When people buy things, the decision to actually purchase is a combination of logic and desire. That latter half of the buying process is clinched and what the web seems to lacking some heart.
If you leave a visitor on his own to buy from your site, what would encourage him to make the actual purchase? How do you nudge the ones who have doubts?
Searches are not enough.
If there is someone to answer questions, rather than referring to a list of FAQs, a prospect is more easily converted into a customer.
On a web-based store, this can be made possible with the technology of live chats. When a visitor has established a history in his visit (length of stay, depth of search, number of visits, etc.), you can already see the interest. An online sales agent can then pop up a dialogue box asking what he can do to help. Better than a search box, he can guide the visitor into buying something, or help that person find something suitable.
That special treatment.
Many, if not all buyers, want to be treated as valued customers. That personal touch of having someone know what you want, is an edge that pushes sales further, even generate repeat...