by Jerry Mooney
Whether your business has both a physical store and a website, or you are solely based on the internet; e-commerce is continuously growing at a rapid pace. The convenience of online shopping is extremely appealing to customers, and with tablets and smartphones; there is always an opportunity for visitors to invest in your business, whatever time of day. The market is constantly evolving, and the new technology and software surrounding e-commerce sites and online retail is aimed to entice potential customers to shop more often, ensure that their experience is a positive one and that they return to buy with a company again. Therefore, it’s crucial that you’re aware of what’s happening regarding the latest processes and tech so that you can keep ahead of your many competitors.
It’s always a good thing when you can stock and provide items that are unavailable or difficult to source elsewhere. However, if your visitor feels let down, frustrated, or unimpressed with your website, they’ll quickly lose trust in your business and go elsewhere. Therefore, you need to marry together great products, with great service, and a website that will impress each visitor, so they are happy to return in the future. The following are some ideas and inspiration for those who want to boost their online space to ensure their customers become their brand ambassadors.
Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-wearing-gray-blazer-838413/
Usability
The design of your website needs to focus on more than just how visually pleasing it is; although, this is crucial too. However, when you’re designing and building your site with a reputable team, it’s worth putting the focus on to how easy it is to navigate, find products, and communicate any queries or questions. Your ecommerce optimization will come with expert advice and analyze your data so that you’re providing an environment your customers will enjoy and use, rather than just look at and leave. Your images need to be clear, and it should never be a challenge to find product information or prices; much like in a physical store, your items need to be easy to reach and learn about to encourage sales. Navigating through to various areas of your site also needs to be a breeze; ensure that it’s easy to spot where and how to click, and keep each process to one or two steps to avoid frustration or confusion.
Visual Appeal
As previously mentioned; your site needs to be aesthetically appealing and inviting to ensure that customers want to stay there after they arrive. Therefore, it worth seeking the help of designers who can ensure that your branding is working for your business and visible throughout the website. Over-cluttered online environments are off-putting and overwhelming, so keep things clean and simple; this will help with the usability side of things also. There’s no harm in promoting your brand identity and personality on your site; however, make sure that it’s noticeable, but not too distracting so that your products and buying them remains at the heart of your online space. Bringing together visual design and great usability qualities will keep your customers happy online, and they’ll keep coming back for more.