Over the last few years, millions of people have begun to opt-out of the painstaking process of manual shopping.
Instead, consumers have chosen to purchase their goods online and wait comfortably on the couch for their items to be delivered directly to their door.
Ecommerce has become a booming industry—with the total value of global retail e-commerce sales reaching $3.45T in 2019, according to Statista.
With more and more consumers growing accustomed to the ease and convenience of buying online, it is predicted that by 2040, about 95% of all purchases are expected to be via e-commerce, according to Nasdaq. However, these customers do not come easily, and it takes a lot more than simply setting up an e-commerce website to entice consumers to purchase your products on your site. According to Invesp, on average, only 2.86% of first-time visitors to a site purchase something.
People specifically gravitate towards online shopping because they are searching for an easier way to purchase their goods. So, if your site does not provide a user-friendly, extremely easy experience to the potential customer, they will more than likely close your window and leave your site before they provide any information or purchase anything.
We know that increasing your conversion rate is not easy—but your website needs to be specially optimized to give you even a fighting chance at hopping on the e-commerce wagon.
Your company must be taking advantage of this industry’s popularity, as it can lead to immense growth and increased profits.
Here at Maocular Tech Expert, we’ve put together a checklist of aspects that must be accounted for in order to have a successful e-commerce website or campaign.
We’ve included a vast amount of useful tips and tricks to enhance your website to entice customers to buy—such as advice on page layouts, features to improve customer experience, the “how-tos” of making a mobile-friendly site, and more!
Visitor Experience
As we have stated before, you want to make your website as easy-to-use as possible. Ensure that all aspects of your website lead to a speedy experience. Check out how to optimize your website, giving users the quickest, easiest, and most enjoyable experience possible.
In terms of e-commerce sites specifically, there are a few factors that should be prominent on your site:
Search Boxes
Make a customer’s journey to their cart as easy as possible by allowing them to search for exactly what they want.
Icons Leading to Checkout
If a customer cannot easily find where to check-out, they may end up leaving the site without buying.
Remember, customers are coming to your online store to ease their burden of having to physically shop—so don’t let slow, confusing pages deter them from purchasing on your site!
Landing Pages
Provide engaging content for customers throughout the site—not just on the home page. Most customers will not come to your site via your homepage. Typically, the customers will search for a specific product on a search engine, and, if your product appears, they will click on that link that will bring them to the page of your product—not necessarily your home page. So, all of your site pages need to be fully optimized to provide the user with the best experience possible.
On all landing pages, make sure your products are posted with clear, high-resolution images. And, always have a clear way for customers to check out after they have viewed something that they like!
Check-Out
Keep your checkout simple, social, and honest.
On all pages of your website, a link to your cart should be clearly visible.
Simple
Keep your check-out page simple. Do not add flashy graphics or extensive text. The only thing the customer should be focused on in this phase is purchasing the product!
Social
Allow users the option of signing out without having to fill out a form, with tools such as the ability to link to Facebook and some other social media platforms. This will speed up the process for the customer, and will still provide you with all of their necessary information.
Honest
During checkout, make sure that all hidden fees (such as shipping and tax) are included in the total price before they buy. Customers do not take kindly to surprise fees and could abandon your site if they encounter them.
Also, make sure the returns policy is clearly visible.
According to Bariallance, in 2019, on Cyber Monday, 68.05% of carts were abandoned online globally. Make sure your website is not adding to that statistic!
Mobile Payment
Mobile payment options are an absolute must. Your mobile payment strategies must be secure and easy to use.
Customer Service/Live Help
Installing a “live chat” service has been proven to help conversion rates—turning visitors into customers. Having a live chat option with reliable operators instil trust between company and customer, giving them peace of mind that will help them in their decision to purchase from your company.
Also, always make sure that your contact and business information is clearly visible on all pages. If a customer is unsure about something, they will usually contact the business to answer questions. But, if your information is not readily available, they will move on.
Shipping/Delivery
Shipping and delivery policies should be clearly stated before the customer purchases an item. Customers want their products delivered on time and fast. So, try to provide express shipping. Also, if your business offers free shipping, it will entice customers to buy.
Offer a service that will allow the customer to track their product. This will ensure peace of mind and allow the customer to reach out to your business if they are experiencing any problems.
Conclusion
The future of shopping is online. Optimizing your website to become an e-commerce site is essential to the growth and evolution of your business. So, follow some of these tips and tricks, and you will be well on your way to a profitable, successful e-commerce site!
