Running an eCommerce store is a great way to get your products out there and helps you build a wider customer base. But making sure your eCommerce site is usable and gives your customers a pleasant buying experience every time means doing more than just posting your products. You need to incorporate the right website design features from the very beginning. So, where should you start? Here are a few
must-have features that every eCommerce site should have in place.
1. Wish List Capabilities
With inflation being high, it’s highly unlikely that new customers will purchase from your store during their first visit. That’s why making sure your site has a wish list option is so important. Customers can add products they’re interested in to the list and purchase them when they’re ready. This reduces the risk of them forgetting about the items and makes it easier for customers to keep track of different versions of your products for later comparison.
2. Search Bars
Search bars may not seem like a big site feature, but they can dramatically improve your customers’ experience when shopping. Instead of having to navigate through your menu to find the right product, customers can simply type in what they’re looking for. By directing them to those items without hassle, you’ll show them that you value their support and want to make the buying process as easy and pain-free as possible.
3. Product Filtering and Sorting Options
Customers don’t always want to scroll through pages and pages of products to find one that meets their needs. Instead, they want to be able to filter your products to fit specific parameters. Making sure your eCommerce site has filters and sorting options can improve the user experience for everyone visiting your site. You can tailor these filters to fit the types of products you offer. Many businesses let customers sort products by price, but you can be as specific as you want. For example, if you sell clothes, you can design your site to let customers filter products by size, color, and type.
4. Multiple Payment Options
Buying products online is incredibly convenient. But to make your store stand out from your competitors, you’ll want to accept different payment options. Accepting all major credit cards is just the beginning. Ask your website design team to integrate services like PayPal, Shop, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay into your eCommerce site. This will ensure that customers are able to make purchases in a way that works for them.
5. Visible Return Policies
Returning products to online stores can be difficult. Make your business stand out by having a dedicated page that explains your return policy. Discuss your rules, the methods customers can choose for the return, and any other information you may have. Make this page easy to find by including it in both your header and footer menus. This can help you build trust with your customers. And if you can, consider letting your customers initiate returns online through your site.
6. Chatbots
Artificial intelligence (AI) is getting a lot of press lately. And while we don’t recommend using AI to create content, it can be a helpful tool when it’s used in an online chat service. Chatbots use AI to answer basic questions your customers may have. Your website design team can develop and integrate a chatbot into your site so your customers can ask questions anytime, even outside of your normal business hours. If you have a live chat service, you can still use the chatbot feature when your staff is offline.
7. Mobile-Responsive Designs
More people than ever before are relying on smartphones and tablets to surf the net. Since these screens are much smaller than the typical laptop or computer monitor, a standard website design and layout may not display correctly. This in turn can make your site more difficult to use. Work with your website design team to optimize your site for mobile displays. At Denver Website Designs, our team will make sure your site performs well on computers and mobile devices from the very beginning. And if your site isn’t currently set up to change layouts on smaller screens, we can make the necessary updates and design tweaks.
8. High Resolution Images
Great product photography is an absolute must for any eCommerce store. And each image you use should have a high enough resolution to display clearly even on the biggest screens. If your current site compresses your images or you’re underwhelmed with the quality of the images you’re currently using, replace them. Experienced website designers know how to work with high-resolution images and can ensure that each one is formatted properly to showcase your products.
9. Valid Security Certificates
Security certificates reduce the risk of hackers intercepting your customers’ personal and payment information. If you don’t have a security certificate, many browsers won’t let customers access your site in the first place. Make sure your certificate is valid and, if it’s not working, update your site to allow for a new certificate.
10. Visible Product Reviews
Displaying customer reviews for your products shows that you have nothing to hide. If your site doesn’t post reviews, customers may think twice before buying from your online store. Let your website design team create a new layout that makes it easy for your customers to see what others think of your products. It will inspire more confidence in your brand and can give you insight into what’s working and what’s not.
Give Your eCommerce Site the Facelift It Deserves
Running an eCommerce site means making sure that the site works and is designed with your customers in mind. If you’re not happy with the way your site looks or works, updating it is your best option. At Denver Website Designs, our experienced team can help. We understand the unique challenges that eCommerce sites face and will help you create a site that your customers will enjoy using every time. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and let our team show you how easy taking your site to the next level can be.
