The success of your eCommerce business depends to a great extent on the design of your website. After all, if it does not look right, visitors are unlikely to convert. There are some elements that every eCommerce website must have to stay competitive and convert visitors into customers.
Here are 4 features your eCommerce website should have:
Easy Navigation
Easy Navigation No one likes to shop in a cluttered store. The same holds for your online store too. An eCommerce store with poor navigation is not very different from a cluttered store.
Don’t add everything under the sun on the homepage. Visitors might feel overwhelmed and leave sooner than they arrived. Instead, offer an organised, structured navigation menu with only a few main categories on the homepage, allowing visitors to discover your products effortlessly.
Consider going for expanding menus that reveal more options when the visitor makes their initial selection.
Live Chat
We have all walked into a retail store to be greeted by a friendly staff. Live chat can be that friendly employee on your eCommerce website.
The impersonal nature of eCommerce stores can raise concerns. The customers may not trust you. They may fear a scam looming large. However, live chat reassures them that they have access to real people who are just a click away.
And when a prospective customer has a technical issue or a question that needs to be addressed before they make a purchase, instant assistance via live chat can alleviate friction, enabling the sale.
A ZenDesk study found that Live Chat offers an extremely high level of customer satisfaction. Visitors don’t prefer calling up or waiting for email support. They appreciate instant feedback.
Security and Safety
Entering credit card details online can put people in unease. With the ever-increasing instances of online fraud and scams, it’s important to offer a secure check-out process.
It all begins with a secure eCommerce site. Other security features include:
- SSL certification
- Two-factor authentication
- Firewall
- Privacy policy
- Secure checkout
As important as offering a secure online store is telling your customers that they can expect a safe shopping experience on your online store. The simplest way to do that is by displaying trust badges.
Social Proof
Social proof is an important element of trust that today’s consumers give a lot of weight to when buying online. Shoppers do not know who’s behind the eCommerce store. They can’t even touch and feel the products. And online returns could be a hassle.
Reviews from your customers give your visitors an introduction to your products.
A 2017 study reveals that 95% of shoppers read online reviews before buying a product. That’s why you must integrate a review platform with your eCommerce website.
Social proof instils trust and provides people with the confidence that they are making the right choice by deciding to buy from you. So, make social proof an innate part of your eCommerce store.
It’s All About Offering a Fantastic Shopping Experience
These all-important features allow you to offer a stellar customer experience. If you are looking to build an online store that will distinguish you and make the right impression on visitors, talk to the eCommerce specialists at Accentuate Web Design & Marketing.
