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Running an e-commerce website is a never-ending task, from trying to squeeze that extra bit of conversion rate out of the check-out page to figuring out which referrers give you the best traffic.

Over the past couple of weeks we have looked at a small handful of 2009s top 100 e-commerce sites. We looked at product detail pages and examined the good and the bad, we looked at footers and how best to organize some of its content and now we will look at navigation.

In the first in the series last week we talked about the Product Detail page. We looked at two of the top 100 ecommerce sites and picking out the good parts and making suggestions to improve.

When it comes to eCommerce design there are plenty of Do’s & Don’ts, a ton of “best practices” and even more people claiming they have the keys to successful eCommerce design.

How show proof of concept in the last few months, not so good. In February fell PCfun now eMAG.

As a general rule, most Web developers, especially usability enthusiasts, say it is bad practice to use drop-down menus because they are confusing, annoying and oftentimes disfunctional.

A statement we often hear from new or potential clients is, "we don't sell online". What they mean, of course, is that their website isn't transactional-customers don't buy their products or services over the web. There's nothing wrong with that-who in their right mind would buy, say, professional services (like, ahem, web design) without first arranging a meeting, or at least a phone call?

But there's an alarming subtext to that statement, which goes something like this: since our website isn't transactional, why worry about selling our products or services on it? We can deal with all of that once we meet the customer, right? Wrong.

It has been calculated that over the Christmas period $4 billion dollars was spent by customers who shopped on-line If you are thinking about entering into e-commerce or have a shop front you are looking to place on the Internet there is a large audience for you out there.

Maintaining and running stores is an expensive undertaking and many of the biggest names like Woolworths have come under pressure during these difficult financial times and here virtual shops and online markets are gaining traction where is comes to selling goods.

What considerations should you have when setting up an on-line e-commerce venture? Purchasing your own domain name around which you can develop your brand. This is relatively cheap and gives you a professional feel right from the start. There are a number of web builder software programs out there but in an ever-changing technological world contacting a web designer is always the best option for an up to date look to your site.

Make sure your e-commerce website includes a good and easy to use shopping cart facility. People are always cautious when spending money online so it is important that they have confidence in your system. Ensure you have clear and attractive product pages, enlargeable pictures and descriptions so customers can see what they are buying.

Remember to build a community not just a store; you want people to feel part of your enterprise so get them involved. Publish stories and product updates, allow for comment and interaction. This gives customers a reason to return and shop some more. For more help with planning an e-commerce website design contact Attitude Agency.