Online shopping is currently on the rise and almost all products such as clothing and children’s accessories are sold online. In other words, e-commerce sites successfully generate much of the profits.
The e-commerce industry is booming with expected growth from a staggering $ 434.0 billion by 2017, which is the only market in the United States. In addition, customers are increasingly shopping using their smartphones, and this trend will only support growth in the e-commerce sector.
With ever-evolving technologies and increasing competition on the Internet, e-commerce sites must constantly work to improve their stores, not only with a variety of products but also for a large number of orders and improve customer service.
There are a number of steps that can be taken before launching a website, but in order for it to work, you need to work on various aspects of your web store, which is also your brand on the Internet.
User experience (UX) is the key
74% of businesses believe that consumer experience is key to the success of any business and that the consumer experience and sales are linked. In this regard, the extensive user experience entices visitors to spend more time in your online store, improving sales and revenue on the site.
In order to be as competitive as possible and to be on top of the wave in the field of e-commerce, thanks to a working and functional online store, below we will look at some steps that are highly recommended to apply on your site.
- Work on the first impression
In order for a product to be sold, it is necessary to keep the user’s attention on your site engaged. It often happens that the user has a vague idea of their requirements and your online store must provide a guide to the user experience.
Try to use a format and navigation that are easy to use. A good first impression should remain in the mind of the user, so be sure to make the site as creative as possible. Try to provide a helpful (responsive) design. Given the wide range of devices through which a potential customer can access your products, the website should look great on all platforms.
- Questions about the photos
There are two main areas to focus on when creating a large e-commerce site – product photos should be clear and the design attractive. According to research, the user usually remembers 80% of what is seen on the site and up to 20% of what is read. Remember that for selling sites, photos are crucial, as potential buyers do not have the chance to physically touch the product, they only see it. Therefore, make sure that the virtual image conveys the message with clarity.
- Use an all-white background to highlight the products;
- Use large clear photos to grab the visitor’s attention;
- Enable zooming of images so that customers can view the product in detail;
- Take pictures from different angles.
- Improve store navigation
You want visitors to buy your products, but what if they can’t find what they’re looking for? Improving page navigation is important for easy and comfortable viewing of the site by visitors without unnecessary waiting.
Here are some proven strategies that have proven to be effective over time:
Add a “What’s New” page
Your customers don’t want to browse old things for new products. By adding a “what’s new” section, you can tempt visitors to check out your new offers. This is also a great way to showcase the latest collection.
Enable the “Recently Viewed” feature
It often happens that the customer during the review of the various products decides to buy the product seen a few clicks ago. Finding the right product is often quite annoying, but still if the “recently viewed” feature on the product page is active, navigating for the potential customer is much easier and more comfortable.
Use drop-down menus
In this form, the process of navigating the site and much easier and smoother. This makes visitors one idea happier as they have to make fewer clicks to reach the required product.
More suggestions complementing the product
A great way to tempt your customers with suggestions that complement the product in question. Providing photos of how a piece of furniture fits into a certain interior or what accessories will go with the offered dress is a great incentive for additional orders.
Establish the leaving of the shopping cart
Leaving the shopping cart is a common behavior of customers and a widespread problem among e-commerce sites. There are many ways to stop the leaving of the shopping cart. Try one of the techniques to manage this annoying process, bringing customers back to increase conversions.
- Custom packages and collections
A great way to show that you care about your customers by providing them with a select collection of products that they can really benefit from. Such a selected collection helps customers save time while forming their idea of what to buy. This works great as an idea during the holiday season when buying a gift.
- Easy search options
Easy search options are key to the success of an online store. Search options should be visible and structured, allowing the customer to find great products. The best way to ensure that your customers have no difficulty finding a product is by adding a search engine to the site and a search bar in the menu. It would be even better if the search engine on your site could predict what the customer was looking for.
- Favorable offers and promotions
It is a known fact that people decide very quickly whether they like a website or not. So as a website owner, you need to work on options to improve the homepage, which helps to attract the attention of visitors. Nothing stimulates shopping more than favorable offers and promotions.
- Show the latest news and popular products
Inform your users. Make sure your site displays the latest news about upcoming events or sales periods or a new product on its homepage. So that the customer does not need to spend hours browsing and searching for hot deals. This attracts both new customers and old ones.
- Build trust
In general, online shoppers are very passive. Before making any order in the form of buying a product from a site, there are a number of obstacles that prevent them from moving forward. Moreover, cybercrime is on the rise, and “trust” has become a very important factor.
Here are some ideas to help increase visitor confidence:
Add an SSL certificate
SSL certification is a great way to inspire customer confidence that a site is trustworthy. This certificate guarantees that the customer’s personal data, as well as credit or debit card information, will not be misused.
There are many examples from practice that show that having an SSL icon next to the buy button helps to improve sales. However, there are different types of SSL and SSL providers for your online business.
The other strategy to encourage visitors to take action is to add additional stimulants to the order start button, namely:
Free Shipping – Research shows that 93% of online shoppers prefer to buy products online when shipping is free. Make sure the term free shipping will appear on your site if the store offers the service.
Privacy Statement – Another way to inspire confidence among potential buyers of your web store is to add a link to the privacy policy near the CTA (call to action) button.
- Payment options and their icons
E-commerce sites have a customer base around the world. However, a lot of time can be lost if your payment system imposes technical restrictions required by customers in certain countries.
As a serious online store, you need to maintain clarity about payment options and delivery information. Most sites offer payment options, both credit and debit cards, as well as gift vouchers, cash on delivery options, Paypal, and more. Make sure you place the icons on the payment systems you support.
Conclusion
We hope the above tips and suggestions will help you enjoy a well-organized and effective website that has an enviable conversion. And don’t stop experimenting and collecting data about customer behavior on your site, thus improving the user experience. Good luck!