The global pandemic has brought e-commerce into the limelight. Because of the threat of the deadly SARS-COV-2 virus, more and more people are opting to conduct their businesses online. More people are now buying groceries online. Ordering clothes and other goods online is quickly becoming the norm. And though e-commerce is not new, it is new for people who have had to switch from physical stores to online shopping; or for those stores that were forced to open an online avenue for their customers.
The good thing about an e-commerce website is that it is always open. There are no store hours as there would be in a physical store. Customers can browse your products and services at all hours of the day. An online presence also attracts more customers because it makes your business more accessible to them.
However, in order to attract your customers, you would need a site that is appealing and would easily address their needs. Therefore, you need to focus on some key elements when creating an e-commerce website.
E-commerce Website Components to Focus on
Design and Branding
When creating your website, you need to consider your brand and the kind of design you want associated with it. You want people to know it’s your website without overwhelming them with your branding. Go for clean and simple designs. Flashing gifs and garish colors might turn your customers off. A simple, minimalistic design will display your brand more clearly. Not to mention it will load faster when they open your website.
Navigation
You want your customers to be able to find everything they need easily. Categorize your products in your menu in such a way that your customers can easily navigate, explore, and find what they need. Make the customer experience intuitive. Make sure that your website has a search bar for when your customers don’t want to go through the menu. Put the products you want to promote somewhere prominent, preferably on the main page, for easy access.
Product Description
Make sure that your products have not only labels but short descriptions as well. Since customers are browsing your wares online instead of in-store, they would need more information. An accurate and visible product description will allow your customers to make informed decisions about the products they are buying. This will also show them that your brand is trustworthy. So make that red wine description more interesting by, say, including what is best paired with every type.
Review and Feedback
Give your customers an avenue for feedback. This will make the customers feel that you are a brand that will listen to them. This will also provide you with ideas on how to improve the overall look and function of your website and how to better address your customers’ needs. It is also a good marketing strategy to allow your customers to rate your products. A highly rated product will bring in more customers and increase sales. Put in a link where they can contact you should they have questions or concerns and you should be all set. You can even get ideas from RFC (request for comment) templates and incorporate them into this particular section in your website to better optimize it.
Accessibility
Your website should be accessible from any device. Most online shoppers browse and shop from their mobile phones. Optimize your website to operate on any device. This way your customers can easily access your website either from their personal computers, tablets, or mobile phones.
Conclusion
Building an e-commerce website isn’t as hard as you think it is. By using the right tools and focusing on the right elements, you should be able to build an attractive and functional website. It is important to remember that with e-commerce websites, it is all about a hassle-free customer experience.