Ecommerce websites are in no short supply all over the web. With people buying just about anything from just about anywhere across the globe, maybe entrepreneurs realize the potential that exists with ecommerce.
Creating an ecommerce website
Ecommerce websites are very delicate, and since any website that must handle a lot of traffic is put under a lot more pressure, it’s paramount that you have a solid website design for your ecommerce site.
There are several, actually seven, design elements that you should always consider if you want your ecommerce site to be successful.
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Mobile responsiveness
People want to shop while they are on the go, it’s been proven time and time again, if your website is not compatible for mobile, you will have a hard time pleasing your customers. This is an investment that you absolutely must make when starting an ecommerce website.
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Security
As people shop online, they will want to know that their personal information is secure. The data that is collected through your website should definitely not be disclosed to any unauthorized personnel, and you should take measures to demonstrate to visitors you’re your website is secure and legit.
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Simplicity
No one wants to read a manual to be able to use your website. If the website is complicated then you will definitely have a problem getting people to come back to do their shopping again. The design should be simple and very straightforward. The login and sign up options should be very evident, and when someone presses buy they shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to get down the funnel.
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Product images and information
The design of your website should accommodate lots of product pictures and descriptive information. Usually the eight-image approach works best (front, back, top, bottom, left, right and some two perspective shots). No one wants to buy something that they cannot see or they have no information about. The goal is to make sure that the customers are better informed when they are doing their shopping. This will increase the opportunity for better placement on the search engines.
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Search tool
Make sure that your ecommerce site has a convenient search tool. A first time visitor is likely looking for one particular thing. They do not want to spend the whole day sifting through items that they do not need. Filtered searches are a major commodity and must be present if at all you want to make sure that you get the best results from it.
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Colors
The colors that you choose for your website branding can make or break the experience. No one wants to have their senses assaulted by a cocktail of strange colors. One very common mistake many people make with ecommerce websites is setting white text on a black background. Make it easy to see text and images, and find colors that complement each other.
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Recommendations
When you provide your customers with links to recommended products they might like, then you are going to make shopping easier on your site and promote additional sales. At least six links will make for an easier shopping experience that encourages extra additions to their cart.
Additional ecommerce Strategies
If you want your website to be very successful, then there are a few additional strategies to implement.
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Test and test some more
Make sure that you test your web design over and over again as if it is going out of style. This way you will be able to note problems and correct them in advance. There will still be problems, but less so the more you test.
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Provide clear shipping information
Are you going to provide free shipping information or will they have to pay? People do not like buying products if they don’t know how much shipping will cost. Make sure that you provide your visitors with clear information about the shipping.
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Fewer clicks equals better performance
A product that is buried under a whole lot of clicks is just as good as non-existent. Try as much as possible to ensure that all the products can be accessed with a maximum of four clicks. No one wants to waste time being redirected to page after page.
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Get high quality images
As mentioned earlier, the design of your ecommerce site should accommodate images of the products. These images should be high quality and unique. Invest in good quality images and your product listing ads on Google will pop from the rest of the more traditional images.
Conclusion
These are the seven things that are most important when you are designing a website, plus a few pointers on how to make sure that your website performs at its best.
There is good money to be made online, you just have to know what you’re doing with your ecommerce websites.