The good news for retailers using the Magento ecommerce platform, is the growth of SMS enabling applications.

FireText is a free extension which gives merchants the ability to send text messages throughout the order fulfillment process, along with allowing personalized messages.

SMS PRO lets online e-commerce sites send texts based on certain events which triggers messages, through the Nexmo SMS gateway.

SMS Manager notifies customers when orders ships and allows them to track shipping progress. Administrators can also be updated with new orders and the application can be configured with customized messages.

Mage SMS provides multilingual and multi-store support. Text messages can be sent based on various events set by the administrator, with advanced filtering options available as well.

Clockwork SMS sends messages when customers place an order, an order is shipped or if an order is delayed.

With a wide range of SMS applications available, there is no reason to not include this tool as part of your customer interaction experience.

1. Tourists like excitement

The longest lines at DisneyWorld is often Space Mountain. People will wait an hour or more for roller coasters and thrill rides.

Does your website offer any thrills? Granted, it does not need to be as adrenaline producing as a 100 foot vertical drop, but a video, infographic or blog post can provide an unexpected jolt of excitement.

Keep your customers engaged and entertained and they will return again and again.

2. Tourists like to learn

Vacation options range from the pyramid in Vegas (Luxor Hotel) to the Pyramids in Egypt – yet wherever people go, they want to learn. In Vegas they may learn how to play blackjack while in Egypt they may discover how the pyramids were built.

Your website visitors want to learn as well. The more value you offer your clients in the information you provide, the more they will trust you.

When someone trusts you for solid, actionable advice, they are more inclined to purchase from you as well.

3. Tourists like a good deal

Hotwire and Priceline are just the beginning of the hundreds, if not thousands, of websites that offer travel savings and last minute deals.

Your potential customers are no different, and they want to ensure they are getting the best value for their money. Value does not mean cheap. In fact, sometimes the more expensive option is the better value, because it is from a trusted source or includes extras and add-ons you will not get in a bargain basement deal.

Show your clients the real value in your price.

4. Tourists like things easy

A vacation is a break from the daily grind. If you’ve ever been on a vacation where things go wrong, (I once discovered my “all inclusive” Hawaii vacation excluded every activity I was interested in doing) than you quickly realize how much you were looking for things to be simple and easy.

Visiting your website should be simple and easy. If your clients are confused with navigating your site, you will lose them.

Your website should have a clearly defined purpose, and each page should have a specific call to action.

You can’t spend all of your time on vacation but you can learn lessons from those times you have gotten away. A well designed website that is fun, easy to navigate and provides information and offers value, will go a long way in building the like, know and trust relationship you need to get your potential clients to become actual clients.

With improvements in three main areas – responsive theme, payment options and security, the newest versions will help ensure increased customer conversions and greater ROI.

A consistent customer experience, regardless of device, helps businesses and developers save time and reduce costs. The new mobile responsive design theme will appear the same whether accessed through a computer, tablet or smart phone. By following the best practices for mobile sites, the end result will be a better experience for the user, increased SEO for the retailer and higher customer engagement.

An update to payment options include improved integration with PayPal. If a credit card is rejected the customer will be presented with alternative payment options, allowing the transaction to complete. The Bill Me Later option will also be available, which gives the shopper the option to purchase now and pay later, increasing sales with no added costs to the merchant. The checkout process can be simplified by eliminating steps such as the order page review and order update page, making the purchasing process easier for consumers and merchants.

Through the eBay Enterprise Affiliate Extension, merchants can easily integrate with eBay’s network of 200,000 affiliates and have the tools needed to monitor and launch affiliate programs. The eBay Enterprise Display Extension will allow merchants to display personal, product specific ads targeted directly to lost buyers.

Security improvements have fixed checkout vulnerability issues eliminating the problem of showing the wrong order to the wrong customer. Changes to the security of URL’s, such as the customer billing agreements, has also been implemented. Additionally, indexing improvements will allow for faster searches and quicker administrative responsiveness.

By providing a more responsive theme, better integration and payment option enhancements, Magento is helping to create a better, faster and higher converting shopping experience. Customers will find the new system easier to use and businesses will save in both time and development costs resulting in higher ROI, which is the ultimate goal!