So you want to sell products online? Here’s what you need to know, in order to have an effective E-commerce website.

An E-commerce site allows a company to reach their customer from anywhere at any time. If you are a company with tangible products and have a website you most likely have already entered into the lucrative world of E-commerce. It is important to note that if your ecommerce website is not set up properly it will not attract visitors and more importantly it will not engage those visitors and persuade them to purchase from your website. There are several elements that you should always consider if you want your ecommerce site to be successful and profitable. We shall now look at some of these key elements.

Product Detail and Imagery

Many poor performing websites provide poor product detail and low resolution images of the product. Ecommerce websites should focus on photos. Usually an eight – image approach works best. This approach allows potential customers to view the product from many different angles such as the front, back, bottom, left and right. Adding photo zooming tools to the website can be beneficial. This allows customers to see greater product detail.

Your website should provide lots of precise product information. No one wants to buy something they have no information about. Descriptive Product information ensures customers are better informed. Precise product descriptions alongside higher resolutions pictures will increase your ecommerce websites ranking on search engines.

Mobile Responsiveness

The amount of people browsing the web on mobile devices has increased at an incredibly fast rate in recent years. People like to shop while they are on the move. So if your website is not compatible for mobile you will have a tough time pleasing customers. It’s crucially important to be accessible to customers on whatever device they decide to use. Having a mobile friendly website enables you to increase sales as it offers convince to visitors and returning customers.

If you’re current ecommerce site doesn’t work well on mobile devices, one option is to rebuild your website with responsive design in mind. Simply put responsive design allows your website to adapt to the device your users are viewing it on.  Responsive design is web design that expands and contracts nicely for different devices. So whether a visitor views your website from a desktop computer or a smartphone the webpage will look good.

Another option could be to optimize your website for mobile devices.  A mobile optimized website is a website that is designed specifically for a smartphone or a tablet. A mobile optimised site ensures efficiency. The images are optimised for quick loading and maximum effectiveness. Functionalities on a mobile optimised website include tap-to –call, tap-to-email and map functionality. Mobile optimisation allows for easier site navigation, increased engagement and improved conversions.

Improving your website to ensure it is responsive to mobile devices is absolutely crucial when starting an ecommerce website. It may be a costly investment but an essential one at that.

Security

As more on more people shop online, security has become a very important factor for any business that operates online. Online security is vital in helping business reduce threats to their site and compromising sensitive consumer data. The data which your website collects should never be disclosed to any unauthorized personal. For your ecommerce website to be successful, security measures and systems must be put in place. A secure website builds trust and confidence in customers. Business should be aware of the several security systems which are available. Some of these systems are as follows:

Search Tool

Make it easy for customers to find their products. Ensure your ecommerce site has a search tool. A search tool allows customers to find the product that they want. Most customers will be looking for a particular product and don’t want to waste time filtering through items they do not need. Make sure the search results show the relevant product. This is a simple but basic error. Many search results on ecommerce sites often return the wrong products. This can leave customers frustrated. A successful ecommerce site should have Flexible search options. Flexible search options such as search suggestions while typing and spelling corrections while typing help customers find their product easier and quicker.

Here to help you build your E-commerce site

If you need an ecommerce website or some help with design or implementing systems, don’t hesitate to give us a call.