Web design is much more important to your eCommerce site than you think. For one, 38% of users claim to stop browsing a site if the design is unattractive. 75% of users also judge a business’ credibility based on their website.
Additionally, web design doesn’t just refer to aesthetics. It also talks about the technical aspects of your website, like the loading speed, security, navigability, accessibility, etc. All these are important to any user, and if even just one of them isn’t up to par, you can’t expect a potential customer to stay for long, let alone buy something.
We asked a reputable web design company for advice, and here are their tips for making your eCommerce site primed for sales.
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Ensure your site loads quickly
40% of users will leave a site if it loads too slowly. To avoid this, you must take measures to ensure every page is fully loaded in 3 seconds or less. There are many reasons for a web page to load slowly, audit your site to determine the loading time on each page and check any underperforming pages for the following:
- Uncompressed images. Large images will take longer to load than smaller images, so if you don’t need the image to be high-res, you can replace it with a version that takes up less memory.
- Multimedia content. Files like video or animations take longer to load than text and images. Ask yourself if these features are important or if you can do without them.
- Inefficient code. If the code is unnecessarily long, it will take longer for the computer to parse through it. Have an expert refine your code so that it’s as short as possible.
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Make navigation easy
Brick and mortar stores have the benefit of salespeople to assist with your customers’ shopping experience. Online, however, they’re largely on their own. This is why you should make product browsing convenient for your site visitors by providing links that lead to product categories. If you’re a craft store, for example, you can split your products into different hobbies (i.e. painting, embroidery, etc.). From there, you can subdivide them further into finer categories (i.e. split painting into acrylic, watercolor, brushes, etc.).
You should also include a search bar, filtering options, and sorting options. Ensure that your algorithms for these features are accurate. If a user searches “acrylic paint” but the results show other irrelevant items, then it doesn’t serve its purpose of making navigation easy. A professional web design company can provide you with expert services to ensure your site features are working as they should.
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Optimize your product pages
Your product page is your opportunity to showcase your product and convince the user to buy it. Upload high-res and professional photos so your customer can inspect the product as closely as they need to. Write a compelling product description that details how the product is superior compared to other brands and other relevant information your user might need (i.e. size chart, ingredients, expiration date, etc.).
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Streamline the checkout process
Checkout is the literal last step before a sale is closed, so you don’t want them to abandon their purchase there. Unfortunately, studies show that checkout is usually where cart abandonment tends to happen. Here are some tips to combat this problem:
All successful eCommerce businesses have two things in common: they implement advanced shipping rules and export their orders regularly. If you haven’t started doing the same, make the change and see the results
- Keep checkout as short as possible. You only need three steps: cart confirmation, customer information input, payment.
- Accept as many payment options as you can. One of the main reasons users opt-out is if the site doesn’t offer their preferred payment method.
- Use a flat rate on shipping. Another reason users abandon their purchase is if the shipping fees are too high. By using flat rate shipping, customers already know how much their shipping fee will be before checkout.
Prioritize mobile users
Mobile has long since overtaken desktop as the number one device people use to access the internet. This means that most of your customers are likely browsing your site through their mobile phones. Your site must have responsive design to ensure it displays and functions well regardless of the device being used. You can also develop a mobile version of the site or create a mobile app to facilitate a better shopping experience.
Your eCommerce website is your store in the digital space. No respectable business would leave their storefront looking decrepit and messy. So, you must invest in professional services to ensure your site is one that represents your business well. Most businesses hire a web developer or work with a reliable web design company.
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