It’s already a proven fact that online business works more than what we see with traditional formats lately. Whether a product-based company or a service provider, trading through online medium has levitated in the recent past. People have adopted this change with a smile.
You have gadgets, electronics, sports equipment, jewelry, apparel, tops, tees, home furnishing and a lot more on offer. E-commerce websites have made a special place in the hearts of users helping them in transforming their hectic shopping experience into a simpler one.
There isn’t a defined niche for e-commerce stores as you have limitless opportunities to tap on. The sole motive of a business is to generate more revenue, which also indicates the success of an online store. The point to note here is that success isn’t directly proportional to the quality of products or services you offer. Instead it depends on the experience you provide to your users.
Here, we have a list of top features, which you can’t afford to miss during eCommerce web development. Surely, there can’t be universal features or design layouts that guarantee your success, but there are certain essential ones, which can’t be overlooked.
Attractive layout
Design helps users stay on your website. The layout for an e-commerce website is completely different from that of a blog or a website. The most important aspect of any e-commerce website is the showcase of products. As soon as the user lands on the homepage of your website he/she should get that feel.
It’s important for designers to put aside their creativity and focus on the simple yet effective template. The color combination of the theme and fonts need to be considered. Also, every category has a special color. Like, if you have a fashion online store then vibrant colors like purple, orange and green can work but the same for a software store cannot.
You can consult a proficient designer to attaining desired results keeping all the required aspects in mind.
Effective search
A search bar is a necessity for an e-commerce store. What would be better than allowing users to search their queries from the search box at the top of the home page? This will not only help the user to match results according to the query entered but will also help in saving a lot of time and effort. In a matter of two clicks a user can land on the desired page.
In addition to this, you can include suggestions in the search bar that activates once the user enters few initial characters.
Easy sign-up
E-commerce websites require users to register so that tracking of orders and product deliveries can be enabled. However, users are reluctant in filling those long forms for registration leading to a low user experience. You need to act smart here as a business owner in gathering all the required details without hassling customers. Keep the forms short and sweet, a max of three fields will do. Social account logins and mobile number sign-ups can also help the purpose here.
Enhanced product display
The only way e-commerce stores generate more sales is through displaying products in a supreme way possible. Unless the images of the product are impressive you won’t be able to capture user’s mind. Granting an extraordinary experience to the users every time they visit your website is very important.
Adding a zoom feature to your images on the website can leverage them to explore the product more closely. They can have a closer look on its design, color, material, pattern and quality. By doing this, you add an additional value, which can help you gain user’s trust.
Also Read: Undo the Mistakes from your eCommerce Site
Live customer support
The feature of live customer support is another essential that can help your online business to flourish like never. Customers like to solve their queries then and there itself rather than drafting a mail for the same and wait for its reply for another two business days.
Who doesn’t like quick solutions? Already life is full of problems and people don’t want another one to stack up there. An instant support aids in nullifying the problem stack for the visitors and adds another reason for users to make a purchase at your store. Plus, a quick query solver technique can help you in increasing sales as happy customers are likely to purchase goods more quickly than others.
Make your customers happy by a quick remedy and rocket your sales in absolutely no time.
Customer-centric return policy
Images can sometimes mislead users in terms of size, color or quality for that matter, which forces them to opt for a change or a return. Policies devised by companies should be customer-friendly rather than a reflection of imposing orders. Businesses for whom customers come first tend to become successful in a long run than those who try to impose rules onto them.
Rather than focusing too much on profits, revenues and sales, pay attention to customer satisfaction. Loyal customers are hard to find and one way to get them onboard is to treat them the way they like to.
Easy checkouts
Try and keep the checkout process as easy as possible. Don’t populate the checkout page with too many functions or you can say unwanted elements. Let the user review his/her order. Allow him/her an option to set the desired delivery address as default. Plus, grant him/her the leverage to save more than one delivery address for quick checkout.
The details on the checkout page should be crystal clear so that a seamless process can be followed by the user. Precise and crisp display of order & shipping details along with the easy payment modes can do the trick.
Multiple payment modes and gateways
Online transaction through a reliable source is one of the serious issues encountered by users in today’s digital world. As an owner of an e-commerce website, you need to leverage users with multiple payment modes as well as gateways. For locals, cash-on-delivery should be a regular practice. While local banks can cater the needs of cardholders who wish to pay online.
Payment gateway like PayPal comes in the picture where websites operate irrespective of the region. It is reliable, secure and easy to operate. Various other players have also entered the market for the same purpose with alluring deals and packages. Although, they are reliable, but it is advised to do an extensive research about new companies for authenticity and integrity.
Informative content is essential
It is the case with most of the e-commerce websites in the market that they don’t have informative articles and educating stuff to cater their customers. The focus is to increase sales, which is right, but to a certain extent. You got to give something extra if you want to outplay your competition. The blog is an effective medium to educate visitors about products listed on your marketplace and target ‘question queries’, which a layman fires through search engines.
A good quality content section can help you attract new potential customers who can later be a regular part of your customer list. Users search the web for latest trends, news and events, which can make them land on your related meaningful write-ups.
Also Read: Things to Watch Out for a Successful eCommerce
What’s beneficial is that you can link your product page directly from that read. This not only accounts for efficient internal link building but also enhances chances of that user to make a purchase. Search engines also love websites, which have high-quality content so you might see a positive shift in your search engine ranking as well. More traffic means more potential customers, which ultimately reflects more revenue.
Social presence makes a difference
Social channels have made a special place in the lives of users. They aren’t just a medium of connecting with friends. Rather have evolved over a period of time. Users like to follow their favorite brands and online stores for best deals, new offers and discounts. They consider it a quick way to interact with the store’s admin to resolve a query instantly.
Since people like to follow their favorite brands over social media channels, it’s important from the business point of view to have a dedicated team for handling their social media accounts for better customer interaction, engagement and regular update of the same.
Final Words
Success isn’t achieved overnight. It is a prolonged process involving hard work, persistence, passion and dedication. You got to learn the art of attaining glory. Give yourself time, work on important aspects and don’t forget to follow standards. Aforementioned pointers are proven methods to achieve the invincible. Devote time in planning, strategizing and focusing on important aspects of the business and it would be a matter of time for you to achieve your set goals.
In the past, online stores have devised these techniques to generate higher revenues, better customer satisfaction rate and improved brand image. Now it’s your turn to make a shift and take your business to new undiscovered heights.
Manish Jain
Latest posts by Manish Jain (see all)
- The Role of Security Analytics in Conquering IoT Threats - October 26, 2017
- How to Get Your App Published on Apple App Store - September 25, 2017
- 10 Tips to Creating the Next Great App - August 28, 2017