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We are in an age now where almost everything can be done on the Internet. The World Wide Web can provide convenience to those who don’t want to leave their homes to run errands. Because of this, the emergence of ecommerce began. Now, people can simply buy goods online and have them delivered to their doorstep. Everything from food, clothes to electronics can be bought and sold online.
With so many businesses offering ecommerce to increase clientele, it’s important to have a website that would entice shoppers. Here are some key features that an online store should have if they want to be successful and have a lot of customers coming back for more.
Start with a Clean Homepage
The homepage is very important because this is the first impression the buyer would have of the ecommerce site. With one look, the customer should be able to know what this site is selling without having to browse through the catalogues. Make sure that each page can be accessed from the homepage and have the interface be as user-friendly as possible.
http://www.everythingbutwater.com/
Everything But Water has a great homepage that leaves no doubt about what their product is. Even the color scheme alludes to the water. It has clean lines and large, readable font that would help customers navigate the different pages.
Clear and Visible Shopping Cart
The online shopping cart functions just like its real-life counterpart. This feature allows shoppers to view their items and even get a sub-total of their purchases. The shopping cart is very important since customers want to keep track of their purchases and ensure that the item they want was registered. Make sure to have the shopping cart visible at all times and updated with the latest purchases. This would give your customer piece of mind and a more organized shopping experience.
Here are some features to add to your shopping cart:
- Verify Page. Always add a verify page whenever the shopper adds something to their cart. This would help the customer prevent mistakes in ordering items.
- Table-Based Layout. The table should show the item, its price and the quantity to be bought. A short description of the product would also be helpful.
- Get FAQs Straight. Some helpful links should also be visible on the shopping cart’s page. Questions about shipping, payment and returns can be answered here.
Display Product Features
In order for the customer to buy an item, he or she should know every little thing about it. Since they can only rely on their sense of sight when ordering a product, be generous with descriptions, photos and specifications. Have photographs of the item from different angles and display whether they could get the same item in a different size or color. It would also help to have a preview function on the products page for faster navigation. Availability of each product should also be updated often and displayed.
Asos provides its customers with different photos of their product from its details to what it can be paired with. Also, it has a page where visitors can create their own looks and find inspiration from other people’s style.
Optimize Search Functions
Customers love a good search box. This saves them the trouble of combing through hundreds of product pages. One thing that can be done to optimize the search field is to add an auto-complete function. This would not only make searches quicker, it can also suggest other results that the buyer wasn’t thinking of. This way, they get the most out of their shopping experience.
Be Original
Aside from technical aspects of an ecommerce website, the aesthetic impact would go a long way to entice customers. If they enjoy looking at the products and features on the site, then the bigger the possibility that they would come back again and again. No shopper would like shopping on a poorly made and generic website.
It’s also vital to mirror the brand’s image in the website’s image. An online clothing store should embody the vibe of the clothes it is selling. The aesthetic of a hip teens’ online clothing store should be different from an online grocery ecommerce website.
East Bay sells athletic clothes and gear. Their website is very masculine and has a lot of bold details. This would attract a lot of teen males, the site’s target demographic. Though they do sell women’s clothing, the main design is focused more for the male audience. It also has a fresh, urban feel which can also be said to be attractive for athletes.
