Design your way

Means of buying various goods have evolved greatly in recent years, namely with the advent of e-commerce. The concepts underlying that specific type of commerce are basically the same as those of a traditional commerce: the owner plans to make profit on goods sold. However, to be successful in that specific and new type of business, it is imperative to be able to attract online customers and convince them to buy your products. In order to do so, some basic rules have to be followed.

Basically, the website selling the e-commerce products has to be focused on the clients’ specific needs when buying online. Everything should be designed to make it as easy as possible to find the products they are looking for and to buy it. Every step of the shopping and buying process should be designed to give customers a great experience.

Show visitors what products you are selling

Since e-commerce is a business with low entry costs and it lowers geographical boundaries significantly, competition on the Internet is fierce. If a customer gets frustrated with any aspect of your website, it is easy for him to choose another website to buy from. Therefore, once a potential buyer has landed on your website rather than a competitor’s, he decides within a few seconds whether he’s made the right choice or not.

Most people who buy on the Internet do it because it is easier than going to shopping in real store. Make sure you make the experience as easy as possible for them. The first goal of any customer is to be able to easily find the product he is looking for. Therefore, it is essential to make it easy for visitors to see your catalog of products.

Customers also want to be able to have all the information they need to make an informed decision before buying. So in order to convert potential customers into buying customers, provide as much information as you can on the product you are selling.

Describe adequately every product you are selling to ensure that the client knows everything he would know if he was shopping in a store. Psychologically, it is better to use descriptive words when doing so than technical terms, since they unconsciously make the customer more likely to buy.

Showcasing the products properly

It can be good to try to differentiate yourself from competition through an innovate website. However, some basic components should be present on any e-commerce website.

Use quality photos

Photos are the only way for online customers to see the products they are buying. They are an essential part of e-commerce. It is worth investing in high-quality photos for every product displayed of your website.

Clients like when they can take a closer look at the product you are selling, in order to see every detail. It is also a good idea to display more than one picture for a product. In any case, the pictures displayed have to place the product in front display: use a neutral background and keep the picture simple.

Add reviews

Adding reviews to your website is a great way to gain credibility amongst your potential customers. If they can read what other independent clients really think about the products you are selling or about your customer service, they will believe it more than anything else you can say on your website.

So any positive review you get will help convert potential customers into actual buyers. If you get negative reviews, they can be used to either improve your product or service or to give your point of view on the subject at hand. So either way, reviews can be helpful for your e-commerce.

Design and usability

A good design for your e-commerce website is not necessarily a design that will amaze the customers. The main feature you want your website to have is to be easy for the customers to find what they want and to showcase your products properly.

The website should be built for the clients, to ensure they get the information they want as smoothly as possible. This includes relevant photos of the products as well as detailed descriptions providing every detail they might need.

Layout

Some basics tools should be easy to find by the customer, no matter where he is on your website: the shopping cart, the information regarding shipping as well as the help they can get if desired. A FAQ page answering the most common questions should be easy to find and to consult by your potential customers.

Your contact page should also be easy to find and to use. Showing that you can truly be there for your clients’ questions will comfort them that even though they are buying through the web, they can receive a personalized service.

Standards exist as to where that crucial information can be found on websites; following them can help your customers find them more easily. The shopping cart as well as the FAQ page and your contact information are often located at the top or right side of the page. Links to the FAQ and contact pages can also regularly be found at the bottom of the page. Overall, the important thing is the client should not have to search for them; so make sure they are easy to locate.

Navigation

Usually, potential clients need to check everything out before making their decision; that means browsing to many pages of your website. You need to make that experience as enjoyable as possible for them, by making navigation easy and smooth. Customers should always be able to locate where they are on the website, which means your website must have a highly functional navigation menu.

They should also be able to find anything they are looking for quickly, so your website needs a good search engine that works properly, as well as tabs and categories of items that can be chosen for navigation. Give your customers a good shopping experience and they are more likely to buy from you once they have made up their minds.

Search

Your website should allow your potential clients to search by keywords what they are looking for, as well as through categories and by combining those two types of research to get more precise results.

Therefore, your website should have a good built-in search engine and you should consider using plugins to make it more efficient if required. Once they get results from a search, customers should be allowed to sort them the way they like: by price, popularity, date, etc.

For a search to provide good results, it means that your catalog of products has to be well thought of. Before creating categories to display on your website, it is useful to carefully think about which ones are the most significant for the type of products you are selling. Once the best categories have been established, ensure that every product is associated with the right category and that none is at the wrong place.

Getting results that are really distant from what they are looking for can discourage customers and they will turn to another website in the blink of an eye if they feel it will be hard to find what they are looking for on yours.

The shopping cart

A well-built shopping cart should give some basics functionalities. Have you ever lost everything you had set aside while shopping because you used the “Back” of “Forward” button on your navigator? If you have, you already know that it creates a frustration that can repel a potential client forever.

Your website should allow your customers to go back and forth without losing anything they have chosen. It should also keep track of the different tabs a customer can be using while he shops. Ideally, do not leave the page your client is on when he decides to use the shopping cart; it is better to have a pop up window with the shopping cart functionalities so that he can always know where he was and move from there.

An easy-to-use shopping cart makes it easy to modify quantities of the products your potential customers have chosen, including removing a product if desired. Your shopping cart should remain transparent so that your customer does not feel like you hid fees or something else from him while he was shopping.

For example, your shopping cart should allow viewing an estimate of the total price, including shipping and taxes, before beginning the check-out. If they have a registered account in your website, your clients should be able to leave your website and come back at a later time to find all their preferences saved.

Make it easy for the user

Buying through the Internet is less complicated than going to a store to make a purchase. For your e-commerce to be successful, you need to keep things as easy as possible for your client.

Add related products

If some products are related to one a client is considering buying, they should be suggested to him and easy to choose from to add to the cart.

The checkout process

The check-out process should be easy to go through and give as little possibility for the client to change his mind. Ideally, it should be composed of only two pages: the first one displaying the items chosen and the price and allowing the customer to enter the required information to proceed to the purchase, and the second allowing him to review and approve the purchase.

Contact information

Contact information should be easy to find no matter what page your customer is on. Ideally provide more than one way a customer can ask their questions. This is even more important if you are selling high-value or highly technical items.

Customer support

Any problems should be easily solved for your clients. Make it easy for them to know where to ask for any type of question they might have, including about returning items. A structured help request form provided on your website can be more reassuring for your customers, showing that you are a serious business. Quickly send an e-mail ensuring your client that you have received his enquiry and that it will be answered shortly.

Make your FAQ as comprehensive as possible. Include all the details about your return policy, as well as replacing parts for your products if applicable.

Disclose shipping rates

It is important for your clients to be able to know at all times what their total cost will be, so that they do not feel like you are hiding fees from them. If you are using a major shipping company, it can most likely provide you with a tool that allows you to know how much shipping will cost. If not, you can use a fixed shipping charge that is high enough to ship any of your items. Whatever you do, ensure the information is always available to your customers.

An account shouldn’t be necessary to buy a product

Some customers might be reluctant to register a formal account with your company in order to buy something. It is recommended to make registering optional so that it will not discourage anyone from buying.

Make available several payment options

The more payment options you have, the more likely your clients are going to trust at least one of them. Accept all major credit cards and make an instantaneous electronic check for their validity.

Conclusion

To have a successful e-commerce business, you clients’ experience on your website should be your main preoccupation. You want them to have a great shopping experience and to find it easy to make their purchase once they have their heart set on a product. The easier it is for them to go through all that process on your website, the most likely they will buy and become loyal customers.