How many times have you ventured into an online store, only to find that you can’t get as much information about a company’s products or services as you would like? Only yesterday I wanted to know if my new video camera could take certain memory cards. Was that information in the instruction booklet? No. Was it on the product’s web site? No. Luckily I found the answer to my question on an independently run user forum.

But if you run an online business do you want your customers having to get answers to their questions from user forums where the information could actually be incorrect? Equally, do you want your customers to know that you are the place to go for information on your products and services? Sure you do. So why do so many online businesses fail to give full information about their products?

It seems it’s not just me worrying about this. A study by WebCollage has found that lack of information online infuriates potential customers.

“Customers want to know things like how a product works, its complete set of features and accessories and whether the product is compatible with products they already own,” said Jed Alpert, Vice President of Marketing for WebCollage. “That’s why manufacturers need to focus on providing their retail channel partners with complete product information, first and foremost.”

In other words, if your online business does not become the centre for information on your products and services, some enterprising individual will take your place. Don’t let that happen – make sure every scrap of information about your products and services is available at your sites. Often companies feel that by providing every last detail they may put off web surfers – but it seems the reverse is true. In order to attract people to your online business you need to be sure you have all the itsy bitsy details of your products on your web site, otherwise they will look elsewhere.