Ecommerce websites come in all shapes and sizes and sell almost anything imaginable. Most ecommerce websites have the same basic set up. There is usually a menu of categories or someway to search products, the product pages themselves, and a cart and checkout page. However, not all ecommerce sites are equal. Some are clearly better and facilitate more sales than others. There are very specific elements that separate a good ecommerce website from one that doesn’t convert visitors into customers.
Ease of use
One of the main factors that set good ecommerce websites apart from the rest is the ease of use. When websites are difficult to use, load slowly, and have confusing navigation, website visitors are more likely to become frustrated and hit the back button without completing a purchase. On the contrary, website visitors are more likely to make a purchase on websites that are easy to use and load quickly.
For website visitors to convert into happy customers, it should be easy to find the exact products they’re looking for. Products should be grouped together into categories that are intuitive and then arranged in navigation pane or menu that is organized and clear. That way, users will be able to find what they are looking for very quickly while only having to click through a few pages. There should also be a search bar that can direct users to the correct page whether they’re searching by product, category, or even UPC.
An incredibly important factor to consider for any ecommerce website is mobile responsiveness. More and more people are shopping online from their phones and mobile devices, so ecommerce websites must be optimized for mobile formats. Product images, navigation menus, and checkout should all be just as easy on a mobile device as they are on a desktop.
Product information
Providing ample product information is a great way to make your ecommerce website better than the rest. When people shop online, they can’t actually see the products, pick them up, or feel them. Instead, all that online shoppers have to go off of is the product image and description. A good ecommerce website will have lots of high-quality product images. It can even be a good idea to have multiple pictures for each product that can be enlarged or zoomed in. Some websites will even offer 360-degree views of products. While this isn’t necessary for every ecommerce website, the more pictures you can include the better.
Similarly, good ecommerce websites should have well built-out product descriptions that include any kind of information about the product that a shopper would want to know. Product descriptions should be as descriptive as possible and try to answer every question about the product. That means including information about size, materials, colors, special features, and anything else that is specific to the product. Since people can see or touch the product, you have to describe every aspect of it for them.
Reviews are a great way to give shoppers unbiased product information. People tend to trust reviews from people who have previously bought the product they’re interested in because the reviews are honest and more trustworthy than the opinion of the company that’s selling it. Good ecommerce websites have customer reviews displayed for each product so shoppers can see if other people who bought the product like it or not. Reviews help to facilitate sales in many cases when the reviews are positive. Good websites will include as much product information as possible to increase sales.
Checkout experience
After a visitor chooses the product or products they want to purchase based on the product information, the website can still drop the ball if the checkout experience is lacking. The cart and checkout experience will literally make or break your sales and therefore will make or break your ecommerce site.
A good checkout experience is one that is fast, easy, and trustworthy. Firstly, there should be clear “Add to cart” or “checkout” buttons throughout the site so people can easily add products to their cart and checkout when they are done shopping. The cart should be accessible from every page of the site.
On the cart page, shoppers should have the ability to see all of the products in their cart with images and quantities as well as prices. From the shopping cart, shoppers should be able to add products remove items, and edit quantities. Price and any other fees such as tax and shipping should be prominently displayed along with a total.
When it comes to entering credit card and shipping information, the process should be as streamlined as possible. Don’t make your shoppers jump through hoops to complete their purchases. Only ask for the information you absolutely need. You should also give people the option to make an account that will save their information for future purchases or the option to checkout as a guest.
After the shopper has placed their order, a good ecommerce website will provide an order confirmation usually followed by a confirmation email. The order confirmation should confirm that the order was placed, give a summary of the order, and provide an order number for tracking. Shipping information should also be included if possible.
Bonus features of a good ecommerce site
There are other features that can be included in the website to really take it to the next level. For instance, store locators are a good way to drive online traffic to your physical location. A store locator feature will allow web visitors to find the store closest to them based on their location. It could also show them the closest store that has a specific product in stock.
Another great way to increase sales on an ecommerce website is to highlight special promotions and best-selling products on the home page. That way, you can catch attention right away and give people a quick link to your best products.
All ecommerce websites are different, but the elements that make a good ecommerce website remain the same.
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