The Seven Cs.

The Seven Cs.
7 Cs Website design elements that drive customer traffic.
There are seven design elements - 7Cs - that should be considered when creating a website intended for commerce and sales. Customers shop online for several reasons; the most important are the convenience, cost, large selection and the allure of control over their purchases. Customers can easily shop around from anywhere they have an Internet connection; this gives companies an even greater imperative to create a website that will drive traffic to their website, appeal to their target markets, and create a lasting experience that will create return customers.
Context : A website’s layout and overall visual design needs to be uncluttered, easy to read and navigate, the color scheme needs to be appropriate for the marketing design. Having some white space will also aid in the overall design and readability.
Commerce : If the website is intended for commercial transactions, then it has to be safe and the fact that is has been made safe must be communicated to the customer, most websites use a “lock” symbol in the corner to indicate that it has been encrypted.
Connection : Any links that lead the customer away from the website.
Communication : How the company talks to its customers ; this can be done through signing up for special offers, email newsletters, contests, surveys, live chat with company representatives, and company contact information.
Content : The text, graphics, sound, music, and/or videos that are presented.
Community : The website may allow interaction between customers through message boards and live chat.
Customization : Companies can allow customers to personalize aspects of the website or it may tailor itself to different users, for example having different colors and graphics for people who speak different languages.