Three-quarters of retailers planning site redesign

05/08/2008

More than three-quarters of online retailers are planning to implement a new website design, new research has suggested.

About 76 per cent of internet-based retailers intend to revamp their existing e-commerce sites in the next 12 months, according to the survey by software company Maginus.

The poll also revealed that the same proportion of retailers have seen their online sales increase in the last 12 months in spite of the current subdued economic climate that is affecting consumer spending in other areas, Retail Bulletin reports.

Retailers should not just redesign their sites as a result of this growth in business, but they should also ensure they have the proper infrastructure in place to deal with higher-than-expected demand, Russell Dorset, sales and marketing director at Maginus, said.

He remarked: "Slow server response or downtime on an e-commerce website may result in a lost sale, or even worse a poor customer experience may mean a customer never visit[s] your site again."

According to Paul Wallbank of SmartCompany.com.au, the recent news of a professional-looking scam website fooling Australian web users into believing it was a genuine Olympic ticket-selling site underlines the importance of good web design for building a trusting relationship with consumers.