Most websites do not pay close attention to the design of their top navigation bar. Yet simple changes made on this location of the page can make huge differences in conversion optimization. Prior to going bankrupt, Tower reported that they were able to double their conversion rates by adding a new navigational feature to their site.

While there are no concrete rules on what elements you should include on your top bar, there are several elements you should consider.

Redesigning an existing ecommerce site is much harder than you may think. However, there are a couple of things that you can do to organize your ecommerce site that will immediately increase your conversion rate.

In my first post, I discussed the first seven areas you should evaluate your ecommerce options. The areas we covered in the first post are:

Out of the box features Time-to-market Ease of migration from current systems to new platform Ease of integration with external and internal systems Scalability issues Ease of customization (branding, change of look and feel, etc.) Upgrade challenges with an ecommerce package

In this post I discuss the other 6 areas you should consider when choosing an ecommerce option:

Companies have three main options to choose from when it comes to implementing an ecommerce site:

Custom build the e-commerce website Choose an e-commerce packaged solution Go with a hosted ecommerce solution

Each of those options has advantages and disadvantages. And while there are no correct an absolute answers in this area, there are some common approaches to select the best solution that will coincide with the business’s mission and objectives. A solution that works well with one business model might not be the best option for a different one. You also should consider the short and long-term costs …

So you know your site needs to be optimized and now just need to find someone to do it. The following questions are ones you need to ask to ensure that you maximize your investment:

1. What increase in conversion rates should I expect?

Can a conversion optimization company guarantee a specific rate increase? I am yet to meet a credible company that is able to guarantee specific results. The truth is, every conversion project comes with its own unique situation. However, a good conversion company should invest time with you up-front to set target goals for any planned …

Understanding your visitor is the underlying answer to creating a successful website. However, gathering the required information can prove to be quite a task. There are a variety of ways to gather key information about site visitors and of course the more methods you utilize and implement the greater the results.

As we’ve noted in previous blogs, persona development is crucial to your site’s success. Creating hypothetical individuals that represent your market is key to increasing calls to action. But many people struggle with ways to gather and sometimes decipher through all the data because not all data is useful …

**Thank you for all the wonderful comments and suggestions of analytics tools. This is an update of our last post with 5 more more great tools to add to your list.

Never undermine the importance of testing and analyzing your site. On the most basic level, analytics data will help ensure whether or not you’re on the right track. And if the data is reviewed and utilized on the site it will help you increase conversion rates. Who doesn’t use analytic tools these days? You’d be surprised. We have come across ecommerce site marketing VP’s that can barely tell …

I experienced one of the most valuable lessons in the late 90s when I ran my first business, Quill Publishing. At Quill we had achieved the majority of our business and financial goals and had taken great strides to carve a nice niche for ourselves. Everything seemed to go exactly how I had envisioned and hoped.

Until one day…