There are the usual essentials for an e-commerce website, like customer service, content and all the marketing efforts. But website design can have a significant impact on your sales success.
If you want to generate more sales, stronger leads and better conversions, be sure to include these features in your website design.
1. Overall Design
When a new potential customer comes to your website, they will almost instantly decide if they will come back to your site. First impressions are very important. Within a few seconds, their eyes have picked out the main areas of your page layout which adds to their impression of your website. If the design is unappealing or confusing, they will likely not come back.
Every user has their own preferences for colors, fonts, and other visuals. If you follow some basic design and usability principals, you can increase your user retention and conversions.
2. Understand your audience
Understanding your buyer is essential to successful website design. Knowing their demographics (age, income, job title) and their wants and needs, is important in developing your website design.
Your customers can be broken into three types:
- They have a problem and are looking for a solution
- They are shopping around and comparing options
- They have already decided to buy
Your website design should address all three groups. You should also prioritize your design around your most profitable service or product line.
3. Product presentation
Your products should be clearly presented with some key elements:
Eye-catching photos
Having quality product photos help to build trust and confidence in your brand. Low quality or even stock photos can turn away potential customers.
Product reviews
Having product reviews help to build confidence and credibility in the product as well as the brand.
A study done in the United States reported that 83% of consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand if it was recommended by family or friends. Having reviews that match your buyer persona placed next to your product images can be very effective.
Product comparison
Providing a way to help customers compare similar products will help increase your sales. Comparisons should be easy to use and not contain more than about 10 products. If it’s too confusing you will lose potential sales.
4. Clear product categories
Having clear and easily understood categories helps your customer quickly find and buy what they are looking for. If your customer is confused or frustrated, they will likely not come back to your website. Providing a way for customers to compare products will also help increase your sales.
5. Search
If a customer wants to quickly find a product or service on your website, having a well-designed search engine is essential. Generic search results that mix products and page content together in the results will reduce your sales. Having product images and other key elements within the search results will improve your sales.
6. Purchase flow
If your potential customer has come this far, you want to make sure you don't scare them away with a confusing or complicated purchase flow. The purchase flow should have the fewest number of steps possible. Numbering each step will help the customer feel more confortable getting to the final step.
Having promo codes or special offers will help you retain customers.
There is a lot more to it of course, and your specific products and services will also need to be factored into the overall design. Give us a call and we can help you design your ecommerce solution.
7. Mobile friendly
Having a mobile-friendly website is important, now more than ever. It is a Google best practice. It provides a significantly better user experience for mobile users, which are probably a significant percent of your visitors. Depending on your demographics, you probably have more visitors to your site using mobile devices than desktops.