The market for e-commerce has been growing and expanding, especially due to the Covid-19 pandemic. E-commerce reduces the gap between consumers and businesses by simplifying the shopping process. Similarly, competition between businesses have grown as well. Have you ever wondered what sets a successful e-commerce website apart? Why is it that some businesses experience a boost in traffic and sales during the pandemic, yet others feel little to no difference? In this blog, we have organised 5 key pointers which make a great e-commerce website.
1.Design
From the moment a customer enters a website, the aesthetic design of the website should catch their eye. Their first impression is formed based on what they see and this includes everything from the colour scheme, font, the layout to the organisation of information. The design of the user flow is equally important, it should be simple and user-friendly.
Although there are many web-design templates readily available, custom-build websites will help an e-commerce website to stand out from its competitors. With a custom-built website, the brand story could be seamlessly weaved into the core of the design, as well as into product and category descriptions, product video demos, and images of the brand’s products in use. A custom-built website by e-commerce specialists can also prevent high bounce-rates as compared to a website built amateurishly.
2.Product selection and description
What should you sell on your e-commerce website? Product selection is an important step for any e-commerce business. Having too huge a selection of products for customers to choose from can be problematic. More products will require more manpower to maintain and this will incur a higher cost. Sometimes, narrowing down the choices for customers can prevent confusion and allow for stronger emphasis on only the products that are relevant. Having features to categorise products such as: Featured product, Best seller list, Newly added, Great Deals etc can also help sort products.
As much as product selection is important, the way each item is presented to the customers will also affect their decision. Simple, clear and accurate details will allow customers to quickly find out all the information they need. This efficiency is attractive in the fast paced environment we live in. If there are more complex questions, it would be better to include a FAQ’s section/pages to deal with any doubts. Along with product description, there should be emphasis placed on the quality of images and video used. This can increase the appeal of products since what the customers see is what they will get. It increases the reliability of the brand as the images act as a quality assurance to customers.
3.Reliability and efficiency
For any e-commerce website, the check-out process is the final and most crucial step. To ensure a successful check-out, the process needs to be simple, fast and efficient. Especially online, all it takes to abandon their carts is to leave the site. The abandonment rate of full carts is as high as 67.45%. This is a common issue faced by various e-commerce websites. To reduce and prevent cart abandonment, simplify the process. Ask only for information needed and enable auto-fill as much as possible. It would be a pity if the website was well-designed and planned just to lose the customer at the final stage when checking-out.
Increase efficiency by also simplifying the login process. Some common ways are to equip the websites with Google and Facebook login to ease the hassle of account creation, remembering passwords and future logins.
An e-commerce website’s reliability is often based on customer reviews and ratings. Customers look towards reviews and ratings before making a purchase because it is more relatable. Reviews and ratings coming from customers who have already received the product are also likely to be closer to reality. By displaying customer reviews on the e-commerce website, it can increase transparency and gain customers’ trust.
4.Security
Along with the advancement of technology, cyber security becomes increasingly important since e-commerce businesses rely heavily on online transactions. With customers’ personal information involved, it might become a lucrative target for cybercriminals. In order to assure customers that their data will be protected, here are some of the security features recommended to enhance a website’s security measures.
- SSL certificate
- Two-factors authentication
- Privacy policy
- Updated software
- Backups
- Integrated firewall
- Hiding the backend login page
5.Mobile-optimised experience
In the mobile-dependent society we live in, many services are now accessible with just one mobile phone. From taking the public transport, making medical appointments, grocery shopping, food delivery to social interactions, it is undeniable that people are in fact highly dependent on their mobile devices. In order to stay relevant, e-commerce websites must be mobile-responsive and optimised for a seamless mobile experience.
The e-commerce market is highly competitive, however, it is a growing industry which businesses should consider venturing into. By ensuring your e-commerce website fulfils these requirements of a good e-commerce website, your business is one step closer to success in the e-commerc industry.
Backed by their team of professional web designers and developers, eFusion Technology is a leading web developer in Singapore providing a suite of the latest web design and development services to meet your brand’s needs. Reach out to us to find out more.
