Trends In Web Design For Online Retailers in 2011

Copyright (c) 2010 Janet Webb

According to statistics from Google, the e-commerce platform Magento outperformed all other ecommerce platforms in the world by 2009 and is expected to be even more universally empowering in 2011. The software comes in three varieties: Enterprise ($13,000 in license fees per year), Professional ($3,500 in license fees per year) and COmmunity (the open source platform at no cost).

According to Jarod Clark, web development expert, his web design firm made the decision to use the Magento platform exclusively in 2009 and his team of Denver Magento developers have been working with the Magento e-commerce platform since it was in beta testing three years ago. The reason for this exclusivity is that Magento has put together a powerful toolkit for Denver Magento developers to utilize to create the most intuitive interface for customers with the ultimate goal of providing the best-of-breed experience.

Features and functions that Magento brings to web development, particularly for sales marketing include:

Facetted / Layered navigation for filtering products intuitively. Magento offers control over which attributes are filterable to help improve the shopping experience. To improve the customer's experience, Magento allows the user to control the attributes filtered by in searches.

Targeted merchandising system. One on one marketing can be re-created by automating it, which this integrated functionality allows. Logic is built in to present products and offers to customers and wholesalers that they are most likely to act upon based on the information about the client and their browsing and purchase history. For example, if a customer has purchased a specific workshop tool, say an 18V DeWalt product as in the case of ToolKing.com's Magento store, that same client is much more likely to purchase compatible tools because they can share batteries and charges.

Rich Promotions and upselling functionality. Marketing Promotions and Tools including flexible coupons, up-sells, cross sells and related products. Marketing and Merchandising are the focus of the streamlined management instead of implementation details.

Automated Email Marketing Reminders. This function enables merchants to increase customer retention through sending configurable, automated email reminders to customers for abandoned shopping carts and wishlists.

Magneto B2B and B2C. Magento allows authenticated B2B/logged in clients to utilize the solution to place orders by supporting both groups of customers in one consolidated installation.

Because of its convenience to shoppers and spared expense to business owners, online shopping is here to stay. Predictions by Forrester Research, the respected independent technology and market research firm, are that U.S. online retail will grow at 10% compounded annually to reach nearly $249 billion by 2014.