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E-commerce accounted for an incredible 14% of all retail sales in the last few years, and that number is only expected to increase. If your company is looking to break into the online retail business, you’ll need to make sure your e-commerce site has the essentials needed to succeed. Our goal at GooRooz is to pull in more customers to your page and drive more sales through an attractive and efficient user-friendly website.
The 8 Essentials of a Successful Ecommerce Site
1. A FAQ Page
Customers check out a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page more than most companies realize. A FAQ page that is easily accessible and well thought out makes the user’s experience of your website much smoother and more convenient. Having a way for your client’s questions to get answered without leaving your website will keep them engaged longer, increasing the likelihood of a sale.
When creating your FAQ page, work with your team to brainstorm the questions that users may have about your product, service, or industry. Consider including items that you want your users to know about that they may not think to ask. After your website is up and running for a while, keep track of the questions that are most often asked of you and consider adding them to the FAQ page to better anticipate your customer’s needs.
2. A Contact Page
Nothing is more frustrating than wanting to contact a company and not being able to find a phone number or email address. Most clients will not go through the extra step of trying to find your information through a search engine, which will cost you sales. When a customer has a question that is not answered on the FAQ, having a page dedicated to several contact options will make your business appear trustworthy.
Customers will find you to be more reliable if they can contact you in multiple ways. On your contact page include a phone number, email address, and links to your social media profiles. You can even include a chat feature that allows users’ questions to be answered in real-time or to help better direct clients to the appropriate members of your team for their inquiry.
3. Top-Quality Security
Investing in quality security will go a long way in customer loyalty. Clients who feel their data is protected will frequent your website more often. It is your responsibility as the business owner to show visitors that your website is secure and trustworthy. Inadequate security opens your business to significant legal and financial risks. Customers who don’t trust your site won’t make a purchase.
4. Mobile-Friendly Design
Mobile devices are responsible for more than half of all website traffic, and 61% of shoppers are more likely to purchase from sites that are mobile-friendly. That means that making your online retail business mobile-friendly will increase both your traffic and sales.
Your site must view well on any screen your customers may be using, including smartphones, laptops, and tablets. Sites that are frustrating to use on a mobile device are likely to lose customers.
5. User-Friendly Navigation
When users can’t quickly find what they’re looking for or are having trouble navigating your page, they aren’t likely to stick around for long. Implementing helpful, user-friendly navigation will encourage your customers to find what they’re looking for and make a purchase.
Clear menus that allow for browsing various product categories are most useful in easy-to-find locations, often right at the top of every page so it is the first thing that is visible on the screen.
6. Eye-Catching Shopping Cart and Checkout Buttons
Easy-to-use shopping carts and checkout processes are vital to retail website features. To encourage sales, display your “add to cart” and “checkout” buttons prominently on every page of your website, not just the title or shopping page.
When users visit their cart, they should be able to view all relevant information, such as the item’s name, the quantity of each product, and price. Making it easy to change the quantity or remove items directly from their cart enhances the overall navigation experience. Allowing your customers to save the status of their cart will encourage sales should they return to view them at a later time.
7. Multiple Payment Options
The way you accept payment is the defining element of a successful eCommerce site. Allowing traditional payments such as debit or credit cards is necessary, but including more current and popular methods of payment can improve customer experience. If the purchase is easy, clients are more likely to follow through.
Popular methods of payment currently include PayPal and Apple Pay, which allow customers to purchase at just the push of a button since their banking and shipping details are already pre-loaded into these applications. Display icons of the accepted payment methods clearly on your website so shoppers will know in advance what they need to buy your products.
8. Quality Photos and Videos
Visual content grabs the user’s attention. It keeps them engaged and assists in making purchase decisions. High-quality photos and videos make your website look professional and successful, improving the overall user experience. Studies show that product videos increase the likelihood of a purchase by 85%, making video one of the most effective tools of a retail website.
Include more than one image for each product so customers can get a real feel of its quality, size, and intended use. Including multiple angles and a zoom feature lets customers see how people use the product in different ways. The catch with photos and video is to make sure that the media doesn’t cause your website to load slowly. Pages that load quickly keep the customer’s attention and more often result in sales.
If your ecommerce website doesn’t contain all of the essentials, we can help. Contact us today at Goorooz for a personalized experience aimed at making you reach your sales goals. We can help you get up and running, or we can revamp an already existing site to increase efficiency and productivity. Let’s take your business to the next level.
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