Ecommerce websites have become the way to shop! No longer are customers venturing out on the hot and sticky tube to head to Oxford Street only to stand in line for what feels like forever just to purchase one thing. Ecommerce websites provide customers the opportunity to look through thousands of product options from the comfort of their own home – whether it’s mobile, tablet or computer based. While this may have become a consumers preferred way to shop than heading to a busy mall unable to find parking, it doesn’t mean they will not assess your ‘virtual’ visual merchandising display. As visual creatures we are still drawn to what grabs our eye, what’s easily accessible, and has all the information we need without having to dig for it. Efficient and well designed Ecommerce product pages have a huge affect on your customer growth. Turn each visitor to your website into a long lasting customer following these few simple tips and tricks of the website design trade….
THINK LIKE A CUSTOMER – Ever been to a website trying to find a product which should have been found in a matter of seconds as opposed to a matter of days? Yup, we’ve been there too. Frustrating isn’t it? Chances are you gave up and went to a competitor because their website was user friendly, right? By making your products and services easy to find online, not only are you creating a user friendly environment you’ll reap rewards in more ways than one. People will end up purchasing more from your site and they will see greater overall satisfaction from the shopping experience. By creating that satisfaction not only are you creating a repeat customer, you’re creating additional new ones from what that happy customer tells their friends and family. Word of mouth is always a key in any successful business model.
KEEP IT SIMPLE – As we stated above many people cite overly complicated navigation or too many pages in the purchase path as reasons they don’t complete their online sale or abandon their shopping cart. Successful Ecommerce sites simplify the checkout process and display clear pricing and shipping information. They also post clear return policies and access to customer service. Putting your brick and mortar store’s phone number in a visible place on your website is a good idea. Studies suggest that consumers feel more confident knowing you’re just a phone call away if they have a question or if there’s a problem with their order.
PICTURES ARE WORTH A THOUSAND WORD – so use professionally shot photos of your products and go easy on the text. Online usability studies suggest that people do not read; they scan. It’s 25% harder to read on the web, so keep headlines short and try to summarise your product description to under 30 words. As the majority of the purchase relies on photos of your products only professional shots will do. The last thing you want is to have an amazing product in real life, but in a photo looks like something out of someones rubbish bin.
MARKET TO MARKET – It’s not enough to build a website if no one knows it exists. The only way to drive new and potential customers to your site is by putting an effort into marketing it. Collect email addresses on your site to help you keep in touch with customers and consider creating a newsletter. Optimize your site’s content for relevance and submit it to the major search engines, and don’t forget the power of effective social media.
MAKE PAYMENT PROCESSING EASY – Online shoppers need a way to give you money online, but will abandon the process if you make it to difficult for them to do that. Luckily, creating an online payment process is easy these days, you can accept credit card payments with either a PayPal account or an online merchant account. PayPal is ideal for anyone trying out the eCommerce as there is less of an upfront commitment, but you may end up paying more per transaction. If you know from the beginning you’re going to have strong sales and lots of online transactions each month, you may want to consider setting up an online merchant account.
Need more info or want an Ecommerce review of your site? Get in touch with our web design team today for even more insights into virtual shopping, and how to make your website stand out from the rest!
