What makes a good online store?

[bluemagic]

I may have some exciting clothing-business related news about myself soon. To ask a preliminary question, what are some of your favorite online clothing stores, and what makes them good? I'm talking about design, description, selection, etc.

Which online stores really do the brick and mortar stores they represent justice?

 

[East Oakland]

A good (liberal) return policy helps make an online store good--because buying clothes online is risky business.

 

[NorCal]

Originally Posted by East Oakland

A good (liberal) return policy helps make an online store good--because buying clothes online is risky business.

+ 100. Seriously this is perhaps hte most important thing to work out. Simple, liberal, easy return policy ala STP.
Also phone support BY AMERICANS with people authorized to make decisions.

 

[bluemagic]

Agreed, keep the suggestions coming.

 

[internettman]

low prices, good selection, low prices, reliability, low prices

 

[Crane's]

Go look at my store, especially my privacy policy and terms of use. My site is simple, straight forward and easy to navigate. No fluff or eye bleeder pop up bs. Pay special attention to those 3 little seals on the right side too. Savvy net buyers want to see seals like that on a site. It adds buyer confidence by ensuring them that their info is safe and secure and that industry best practices and procedures are in place. The service you get online is identical to the service you would get in the B&M it's just done via email or the phone instead of face to face. Hell I don't need to tell you this just ask the few hundred clients of ours that post on this board what we're all about. Coming from me is one thing, coming from the customer is another and what you should listen to when it comes down to it.

Oh and another thing, setting up and running a good website is a whole lot of work and it costs a bunch of money to do it right. My site keeps 6 or 7 people working full and part time to keep the whole show running. It didn't start that way but you sure need to keep the potential growth in mind and have a plan ready to handle it. If you don't, getting out from behind the eight ball is a nightmare I wouldn't wish on an enemy and it's the fastest way to go from a good reliable seller to a crappy one.

Anyway, good luck with your venture and enjoy the ride.

 

[acidboy]

Being a non-U.S. buyer, I really appreciate the Livechats in some online stores.

 

[Happydayz]

This should be obvious: but pictures, pictures, pictures. Get pictures up covering all angles and at least one high resolution.

 

[bluemagic]

Originally Posted by Crane's

Go look at my store, especially my privacy policy and terms of use. My site is simple, straight forward and easy to navigate. No fluff or eye bleeder pop up bs. Pay special attention to those 3 little seals on the right side too. Savvy net buyers want to see seals like that on a site. It adds buyer confidence by ensuring them that their info is safe and secure and that industry best practices and procedures are in place. The service you get online is identical to the service you would get in the B&M it's just done via email or the phone instead of face to face. Hell I don't need to tell you this just ask the few hundred clients of ours that post on this board what we're all about. Coming from me is one thing, coming from the customer is another and what you should listen to when it comes down to it.

Oh and another thing, setting up and running a good website is a whole lot of work and it costs a bunch of money to do it right. My site keeps 6 or 7 people working full and part time to keep the whole show running. It didn't start that way but you sure need to keep the potential growth in mind and have a plan ready to handle it. If you don't, getting out from behind the eight ball is a nightmare I wouldn't wish on an enemy and it's the fastest way to go from a good reliable seller to a crappy one.

Anyway, good luck with your venture and enjoy the ride.

If I may pry, how is the labor divided among your team?

 

[Crane's]

Originally Posted by bluemagic

If I may pry, how is the labor divided among your team?

2 of us do most of our work remotely, that would be me and the person who handles the product database. The rest of the people involved are the same people who work in the B&M including the owner. He's the guy you're mostly likely going to be talking on the phone with or getting an email from if you contact us through the site. Everyone at the store is involved with order fulfillment to some degree with several people cross trained so they can make some minor database changes, ie. inventory count, size changes etc.

That's it in a nutshell.

 

[meister]

Originally Posted by acidicboy

Being a non-U.S. buyer, I really appreciate the Livechats in some online stores.

Agreed but the downside is getting misdescribed goods and then having the sellers (after losing a Paypal dispute) expecting the buyer to pay the return postage. From Australia this can be USD20 for a pair of shoes...that may have cost USD50!~

 

[bbaquiran]

Originally Posted by Happydayz

This should be obvious: but pictures, pictures, pictures. Get pictures up covering all angles and at least one high resolution.

Also measurements.

See how Michael J. Krell does it.

 

[bluemagic]

What do the iGents like? Surely they do buy things online, like people in SW&D?

 

[nauticagmo]

Originally Posted by bbaquiran

Also measurements. See how Michael J. Krell does it.
Agreed, measurements would reduce a lot of headache from returns due to purchasing the wrong size, for both sides.