Online shopping and marketing has become a worldwide trend during the past two decades. Almost every physical store now gives you the option to shop through their online route which ultimately saves time, money, and you’ll be able to view the products in a larger variety.
When you are developing an ecommerce website, it is important to focus on the different elements that will attract clients. The website should be consistent in terms of content, structure, and style, but it shouldn’t be too monotonous as the customer may not find it exciting enough.
The overall goal of an ecommerce website is to lure the customers whilst at the same time display a high level of professionalism, security, and trust. In order to make your website successful, make sure you follow this checklist for ecommerce websites:
The Home Page:
This is where your customers will build their first impression of your brand if they don’t know it already. You have the power to control what the customer sees first. Make sure your logo is clearly visible and that the language is impeccable. Add links to popular products or services and make sure these links are in working order. Ensure that your search bar is working and that it can be clearly seen. It would be a good idea to display any promotions here, as well as a push to lure people towards sales pages.
Product Pages and Individual Products:
Many people view products and services without an actual intention of buying or using it. Use your product pages to make sure their doubts are erased and that they purchase these products. Include more calls to action and add reviews or testimonials from previous clients. Include multiple angles of a certain product so that the consumer gets a full view of what they want to purchase. If the product comes in different sizes, make sure there is a bar that gives the consumer an option to change it. Also be sure to indicate if certain sizes or products are sold out. The checkout button should be very clear and easily accessible, along with the wish list button. It goes without saying that your description of the product should be creative, unique, and informative.
Checkout:
This is the final step left where you can convince your customer to go through with their purchase, so make sure this your checkout page is user friendly in all ways. Accept all payment methods, add a currency converter, offer free shipping if the order is over a certain price, and make sure the payment methods are secure. Many people don’t want to create accounts when browsing ecommerce sites, so leave this step until they checkout. Be polite and ask whether they’d like to continue their shopping or not – you never know what they may buy next!
Overall:
It is clear that your ecommerce site should reflect you and the brand you’re building. For all intents and purposes, make sure the customer can view things like security certificates, legal information, an ‘About Us’ page, privacy policies, and contact us page clearly. Keep the design minimalistic and don’t clutter it with too much information. Be sure to give them a platform where they can follow your brand on social media sites.
Deepak Wadhwani has over 20 years experience in software/wireless technologies. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies including Intuit, ESRI, Qualcomm, Sprint, Verizon, Vodafone, Nortel, Microsoft and Oracle in over 60 countries. Deepak has worked on Internet marketing projects in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange Country, Denver, Nashville, Kansas City, New York, San Francisco and Huntsville. Deepak has been a founder of technology Startups for one of the first Cityguides, yellow pages online and web based enterprise solutions. He is an internet marketing and technology expert & co-founder for a San Diego Internet marketing company.
