process of shopping to be over quickly and successfully. But, if this does not happen, and the buying process puts them off because of its complexity, they will not complete it and abandon it midway. This complexity could be a result of faulty design, complex navigation, long check out process, and lack of help features amongst various other reasons.

2. Technical Problems in the Shopping Cart

Say you are in the midst of a check out process and it hangs up on you. It just stops; that’s it. As a customer, you are bound to get irritated, angry and in most cases, will just end the process there and then. Usually this problem occurs if a particular ecommerce shopping cart is incompatible with a particular browser. There is also a chance that the design is taking a toll on the seamless functioning of the shopping cart. If there is a lack of design optimization, it has a marked effect on the shopping cart functionality.

3. Inability to Access Important Information

If your shopping cart users are unable to get important information like shipping charges or can’t access the info about your customer services policies, there is a good chance that they are going to abandon the cart. You need to be able to give your prospective customers all information that encourages an informed buying decision. It’s only if customers think that they are making a well-thought out decision that they will actually go ahead and buy a product or service. Their inability to access such information is an important contributing factor towards shopping cart abandonment.

These are not the only reasons why online shoppers will see a particular shopping cart in a negative light. A bad shopping cart is a result of numerous errors, which result in a confusing, long drawn out and generally unsatisfactory shopping process.

Custom software development is a complex process; and it needs to be accomplished in an effective manner to ensure the development of a project that perfectly meets all client needs and requirements. Now, there is no doubt that for developing quality software, the experience and expertise has to be of the highest order. But, there are some other things that also have a bearing on whether the custom application development process is successful.

Let’s take a look at some of these ‘tricks’.

Break the project into modules

Anything that’s small looks achievable. If you have a smaller goal, it looks far gettable as compared to a bigger goal that looks out of reach. The same is the case with software development. The project in totality will look complex and difficult, that is why you need to break it down into smaller projects or modules. This will help you implement project development in a more inclusive and efficient manner.  This also ensures that you will be able to keep track of whether the projects meets all client demands. With smaller modules you can also keep the project on track for timely delivery.

Take risks Early

All software development projects have a series of risks associated with them, more so if the focus is on custom development. The risks can include developing new codes that cater to a client’s specifications or there could even be a risk with respect to developing a customized user interface that aligns with the client’s objectives. The risks can be many and varied.  In the world of software development there is an old trick used to make sure that the risks don’t emerge to haunt the development process at a later date. The trick is to implement risky modules early. Once the project has been broken down into time bound modules, there is no harm in taking up the risky modules at the beginning of the project development. This helps developers tackle the risks at the beginning itself, leaving the field open for the seamless and problem free development of the project.

Focus on Accountability

One of the important facets of any and every software development process is resource allocation and also the assigning of responsibilities. A large and complex software project is usually developed by a team of developers, each with their own specific responsibilities. The project manager/leader makes it a point to assign responsibilities to the right person with the right experience and proficiency. It’s all smooth sailing till here; but some leaders forget one key trick in the book that is going to ensure successful software development – Accountability. You need to create an environment that holds people accountable to their commitments.

For e.g. If a team member is in charge of a functional testing of the software, it’s important that he/she does that job well and is held accountable for any mistake. If that does not happen, the project and its development will go for a toss.

Plan for problems

Project development is never seamless, though everybody hopes that it is. This is where a neat trick comes into play – while figuring out a delivery date; you need to keep scope open for delay. Just think about the problems that might hamper project development and determine a delivery date keeping these problems in mind. And remember, if you don’t face any of the problems that you thought you would, you can spring a pleasant surprise on the client by delivering the project early.

Never Ever Promising the Moon

I know there are some people who are going to criticize me for saying this, but as a custom software development company, it’s always advisable to keep things grounded. Never over-commit or promise something that is possible, but difficult to achieve. If you want to, you can always try and enhance the features and functionality of the software that you have promised to deliver to the client. But, always focus on the achievable and the kind of features and functionality that can be delivered with relative ease and very little risks.  This prevents mistakes from happening.

By considering these five tricks, you can make sure that the process of custom software development is effective and offers the clients all that they expect from the project.

For many years, there was a certain kind of stagnancy that was seen in ecommerce websites. Most websites offered customers the same features and there was very little freshness in the development aspect. But, all this changed when merchants realized the importance of taking their ecommerce website to the next level. Custom web development emerged onto the scene and today, there is no doubt that ecommerce has taken a big step in the right direction.

Better Shopping Experience

The use of sophisticated shopping carts solutions such as Zen cart, X-Cart, PrestaShop etc have changed online shopping for the better. Ecommerce websites now have shopping cycles that are quicker and very convenient. Inconveniencing the customer is definitely not an option. Customization of shopping carts to suit the merchant’s intrinsic needs and requirements not only helps enhance shopping experience but also improves the sale of products and services.

Value Added Services

Online shoppers are looking for something extra from their online merchants. Whether it’s a promo-code or a product related discount or something else, custom web development enables the integration of value added offers and services into the ecommerce website. This has made online shopping more engaging and worthwhile to customers. You can get as innovative as you like, but customization helps your imagination turn into a real concept.

Wider reach of your business

Currency calculators, multiple languages, and more payment options are just some of the many ways how customization helps your ecommerce site gain acceptability across a wider target audience. Tailor-made web development solutions also help your site tap into emerging markets and establish a presence much before your competitors arrive onto the scene.

Customer loyalty through CRM

When was the last time, you actually thought of connecting with your customers through your ecommerce site? Selling your products and services alone isn’t going to help you establish your credibility and ensure customer loyalty. Integrating customized web applications for customer relationship management are the way forward. Such applications help you talk to your customers, understand their needs and requirements better, and ensure quick response. All this taken together, helps your online business rise in the estimation of your customers.

Better Control

Your ecommerce website must be a seamless integration of the process of selling and buying. There is a tremendous exchange of data happening and the proper control, disbursement and management of this data will determine whether your online business is a success or not. Another aspect of better control is more security. Online customers are going to share personal and financial information on your website. You, as a merchant, should ensure that such information is secure and doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. All this is only possible if you make sure that your ecommerce website is developed to give you better control of its various processes.

Gone are the days when customers were satisfied with just about anything that an ecommerce website offered them. If you want to stay in business, you need to offer them an ecommerce experience that meets their expectations and surpasses them. This is only possible through custom web development

Adobe AIR or the Adobe Integrated Runtime, is a RIA building tool that offers a cross-platform runtime environment. It has brought together Adobe software such as Adobe Flex, Adobe Flash, Ajax and HTML on one common platform.

The core purpose of this runtime environment is to help a developer create engaging content, applications and videos that can be accessed by the widest possible audience. With AIR, developers can build standalone applications that are compatible with diverse devices, as they can run outside the browser environment.

AIR is turning out to be a bonanza for developers because of its features.

Media Measurement

A common complaint of developers was that it was only the Adobe Flash Player that offered integrated support for media measurement. They weren’t able to track how content was distributed and viewed by users, if it was developed using other Adobe environments. But, the new Adobe AIR has taken care of this problem. It directly supports media measurement and that too with very little code. So, the implementation of video analytics pertinent to native and legacy video players can be accomplished quickly and easily.

It’s important to note that this feature is only applicable for desktop applications.

Improved Navigation

Seamless intra-application navigation has also been made possible with AIR. Adobe AIR takes desktop interactivity to a whole new level. Rich Internet Application can now be built that help users navigate between two applications through web links. This has bettered the functional aspects of applications such as eBook readers, magazine viewers amongst various others.

Apps for iOS Have Better Performance

Improved rendering for iOS means that that AIR apps for iOS perform four times faster in the CPU mode. This has helped developers improve the performance of rich internet applications that have been developed for the iOS platform. What many developers have also appreciated is the fact that the improved performance is not only seen in the apps developed in the Flash framework but also in those developed in the Flex Framework.

Faster iOS Application Development Cycle

The new and improved AIR Developer Tool enables the faster development of iOS application. What the tool has done is that it has reduced the time taken to debug an application. This time reduction is a result of streamlining the two most time consuming phases of the application development life cycle – Testing and Debugging.

AIR has enabled developers to build compelling rich internet applications that facilitate a closer connect with customers. Development with the Adobe Integrated Run Time environment is a low risk venture and something that doesn’t take a lot of time.

These days businesses, both big and small, need to have an RIA strategy in place that improves productivity, promotes efficiency, reduces operating costs, and ensures customer satisfaction. The Adobe AIR promises all this and a whole lot more. At the end of the day, each business wants its web investments to offer the very best returns on investment - Adobe AIR helps them derive the maximum value out of their investment.

PPC is a great online marketing tool, but only if it is used effectively.  At times, many online marketers get caught in a web of myths that surround PPC. While there are others who get caught in a flood of PPC literature that educates but confuses at the same time. All this has lent a mysterious aura to PPC; and many people fail to understand this important online marketing tool.

But, here’s the thing. There is nothing remotely mysterious about PPC and a PPC campaign. It’s all straightforward and if you get your basics right, it’s going to work for you like nothing else will.

Here are a few pointers that will help you decode the mystery of PPC.

• It’s all about ROI
  
  Yes, the money comes first. You might have come across phrases such as ‘manage budget’, ‘use money sensibly, ‘affordable keywords’, and ‘expensive keywords’ etc while reading about PPC campaigns. Let’s cut through the fluff and get down to the brass tacks. PPC is all about getting the maximum returns on your investment. The ROI plays a crucial role in determining where you PPC campaign is heading and whether it will be successful or not.
  
  While bidding for keywords, make sure that a particular keyword will give you the kind of returns you are looking for. Focusing on ROI will help you develop a highly successful PPC campaign.
   
• Ad Content is Important
  
  Yes, the keyword selection is definitely important. But what many people forget is that the construction of the Ad in terms of format and content is equally important. It’s your PPC ad content that determines its credibility and efficiency. Firstly, your content needs to be as focused on ‘call-to-action’ as possible. Also, it must have a local flavor in terms of the geographical area that the Ad targets.
  
  A well written ad has no grammar errors, is clear, concise, persuasive and interesting.
   
• Focus on Unity
  
  PPC is all about giving attention to the complete picture. If you can see the whole picture, it will be easier for you to develop a highly successful campaign. Elements such as bidding strategy, selection of keywords, consideration of demographics and local keywords harvesting etc should all come together seamlessly. You need to have a clear picture as to what your PPC campaign is all about and what are your expectations from it, in terms of quantifiable results.
  
  If you think an important element is not jelling with the existing elements, don’t be scared of reworking your strategy.
   
• Give it time
  
  Let’s phrase this in another way – Take your time. PPC isn’t going anywhere. So, you can time out to understand the various factors that go into the making of a successful PPC campaign. Take your own time to decode the mystery of PPC. When you do that, you will find that there is nothing mysterious about it at all. It might challenge your grey cells; but you will soon get the hang of it.

To put it simply – If you don’t confuse yourselves, PPC is nothing to lose sleep over.