The web has evolved to the point where it is now possible for anyone with an idea to create their website. One of the most common types of websites is ecommerce sites, which allow users to purchase goods and services online. If you have a web design business and you know people might be searching for “web design services near me”, there are many things that you will need to consider when designing your ecommerce site. For example, should they be able to search by color? Or filter products by size or price? This blog post covers 7 features that must include on any ecommerce site.
Why should you have an ecommerce website?
If your web design business is in an area with local customers, having an ecommerce website can help you connect with them. If you know that people nearby might be looking for a “web development agency near me” or “website design services near me“, then it makes sense to have an online web presence.
In this modern age, every business needs to consider their web marketing strategy, and what better way than to create an ecommerce site? While shopping cart software has simplified the process of creating ecommerce sites, many businesses still struggle with how to structure their online stores.
Essential elements to have on your ecommerce website
For an efficient and successful ecommerce website, there are seven features you must have.
- Good information architecture. Information Architecture is not just a fancy term for your website’s navigation; it’s one of the most important elements for an efficient website. Information Architecture provides users with clear direction on where they need to go to get what they want from your site—after all, that’s why people visit sites like yours! If visitors can’t find their way around or understand how a website works quickly and easily, then the chances of them coming back again anytime soon are small. So, make sure each page has its purpose and place within the overall user experience flow: don’t overcrowd pages with irrelevant content or links, because this leads users astray. You want to keep them on your website as much as possible. Also, ensure that when people search for “website design companies for small businesses near me”, you appear in the results.
- Secure checkout. Your ecommerce site needs to have a secure checkout process as this is one of the most important aspects to consider. If customers can not feel safe during their purchase, they are less likely to buy from you again. Therefore, ensure that your website has an SSL certificate and offers security options like Verified by Visa or MasterCard Secure Code for shoppers who want an extra layer of protection when buying online.
- Product filtering and search. This is an essential feature because your website’s users will be looking for a specific product. Therefore, you need to have a website search and filters to help them find the desired products as quickly as possible.
- Showcasing related products. Related product recommendations are also important because they can increase sales by up to 30% and boost conversion rates too. For example, if somebody is viewing one pair of shoes on your website but other pairs look similar or go with what they were originally going to buy, then it could lead to more purchases from the same shopper!
- Shipping options. Your ecommerce site needs to offer several shipping options, such as free delivery, next-day dispatch, delivery, and so forth, depending on who your target market is.
- Responsive design. The majority of users now search for “web design company near me” on mobile devices (smartphones or tablets), so it’s vital to optimize the website across all screens (desktops, laptop computers, and smaller smartphones). This can be achieved through responsive web design, which means that your site will adjust its layout according to the screen size being used whether you use an Android phone, iPhone, Windows phone, or any other mobile device. Hence, website design companies for small businesses near me should have this feature on their website.
- Quick load times. Although it is not as important as the above two points, fast website speeds are valued by users and search engines alike (mainly Google). It can be frustrating to wait minutes or even hours before a page loads fully-especially when you need information urgently (e.g., because of time constraints), so website design companies for small businesses near me must make sure that your site will load quickly enough.
Mistakes to avoid on your ecommerce website
It’s equally important to note some mistakes you should avoid when running your ecommerce site.
- Not calculating the math. This can be hazardous to your website’s health. If you don’t know how much it costs to ship an item, or if you haven’t added taxes to the cost of each product, then you’re setting yourself up for failure down the road.
- Not knowing your niche. This is another biggie that often gets overlooked by online store owners. It would help if you had a good idea of what makes your store unique and appealing enough that customers will want to buy it over other stores selling similar products or services online. Otherwise, there won’t be any reason why they should shop at yours instead of buying from someone else.
- Getting ahead of yourself. You can’t just open up your store and expect people to flock towards it. It takes time, money, persistence, and a lot of patience to make an online store successful.
- Spreading yourself too thin. With so many social media platforms out there that you could be using for your business (if you aren’t already), it’s easy to get overwhelmed by trying to keep up with them all simultaneously-especially if they are very different from each other or have completely different audiences on each of them and require vastly different types of content updates.
Conclusion
As you can see, the landscape of online selling is changing every year. Many of the right moves are platform agnostic, but some require you to pick one or two platforms and prioritize them. Therefore, you must implement the right features on your ecommerce website that will allow you to sell more products, attract new customers and expand into new markets.
