Running an e-commerce website is a smart way to profit, reason being many people across the world looking to online sales instead of physical retailers. And since your business is entirely online, you need to ensure your e-commerce website does its job to increase your profits and your bottom line.
Of course, you want to ensure that your e-commerce website stands out from your competitors with a unique design and catchy branding. However, there are some essential elements all e-commerce websites absolutely need to have that help it function the way it should. Here are five of those important elements your website should always include.
1. Catchy, Detailed Descriptions
When people are buying something online, they don’t have the chance to touch the item or see it in person. That’s why they rely on your product descriptions to help drive their decision. 88% of online shoppers say that detailed product descriptions are “extremely important” for their purchasing decisions. Make sure you list all of the important information, including size, material, washing instructions, and anything else that may be relevant. If you don’t provide enough information, they may choose to take their business to one of your competitors.
2. An Easy, User-Friendly Checkout Process
Shopping cart abandonment is a big factor in decreasing online sales, and often this occurs because of the checkout process. In fact, 25% of online shoppers say that they abandon their shopping cart because the checkout process is too complicated. Some ways you can make this process easier include providing a progress bar, adding a guest checkout option, and avoiding asking for extra information.
3. Helpful Customer Support
Customer support is something that should never be overlooked. People will abandon companies and retailers if they have a bad customer experience. Additionally, customers are more likely to make a review about a product if they have a bad experience with customer support, and this can translate to negative word of mouth for your brand. Make it clear to your customers that you are there to help them at their convenience. Post your contact information where it can easily be seen, be active on social media, and install live chat support if you can. This goes a long way in terms of customer retention and brand reputation.
4. Search Bar Functionality
All e-commerce websites should have a properly functioning and easy to use search bar installed on their website to ensure a user friendly experience. Often, people are looking for specific items and want to know if you sell them. They don’t want to spend hours searching through the products on your site just to find that you don’t have what they’re looking for, so if they can’t search for it, there is a high chance they’ll just look somewhere else. Even if you don’t have the item, and the search comes up negative, you can have your search results suggest similar items with the help of your web developers.
5. Mobile Responsiveness
Today’s world is driven by the convenience of using smartphones to do everyday things online. This includes shopping. With millions of people owning smartphones, mobile online shopping is a major aspect of your online sales you should not ignore. According to BuildFire’s statistics, 82% of smartphone users in the United States use their mobile devices to shop online. Your e-commerce website needs to be mobile responsive and provide an easy experience for people on their smartphones. If people can’t navigate your website on their phone with ease, they won’t shop with your company and you will miss out on this major market of customers.
