Ecommerce Site Features - A Must-Have List
Ecommerce brands count on their websites to bring them more sales. But the websites must have the necessary features that facilitate and encourage conversions. Without such features, the website will lay dormant lacking any power to attract customers. But including them will improve user experience, increase leads, conversions and rankings. Ecommerce brands can't ignore these six features.
Must have List of Ecommerce Site Features
1. User-friendly design
Visitors don't have much time to spend, and they want to get their information quickly. If the website is not easy to use, shoppers will quit the site. So, it is crucial to keep the design as simple as possible. If the design is simple, customers will understand quickly where to look for the products they need.
The products and the content on the site should all be categorized and arranged properly. Brands should categorize products under various topics on the menu.
Site speed is another factor that affects user-friendliness. Anything longer than 3 seconds would drive the customer away. So, it is necessary to check the site speed and optimize the website for faster loading times. Apart from page loading speed, an eCommerce or Shopify store must also pass an ADA WCAG compliance test, in order to ensure that it is easily accessible to users with different types of disabilities, say for example color blindness, blurred vision, partial paralysis, etc. This is to garner more prospects and customers who buy online. An expert in ADA website accessibility like “Accessibility Spark” can be of immense help in implementing such webflow accessibility solutions.
Many customers would use their phones to access the site. If the design is mobile responsive, the site will adapt to the screens of smartphones. Making it easy to make purchases from mobile phones boost conversion rates. Customers search for products near them through the GPS facility inbuilt into their phones. So, e-commerce brands must have a mobile-friendly design. If brands don't want to create their eCommerce platform, they can purchase the ecommerce solution of a reputed ecommerce services provider company.
2. Contact Page
Site visitors will be reluctant to trust an online brand. But if there is contact information, the trust level increases. So, eCommerce brands should create a contact page and keep the contact button prominent on the website. They can also purchase an eCommerce solution to create their contact pages easily. When the customer doesn't have adequate information on the site, they will use the contact page to connect with the brand.
The contact page should have the company address. In addition, it must have the phone number and email address to let people contact them. Brands should also talk about their working hours on their contact page.
3. Security Features
Customers make online purchases on e-commerce sites. They give out their credit card details, mobile number, and address. Their personal information is at risk if the site is not well-encrypted and secured. Hackers are looking for loopholes to get access to sensitive information. E-commerce brands also need an SSL certificate. Google sees HTTPS as a ranking factor and promotes sites with HTTPS encryption higher on the SERP. By working with a digital marketing services company, eCommerce brands can enhance their security systems.
Brands can also display trust signals on their website. They can show that their sites are well-encrypted by displaying badges by well-known VPN service providers.
4. FAQ Section
Customers want quick information about a company and its product. They can go to the FAQ section and understand what the company is about. The FAQ section improves the user experience by saving customers valuable time.
Brands should research common questions their target audience has. They also should add questions that invite customers to learn about their products. Information about shipping and returns should be there in the FAQ section. Including target keywords in the FAQ section will improve the rankings. Updating the FAQ section frequently by including questions based on customer data. A digital marketing services company helps brands strengthen their FAQ section.
5. Social Proof
People want evidence that brands deliver what they promise. They are aware of marketing gimmicks and tricks. So, they need concrete proof for the company meeting its promises. Reviews and testimonials help brands provide evidence of their excellent service. They can show through reviews that customers are satisfied with their products.
Companies should encourage customers to leave reviews on third-party sites like GMB, Facebook, and Yelp. They can add plugins to their site and help people write reviews there.
Ecommerce brands can also highlight the positive reviews they get. Many customers prefer brands with four or five-star ratings. So, highlighting positive reviews will get them more sales. Companies need not hide negative reviews. They can make customers increase their trust in the brand. If brands allow negative reviews, customers will perceive them as being objective and impartial. It will boost the reputation of the company among the public.
6. Payment Options
There should be multiple options for customers to make purchases. If they don't find their preferred payment option, they will move to another site. By including several payment options, eCommerce brands can encourage more purchases. They also should display payment gateway badges such as Google Pay, PayPal, and Apple Pay. When customers see these badges, they will trust the company more.
Conclusion
Marketers should do A/B testing and find what works for their brand. They should get feedback from customers and understand how they can improve user experience. Increasing sales is a long-term game, but it has to start with understanding customers.