Selling online has become now the no. 1 strategy of many business. It`s easier, faster, 24/7 available, cost effective and can reach the global market. Not to say that, because of these facts, buying online is cheaper than buying from the store, not only because you`re saved from a meaningless journey to the store, but because the products showcased in an online store are cheaper. Building an online store is very easy. You install an e-commerce platform, add some products into a database and wait for the visitors to buy them. The hardest part is to manage to transform the visitors into cusomers, by successfully connecting them to products with a system that is efficient, easy and fun.
The conversion rate varies from one store to another. Some converts only 1% of the visitors, others even 10-15%. So what makes the difference so big? There are, of course, a multitude of factors, from products showcased to target audience, but every ecommerce website has to fulfill some criteria in order to create a great user experience and tons of sales.
A web store is nothing than a website, packed with a functionality which showcase and sell products. This functionality, combined with design should create the right experience for the user in order to generate sales.
Make a Detailed Product Page
Every product should be presented as detailed as possible. Being an online store the client can`t ask the seller about the product as he normally do in a real store. Is just the visitor and the website. The product page should answer to any questions a client can have. What colors and sizes are available, materials used, dimensions, weight, etc. Product images should be clear and enough to fully present the item. The content should be more descriptive and less technical, to be understood by everyone.
Product Image Slider
Display the product by using an intuitive slider.
Product Description
Describe the product accurately. You can even split the content into sections to present more content and gain some space on the webpage. Combine the description with the purchasing options and social widgets and you`ll create a proper environment for a great user experience.
Review System
Let your clients review the items, so that all know(including you – the seller) which are the most loved and which are top sellers. Reviews are an important factor in taking decisions, therefore, a reviewing system is a must have.
Related Products Widget
A related products widget is meant to present to clients more products and therefore, to increase the number of sales per user.
Display the Shopping Cart
When clients want to see the shopping cart, don`t send them to the cart page because you`ll loose the opportunity to cross-sell and the user will likely not continue shopping. Instead, display the products added in the shopping cart on the same page on which the user is, like a dropdown or popup.
Use Big DropDown Menus
A great e-store has a lot of products for sale, covering many categories, therefore, there`s the need to show all these products. A big dropdown menu, split into columns is the right choice. Not only will be able to showcase more products, but the visitors will navigate easier through the website and finally, will generate more sales.
Integrate a One-Page Checkout Process
Research demonstrates that the more pages the checkout process consists of, the more likely the customers will abandon the cart. Cutting down the number of checkout pages to a single one greatly reduces your chances of lost sales. Implementing a one page checkout will certainly increase your conversion rate with at least 15%.
Use Breadcrumbs
The tips above are the most important ones when it comes to make sales, but there`s always room for more. The quality consists in details. Another suggestion is to use breadcrums so that the visitor knows on what page it is and can easier navigate on the website.
Display Contact Information
There are a lot of scam websites built to steal money from people and e-commerce websites aren`t an exception. People are more likely to buy if they trust the seller, therefore, displaying the contact information of the store will confirm that they`re dealing with a real company. Put the info in a visible spot and try to include address, phone number and an email id.
Offer Multiple Payment Options
There`s no reason to allow users to pay only with Visa or Mastercard, or only with PayPal. This is a sales cut from start. Allowing multiple payment options will increase the number of sales. Consider including at least 3 payment options, so people have from where to choose from. Most common options are through Credit Card, Google Checkout and PayPal Checkout. But don`t worry about this. If you`re using an e-commerce platform to sell on, you should have this options inside the admin panel.
Selling online is more than showcasing products on a page. Combining the process of design with marketing will attract visitors and guiding them through the web store built with usability in mind will transform them from visitors to customers. However, following the suggestions above will help you increase your conversion rate!
