Allow me to introduce myself, I am Jonathan Eaton, New Business Account Executive at Quba. You’re probably wondering who I am and what I do-so here’s a bit of background, some witty banter and a window into my enthusiasm for all that’s fine online.

Born in mid 1980’s Wales to a Canadian father and a Scottish mother I learned quickly I was never going to be a sportsman. I immediately looked for different ways to be creative…I’d always had plenty of interests but it took an old PC and a copy of Theme Park to give me that sense of respect and status I’d always wanted…

Alas, as my careers advisor told me at the time, “this is not a job that is commercially viable”.

On a serious note my miss-spent youth did open my eyes to the creative potential of computers and the internet- and this discovery proved to be hugely important later on.

Having left school I went on to do a Social History degree at the University of Glasgow which involved lots of group discussion and research-playing with data to deliver concise and clear messages. I found quickly that my best skills were understanding and communicating messages both from myself and other people. I became very interested in different methods for communicating, especially online, so I did a Masters in Web Journalism at the University of Sheffield in 2008-9.

What I loved about working in online newsrooms was learning about how you could use a combination of media types to deliver interesting and thought provoking messages. At the Sheffield Star I enjoyed a stint as a multimedia/ video-reporter which gave me access to marketing and media teams at large organisations. Using video as a medium is very revealing and I became very aware of where messages were working well and falling flat….and I’m hoping understanding those errors will help me avoid similar mishaps in the future!

I’ve also learned while working online that new technology and software are here to help-even when bugs, system errors and basic usability leave us fuming like Sir Alex Ferguson in a 2-1 defeat to Man City.. I’ll always try and see a positive like Steve MacClaren would do, though I’m sure things will never get that desperate. With social media booming and the digital revolution set to change our world forever there is plenty to be excited about.

I hope you have found this biopsy informative and maybe even entertaining and I leave you with my promise to everyone who I work with:

I’ll keep my cool in giving you the benefit of my experience, fearless of whatever medium you want to use and always eager to see you succeed.

Thanks for reading this blog and if you think there is anything I could help you with please do not hesitate to contact me (jeaton@quba.co.uk) and you can also track me on Twitter (jeaton_Quba)

In a word, plenty.

We see it like this. The longer someone spends with the retailer, the greater their propensity to buy. Time = sales = happy. You could extend their stay with more options, more clicks to more pages, with more info and more copy to read. But you’ll probably lose them along the way. So let’s go back a few steps. Let’s slow things down a little.

We want consumers to spend more time with the product. We need the consumer to engage with the product and the e-tailer. How? One answer is e-copy.

E-copy is about delivering the right e-commerce information, in the right way at just the right time to engage with the consumer and encourage a sale. To do this it has to be relevant and add value.

Be Persuasive

Good, persuasive copy doesn’t have to read like a letter to Jim’ll Fix It. Please, please, please buy this…please. Instead the trick for the e-tailer is to communicate the virtues of the product in a way that’s interesting and relevant. The very one-to-one nature of the web allows e-commerce sites to really engage, so get personal. “We love this because…” “We couldn’t believe how easy it is to operate…” “Our product testers were bowled over by this…” Even online, people buy from people.

Where product and price are not differentiators, other aspects of the service can be equally persuasive. Delivery, guarantees, after care, feed back. Those who show they care more tend to sell more.

Cross Sell

Turning a one-off customer into a multiple purchasers is every e-tailers dream. So don’t miss a trick when it comes to cross-selling.

‘People who bought this also bought…’ is a good way to increase order value. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate relevance and encourage customers to spend more time on the site, (remember time=sales=happy). ‘We love this…” Again, the role of e-copy here to engage with the consumer. It’s easy to know what they are interested in. It’s just a matter of how interested is the e-tailer in the consumer.

Manners

It’s quite simple, and nothing your mother hasn’t already told you, but good manners count for a lot. So use copy wisely to talk to customers through the process, help them find what they are looking for, explain what’s going on, and thank them for their business. Politeness never hurt anyone and is always good for business.

Remember, an e-commerce site isn’t a brochure with prices, it’s a silent salesperson, and with the right words, it could be the best seller on the team.

Examples We’ve Prepared for Sleepmasters

Written by Quba’s wordologist Stuart Harris.

Next Steps

• Contact Quba about our e-commerce and online copywriting services
• Read more e-commerce articles
• See some of our case studies