The Do’s and Don’ts of a Successful E-Commerce Website – Vindicta Digital
For many businesses, their e-commerce website is the first point of contact between buyer and seller. Many people do most of their shopping online now for a variety of goods and services. This means that having a website that’s both visually enticing and easy to use can offer your business a new platform to conduct trade. Depending on your niche and industry, having the option for users to purchase your products or services directly from your website can be vital to ensure you don’t lose out on custom or fall behind competitors who are already offering this as an option.
The digital revolution has meant people now expect good service with little delay, so if your website is difficult to navigate or slow, you could find yourself losing out on customers. This is why a good e-commerce website design is so important. But e-commerce websites are not without their complexities, to shed some light on the topic, we’ve compiled a list of factors and considerations that make for an effective e-commerce website.
What is an E-Commerce website?
What exactly is an e-commerce website? By definition, e-commerce or electric-commerce means the action of completing a transaction online, so an e-commerce website is a means of buying and selling products and services online. Just as in a traditional shop you’d find on the high street. An e-commerce website is a platform on which businesses can build their online store and carry out transactions but accessible anywhere and at any time.
Essentially, e-commerce websites are constructed into 3 key parts: a storefront, products and a checkout. The virtual storefront allows you to display your business similarly to how you would with a shop window, think of this ‘window’ as an opportunity to highlight key information about your brand, offers, featured products or events. The product pages essentially do what they say on the tin, they’ll include product information, price, images and depending on the product, list the variations available to purchase. The checkout should make for a simple and secure transactional process between the customer and your business. Prospective buyers should be able to see a summary of their purchase including estimated delivery times and a breakdown of costs. Returning users should be able to login in with their details to avoid re-filling in forms about payment, billing and delivery information.
To help you enhance your e-commerce website and improve your user’s experience, here are the top areas to either do or don’t do with regard to your business website.
Dos and Don’ts – E-Commerce Website
The following tips will give you confidence that you’ve done your due diligence to ensure you have a great e-commerce website up — one you can be proud of and that customers will love.
DO
Use High-Quality Images and Videos
Use high-quality images that show your customers you mean business. Low-resolution product photos will look sloppy, and onlookers may get the idea that you don’t know what you’re doing. Or arguably worse — that you don’t care. After all, if you didn’t bother putting in the time, why should they?
Investing in a quality camera, hiring a photographer, or signing up for an account with a stock image service will give your content a professional sheen.
Speaking of cameras, don’t forget about video. Product videos are a great way to make prospects stop in their tracks while scrolling and spend more time on your website.
Social Media Presence
A social media presence is critical. These days, many website visitors won’t think much of a company if they don’t include social proof. A lack of social media activity can quickly tarnish your authority and make you seem outdated, so get social and interact with your audience!
Product Descriptions
Product descriptions carry undeniable significance. Yet, it’s not as simple as it seems. Mere existence won’t suffice. To captivate, they must be finely crafted, search-engine-optimized, seamlessly aligned with your target audience. These descriptions aren’t mere words; they’re a pathway to engagement, driving connection between your offerings and your intended audience. In their precision lies the power to transform casual interest into fervent demand.
Personalisation
People prefer a personal touch. They like to feel as though they’re being spoken to directly — that they’re not just one of the masses. Show you understand them and their daily challenges by providing details they can relate to.
You can also build trust by ensuring you have shipping information, warranty information, and a money-back guarantee reference on your website in easy-to-locate spots.
Now let’s cover some things you definitely do not want to do when creating your e-commerce website.
DON’T
Don’t Forget About Your Calls to Action
Every piece of content that connects back to your business needs to have one. If it’s missing, customers won’t know what they’re supposed to do, and you risk wasting money on inefficient marketing efforts.
Be sure to make your chosen CTA visible. It should be front and center, not buried. Customers want things to be made apparent for them so they can get back to their day.
Be Intentional, Not Random
If you have a “Featured Items” or “Recommended for You” section on your website, don’t recommend random products. The items in that feed should be directly related to the main product.
Cross-selling can be valuable, as it can lead to higher average order value — but only if done correctly. So be careful and enlist the help of an outsourced marketer if need be.
Never Over-Promise
Another thing: never over-promise and then under-deliver. Enticing customers with false promises and guarantees is bad for business. Same thing with additional hidden fees. These things break the customer’s trust and all but ensure they won’t return.
