The eCommerce world has come a long way since the early days of eBay. What began as a small segment of the retail market has increased to a multibillion dollar global enterprise. In fact, a recent report by internetretailer.com estimates that global consumer eCommerce sales will reach 1.25 trillion USD in 2013, with a continued global growth rate of 20% and a staggering growth rate of 130% in China. According to Techcast.org, those sales numbers could increase to 15 trillion USD over the next decade.

However, as those numbers continue to increase, overall customer satisfaction with online shopping experiences seem to be on the decline. Recent surveys have shown a general downward trend in satisfaction over the past few years, something that appears to be the result of increased customer expectations. “In the past retailers thought it was enough to simply have an online store, but times have changed,” says Tallya Rabinovich.

Tallya is CEO of the well established eCommerce company Izzonet.com, which offers one of the top rated eCommerce solutions available. She is a 15 year veteran of the eCommerce field. In a recent interview Tallya stated “The truth is that with all of the recent advances in technology, customers expect more. An impersonal, poorly designed website may actually be worse than no website at all, as it will have a negative impact on the brand’s image both on and offline.”

Tallya’s company, Izzonet.com, implements her experience and expertise in order to revolutionize the field of online shopping through an innovative, balanced and holistic approach. Izzonet.com has recently taken steps towards this goal through the release of a new version of their eCommerce software.

When asked what eCommerce websites need to succeed in 2013 and beyond, Tallya offered a few useful tips. “First, it is important that eCommerce store owners are not only looking at next year, but also looking 5-10 years down the line. Keep abreast of events and developments in both the technology and business sectors so that your site can continually grow and adapt. Second, my observations show that the one thing that customers want more than anything else is personalization. As much as customers appreciate the convenience and lower prices of online shopping, they sometimes miss the personal experience of a brick and mortar store. To overcome this, make sure your online store is as personal and interactive as possible. This means have a good “contact us” page that makes you seem accessible, and, even better, have a live chat option to show your customers that there is a real person who is there for them.

Also, have a well written “about us” page that tells your story and helps customers understand who you are and why they want to have a relationship with your store. In general, make sure your customer service is excellent, since many onetime shoppers become long term customers based on support as much as price.

Finally, there are significant changes occurring in eCommerce, one of the biggest being an increasing shift towards tablet computers and mobile phones. What this means is that if eCommerce websites are going to succeed they need to look as good and work as well on mobile devices as they do on PCs. It is important to work with someone who has a strong understanding of eCommerce design so that your store can be optimized for customer experience across platforms.”
Internet retailers would be wise to take Izzonet.com’s expert Tallya Rabinovich’s advice to heart if they hope to succeed in the rapidly changing and increasingly competitive eCommerce market.