For the past two decades, businesses have seen 180’ transformation, especially with online platforms. If the company is not present online, it is a failed venture. Similarly, if the business is not registered with popular eCommerce sites, not many will come to know about the company.
Despite having their own website, brands decide to sell their goods on Amazon, Flipkart, Etsy, Walmart, Ali Express, etc. Why? What makes them so unique? Why do people trust those eCommerce platforms so much that we see Amazon delivery agents on the roads in numbers?
Well, for starters, they focus on user experience. Flipkart, Etsy, Ali Express, Walmart, Macy’s, etc., have elements that are essential for an eCommerce website to win. And if you are deciding to start an eCommerce business, you should include the following elements too:
Understanding the User Experience:
Creating an eCommerce Website is not about how you want it to be but about what your customers will like. And what do they want? - A good user experience.
And a good user experience includes voice search, image search, language options, smooth navigation, a clean site, clear and detailed descriptions, high-res images, etc. It also provides customer reviews.
Once you get into designing an eCommerce website, the sky’s the limit. You can add as many features as you want; remember to make them easy and user-friendly.
Visual Design and Branding:
The design of the website should be such that it attracts the users to stay on the website for a more extended period of time and, at the same time, prompt them to buy the product. Do not stuff the page with tons of products that it will take too long to load.
Also, the branding of the website should be subtle and to the point. It shouldn’t be flashy but not too minuscule that people are unable to make out what the website is about. Thus, branding and designing should be on - point.
Responsive Design for Multi-Device Compatibility:
Responsive design has become a necessity for website designers ever since people have started accessing websites on mobile phones and tablets. If the website doesn’t have multi-device compatibility, it won’t take users a micro-second to shuffle back and go to the competitors.
Not making the website responsive will not only increase the bounce rate but make the brands lose potential customers. On top of that, unpleasant mobile website experiences can also make them lose faith in your brand. Thus, to earn customers’ trust, you got to make the website multi-device compatible.
Streamlined Product Presentation:
Listing products is like a resume. If you do not mention the required details, you might not get hired. Similarly, if product presentation is improper, with no coherence, no HD images, and no product details, people are likely to abandon the cart. The product page is how the user will be compelled to buy the product.
If you take an Amazon or Etsy product page, you’ll see the product details, price, and action button. And they have added images and videos for people to see how their product will look. Apart from that, they have posted product reviews and recommended a few products. This information is more than enough.
User-Friendly Navigation and Search:
How will a user buy a product if they will not be able to search for the specific product they are looking for? Thus, the eCommerce website should have a search option that will help consumers look for the exact product. Apart from that, a bot should be there, which should be able to help them with the particular product.
And as mentioned above as well, the navigation of the website should be smooth. The pages should load faster, and the user should not get confused while browsing the site. Also, the footer should contain information about the pages of the website, plus if you can add another search bar at the bottom of the page - nothing quite like it.
Seamless and Risk-Free Checkout Process:
A hassled checkout process is one of the most tedious steps of buying something online. There are at least 4 to 5 steps before your phone or computer says, “Congratulations, your order has been placed with (XYZ company). Please click the link to track your order.” Thus, it could become confusing and risky.
So, making the checkout process smooth and risk-free is mandatory. People trust such eCommerce websites with their addresses and bank account details, and it is better if the websites do not trifle with such information.
Performance Optimization:
The task of website performance optimization is not easy, but it is doable. The most important feature people need to work on is speed. And one can work on it by making the content light, like lesser written content and lighter images. The page loading time shouldn’t be more than 10 seconds.
Another thing to focus on while optimizing performance is scrolling. This is to be remembered, especially while creating a mobile website because there isn’t much screen space and there is no option for the mouse, although there is a pen. Thus, performance optimization will automatically increase visitors, which will turn into active leads.
User Feedback and Reviews:
Even boomers these days check reviews and feedback of the product before buying it, let alone Millennials and GenZ. So, posting feedback and reviews is what helps websites thrive.
However, make sure to verify them because fake reviews will not be appreciated in the long run, and Google will come to know about them immediately, which could lead to banning the website, thus ruining the business. It is not easy to fool people these days because they’ll come to know whether the reviews are genuine or not at this very instant.
Continuous Testing and Improvement:
The only solution to be better at running an eCommerce website is to test and review the performance repeatedly. It tends to contain heavy data, which might ruin the experience of the user. Thus, the following testing checklist should be tick marked to keep it going on smoothly:
- Functionality Testing
- Usability testing
- Interface testing
- Compatibility testing
- Security testing
Conclusion
The market is not short of competitors; consider any field. Hence, being the best at what you do is not a luxury anymore; it is a necessity. Creating the best eCommerce websites requires experts who can create kickass eCommerce websites like Shopaccino, as suggested by a renowned portal - GoodFirms.
Thus, please do not waste time thinking about what to do because every second you are spending contemplating, your competitors are acquiring one more customer, taking them away from you. With the eCommerce business, you want to get started as soon as possible. Who knows, you might be just what people need at the moment.