Your e-commerce site is about to go "live" and you are wondering if it has been developed and designed to meet the objectives of the average Internet consumer. Or, perhaps you''ve been live for a while but your site is suffering from abandoned carts or it attracts lots of traffic but few sales. So, what''s the problem? It could be that you''re not objective about your own e-store and can''t really identify what the stumbling blocks are for your visitors. Realistically, unless you completely model your front and back ends on an existing e-commerce success, it may be difficult to understand what the average Internet user encounters when visiting your site.
If you want an objective, and possibly harsh, review of your site, you may want to have it critiqued by a community of your peers. This type of commentary is increasing in popularity and inquisitive Web site owners often challenge their fellow industry people to critically assess their site. If you are a member of a discussion list, forum, or other Internet community, you can inquire if anyone is interested in doing a site critique or you can opt for a professional reviewing service.
GoCritique is a free appraisal service comprised of Webmasters, Web designers and other Internet industry professionals. To have your site reviewed, you must register and gather credits by assessing other sites. You get one credit for every appraisal you submit and then you "pay" a credit whenever a critique is performed on your site. This system ensures that the amount of work is equally distributed and it allows for a mutual reviewing process. In other words, you can''t utilize the collective experience of other professionals unless you are prepared to give something back to the community.
The manner in which the reviewing process is organized ensures that the appraisals are honest and fair. Extensive commenting is encouraged and the best appraisals are considered for monthly prizes. The final reviews are e-mailed to the Webmaster as the site is judged.
It is impossible to predict what any visitor encounters at your Web store so the opinions of a cross-section of Internet users can be very enlightening. The community review concept allows for unbiased and constructive professional opinions that can help improve site design, function and performance. Periodic reviews are beneficial, especially as you update content and design.
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