Eommerce and website design are not for the faint hearted. To be able to make an online sale you need to convince your user he or she needs the product, that you have it at the best price, and that your eCommerce platform is safe and secure to buy it over.
It might not be an easy job, but it is becoming increasingly more important for businesses to get to grips with eCommerce, as smartphone penetration rates increase and consumers have the power to shop literally in the palm of their hands 24 hours a day. The Guardian.com tells us:
The relationship between ownership of high-end devices such as tablets and smartphones, and a user base with a high disposable income means there is an opportunity for sales and subscription conversion. The key here is delivering a great user experience, which will tap in to a market with both a disposable income, and an interest in the mobile medium.
We have had a look at some of the most important eCommerce features to bring you a list that will help you boost conversions and online sales.
The Relationship Between Your SEO And Information Structure Matters
Unless you have a solid URL structure certain pages of your site could end up competing against one another. The only way to get this right and ensure that everything is aligned correctly is to have the SEO specialist, content manager and web designer together to work on the project as a team from the beginning. This is essential if you want to manage quality, cost effectiveness and turn around, and ensure that all your bases are checked.
Simplicity Is Key In Ecommerce
Remember that you need to make it as easy as possible for a user to make a purchase. Every point of contact should have a call to action and a quick link to buy a product. You should also address your buyers’ concerns immediately to put their minds at ease. Address topics surrounding the security of the website and your online transactions. Have you published a buying guide or frequently asked questions to help new comers to your website?
All these little things add up to create a more persuasive and interactive experience which ultimately make the user want to buy.
Design The Online Service You Would Want To Use Yourself
Your eCommerce store or app should be tested on people you have access too: your team members, friends and family members. Mashable informs us:
Chieh Huang, CEO of warehouse-club shopping app Boxed, encourages his team to put themselves in customers’ shoes. ‘We built Boxed because it’s a service our entire company wanted to use ourselves,’ says Huang. ‘When the entire team is thinking like a customer, it shows in the final product.’
Use The E-Commerce Tracking Functionality In Google Analytics
E-commerce tracking shows where marketing is not adding business value and gives you a starting point to make changes. It also allows you to look at changes in monetary terms and quantify exactly what value means to your organization.
Search Engine Land says that using Google Analytics when you are planning on implementing a 12 month strategy is useful because:
You will get the support and buy-in necessary to execute your proposed plan and carry it through to completion. Your budget will be sanctioned without protest, because who doesn’t like the idea of earning $10 million for an investment of a mere $100,000.
It’s a Give / Take Relationship
Listening to and implementing customer feedback is crucial for creating an experience that users want to go through. It’s even more important for small businesses that rely on word of mouth marketing for their exposure.
