It’s very easy to lose customers on an ecommerce site. An average site has only a 1-4% conversion rate, and your competitors are never more than a click away on Google if you don’t make things easy for customers. An attractive-looking website plays a role, of course, but there’s a lot more to it than that. Here are a few points to remember.
Show your products clearly
Customers aren’t likely to buy your products if they can’t see exactly what they’re getting. The category page should include images and description previews presented in a clear, uncluttered way, leading to a larger image and more detailed description. If a product comes in several varieties, such as different colours, be sure the customer has the option of seeing the actual one they want.
Make filtering easy
If the customer has to wait till checkout to find that you don’t have the item in the right size, colour or other variety, the chances are they’ll simply abandon the shopping cart. If they can filter down to what they want, and it’s also easy to change or remove the filter without having to use the back button, they’ll be far more likely to go for a close alternative if necessary.
Straightforward navigation
The purpose of an ecommerce site is to get the customer from the product description to the checkout with as little reason as possible to abandon the purchase. Make sure the search bar and shopping cart are easy to see on every page, and make the “add to cart” button visible and tempting for each product. You can also make it easier for the customer to browse by using fly-out menus and breadcrumbs.
Plan your checkout well
You don’t want to confuse customers on the checkout page or let them get distracted. Make sure they have all the facts before they reach it — in particular, don’t wait till that point to add extras such as delivery costs. They’ll be more likely to abandon the sale at that point than if you’re upfront about it earlier. And keep content on the checkout page to a minimum — no sidebar, no alternative products, just details of the purchase and that all-important checkout button.
Make your site responsive
Already more people visit ecommerce sites on phones or tablets than on more traditional types of computer, and the range is going to increase with products like smart watches and smart glasses. It’s no good having a site that looks great on one device but is all over the place on others. An omni-channel site will ensure that everyone who visits it will have the same experience — and convert their interest to sales.
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