Choosing the right platform to build an online shopping website is key to the success of your website. The chosen platform should be capable enough to fulfil not only your current business requirements but should be agile enough for future expansion too. An online store cannot afford downtimes or crashes, so talk to your web development agency to provide the best as per your business requirement. For businesses who are reluctant to invest initially, WordPress as a platform would be economically viable, however, it might not support large-scale proceedings.
User-friendly design is what drives a site visitor to move ahead. While designing your shopping portal, care should be taken to ensure that it is easy for a visitor to find products they are looking for. Ease of navigation is crucial. Call to Action (CTA) buttons and navigation links should be placed where it is easy to spot. The layout of displayed products should be attractive and clutter-free. Design and look of a website are the deciding factors for a shopper. Shabby looking website is immediately linked to unprofessional service in a visitors’ mind.
Search Option and filters are features you cannot do away with for an online shopping website. Just having the search feature won’t do the job, it should be well integrated so that it shows up appropriate results, helps the user and lists all the relevant products in the result. If your product fails to appear in the search, it may lead to loss of business. Similarly, filters are equally important. Features relevant to the products and customer preferences should be present in the filter. If we go with the above-mentioned online nursery example, your online store visitors would need filters like an indoor-outdoor plant, low-light plants, succulents and so on.
Your online shop needs a cart (we know you know!) however, we have come across tons of ineffective shopping carts that make shoppers abandon the cart instead of making the purchase. A shopping cart should be smart enough to sync multiple additions from multiple opened tabs, should show every calculation including GST and shipping, should have the option to include promo code and a shopper should be able to save and come back to the cart later just in case they don’t wish to complete the transaction then. Next is a payment system, every online shopper wishes for safety and flexibility when it comes to an online transaction, so having multiple payment options and secured payment gateways promises fewer cart abandonments.
Make sure you have your return, shipping and payment policies detailed on your website. Also, includesome Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) related to your products, customer service, installation, payment, return etc. Being transparent will make shoppers confident.
Not to mention, your customers could be using any device to shop, mobile being the most likely! Your eCommerce website should then display properly on all devices irrespective of their size. Product images and the accompanying details should all be displayed properly along with the CTA. All the features of the website should be optimised for handheld devices making it convenient for every user to shop.
Your online shop should be flowing with visitors, else what’s the point of having one. Create noise and let your target audience know that you are here. Constant and continuous online marketing must be a part of your marketing strategy. Cost-effective online marketing methodologies are available for small business enterprises.
