Visual merchandising is something that we're all familiar with when it comes to an in-store environment. From shop window displays to the sweets around the checkouts, it's hard not to be influenced by careful product positioning. But when it comes to online visual merchandising, working out how to adapt in-store techniques and where to start can seem like a daunting task.

So where should you start? Here are my top five tips to help you ensure your online visual merchandising is as effective as possible:

Although more users are turning to search, it is still often an area that can be overlooked by retailers. However, if your search is intelligent and is looked after, it can really help you to boost your conversion.

It's a fact that visitors who use search are more likely to purchase.

Here are 8 important search functions that shouldn't be overlooked:

The most frequent question I am asked by a client about to embark on an A/B test is, “How do we increase our conversion/revenue". If I could give you a 100% guaranteed to work answer to that question I would be writing this from the rooftop pool of my Manhattan penthouse, but I'm not! While an increase in conversion and revenue is always everyone's end goal, you need to look at it from the right perspective to hit your target.

So let's start with that and do the workings out: what do your customers actually want?