There is a huge knowledge gap about how web is really driving online and offline commerce. A recent eCommercePulse survey of more than 33,000 surfers conducted by Nielsen/Net ratings and Harris Interactive indicates ecommerce sites are driving more purchases offline (phone, catalogue, retail store sales) than online. Many consumers are using web to effortlessly compare features and pricing – then, calling company or visiting their local retail store to make a purchase. Clearly many companies need to factor this information in when analyzing their online and offline marketing expenditures and related ROI.

According to a recent Zona Research and Keynote Systems Report released earlier this summer over $25 Billion (USD) was lost in ecommerce due to users abandoning web site prior to a purchase being made or during process. The users just gave up because load times (the amount of time it takes a page to be displayed in a browser) were painfully slow. Today's online shoppers aren't a real patient group, they want information presented in 12-18 seconds, or they are off to another site that works

Unfortunately many firms have allocated a disproportionate amount of resources for advertising and not enough on good web site design and back end infrastructure. It's critical to make market aware of a site, but if potential customers are not presented with right navigation and menus (read information architecture) they will not buy. Case in point, according to recent Dataquest surveys (and others) between 20-40% of most users don't purchase because they can't figure out how to easily move around web site.

Many firms fail to properly integrate their ecommerce components with overall site design. The in-house developers or outside design firm concentrate on sexy parts of web site design process (the graphics, branding, look and feel) and only focus on ecommerce process after primary web site design is completed – making ecommerce an afterthought.

No matter what mood your visitors are in when they visit you online, most effective web copy will develop something inside them average web page would not. You become, in a sense, an exciter as a copywriter.

The best copywriters in world are able to bring out certain “planned” emotions in their audience that would not normally occur by just looking at a regular sales letter or sales page.

Your first step as a copywriter will be to figure out what emotional needs your product satisfies. This cannot be determined with logical calculations; rather, it is a discovery of feelings for you. If you were them, how would using your product make them feel? What feelings would have to be developed in you just before pressing ORDER button to complete sale?

The feeling your customers get when using your product cannot be left only to sales letter. This emotional attachment to your product must be so complete, they almost feel as if they’re feeling something new just by using it.

This is not something you can completely control after purchase is completed, but you can ensure you guide them to purchase with a certain handful of emotions in tow. These emotions you bring out in them must be so strong, they last a short while after sale, as well. Customers often get buyer’s remorse shortly after a sale, but you can overcome this by making sure they’ll walk away possessing a feeling of doing right thing. If not, chargebacks for you will be monstrous.