Whether you have an eCommerce store already, or are looking to create one, most companies have the end goals in mind of increasing overall sales, and satisfying your customers’ needs and expectations. Customers will have certain expectations of your online store, and if you don’t meet those expectations, this will led to higher abandoned cart rates and lost sales.
Your website and online store should provide a seamless experience that is easy, fast, secure, and visually appealing. In order to achieve this type of experience for your customers there are certain innovative features that are imperative. An eCommerce store is all about putting the customer first when designing
7 “Must-Have” features of a successful eCommerce website
1. Good information architecture
Having good navigation on your eCommerce site can set you apart from your competition, and increase sales. You want the customer to be on a clear path from when they land on the homepage of your website to when they complete their purchase at checkout.
The information architecture of an online store shouldn’t be too confusing or too large. If the menu is too large this can be overwhelming and cause the customer to leave your site. Top level categories should be basic and then you can break down those top level categories slightly in a drop down menu or sub-level menu.
2. Secure checkout
We can incorporate several different payment gateways that we trust depending on the client’s preference and needs. Our goal is to ensure your client’s payment information is encrypted, and fully protected to provide them with peace of mind. We will ensure that your site is SSL encrypted so that any client information passing through your servers is protected.
Reliability and security is something that a customer will want to feel before they make a purchase through our online store, and if they don’t feel that they won’t make the purchase.
3. Product filtering and search
By offering a search among your products, we will make it easier for your users to find what they are looking for as fast as possible. If the user is unsure but has an idea of the product category, they can filter what categories they would like to see in order to make their online shopping experience the best it can be.
4. Showcasing related products
If a user is browsing through your products and shows interest in a particular product, they will probably be interested in products that are related – showcasing these products on the same page can increase your sales of these related products, and entice users to browse through your store more. This can also apply to services as well.
5. Shipping options
Offering multiple shipping options to your customers is relevant in today’s marketplace. It is what customers expect, and what we can give to your users. Some people prefer expedited shipping through UPS, while others might prefer to pay less and wait by using USPS. Every customer is different and will have different needs.
6. Responsive design
Responsive Design is something that web agencies can’t stress enough, especially when it comes to eCommerce. Mobile traffic has increased significantly and your online store should look great and function flawlessly on every device, regardless of the screen size. If you don’t have a responsive design, you risk losing customers which decreases your overall revenue and sales.
7. Quick load times
Your website and/or online store might be beautiful, but does it load quickly and function well? If your website doesn’t load quickly, then your website’s bounce rate will increase; this will lead to
your conversion rate dropping significantly. You want to avoid this by incorporating a design, and eCommerce platform that will allow all of your design assets to load as quickly as possible. The good news is you can still have a beautiful online store and fast load times. There are things you can do like compressing large image files, having a reliable hosting plan, and using caching services.
