What makes a good ecommerce website?
For many businesses, their website is the first point of contact between buyer and seller. Every website should be both visually appealing and easy to use, but there are certain elements that every ecommerce website should have in order to stay relevant and competitive.
At Blue Whale Media, our website development team has broken down the jargon of ecommerce so you can learn about what makes a good ecommerce website. Here’s what you need to know:
Keep the user in mind
Every single detail of your website from product images to contact forms will contribute to users’ decisions when making a purchase. User experience is paramount to turning visitors into customers and then getting them to come back. Studies have shown that 70% of consumers say that the most essential characteristics of an ecommerce website are ease of use. The idea is to help shoppers get what they want quickly without complexity when purchasing a product or service.
High-quality photos and videos
The biggest issue for online shoppers is that they cannot see products in person before they buy or make a purchase. You can enhance your ecommerce website by using high-quality product images and possibly even a video depending on the product. You could also consider creating photo galleries for specific products so that users can ‘window shoppers’ but on your website and see multiple angles of the product. This is probably as close as you can get to allowing visitors to examine a product before they make a purchase.
Utilise simple web design
Minimalist websites are consistently rated as more visually appealing and more trustworthy than visually complex websites. The design really matters when it comes to ecommerce, a good design signals that there’s a solid company behind the screen. Your navigation will also benefit from minimalist design because it will make it easier for your customers to find what they are looking for.
Reviews and testimonials
61% of online shoppers read other customer reviews before deciding to purchase a product online. Customer reviews and testimonials are a quick and easy way to promote sales and conversions quickly. One effective ecommerce website strategy is to include product reviews directly under each individual product description. This will give your customers an idea of what your product or service does and how it is received.
Keep your products organised
To make it as easy as possible for users to find the products they are looking for, you should keep the products on your site organised into categories. This helps to streamline the shopper’s user experience on your ecommerce website and also gives users a glimpse into product categories they never knew you had.
As you can see, getting a good ecommerce website up and running is an involved and detailed process. A good ecommerce website should not only be visually attractive, but it should provide a hassle-free shopping experience.
At Blue Whale Media, we can assist you with any ecommerce website issues; why not get in touch with us today?