eCommerce is the future of shopping. Most of us don’t have time in our busy lives to spend the day browsing the local shopping mall. There’s nothing wrong with this. All it means is people are likely to spend more time on the Internet searching for places where they can buy their items from the comfort of their own homes.
We will focus on some of the features every eCommerce website should incorporate. Here are the seven main ones.
1. Make it a Shop
Rather than one specific feature, this is something which should happen across your website. Your shop should actually look like a shop. There are more features than a big ‘Buy’ button which have to appear.
For example, you should have clearly defined product pages and these should form the basis of your website. It’s a mistake to believe your eCommerce store should look and feel like a static website.
2. Grids and Categories
Let’s take a look at the eCommerce site batterystation.co.uk for this point. You have to coax people to buy your products. Highlight them using a grid layout. At the top should be areas where you can market your new products. These will bring in the casual web surfers, whilst keeping your regular customers happy.
BatteryStation did this very well. They used grids to clearly display what their main products are. One glance tells you what this site is all about.
3. Responsive Design
Shopping on the go is one of the ways people regularly buy their products. Responsive design means your website automatically adjusts itself to the device it’s available on. For example, if you’re using an iPad the design will reshape and resize itself to suit the size of the screen.
It doesn’t take much to do this, and it doesn’t alter how your site looks online. It’s one of those hidden features we often take for granted.
According to Blue Claw Search, as much as 20% of 2012’s Christmas purchases were made with the aid of a mobile device. And this is only expected to rise.
4. Make a Visible Logo
Your logo is what everyone looks at. This precedes whatever you have to say. It’s the only thing which doesn’t have to use words and complete sentences to communicate something.
We all recognize the logos of major brands like eBay and Nike, but how many of us could name the founder or the current owner?
The logo should be everywhere. Make it bright and make it bold. Going subtle on your eCommerce website is lost potential.
5. A News Line
There’s a difference between a news line and a blog. A news line focuses on what’s going on right now. A blog is a collection of thoughts which remain evergreen. News is designed to grow stale after a while.
Your news line should gain regular attention from Google. It’s what you’ll be marketing primarily on Facebook and Twitter, as well as other social media websites. These news lines are ideal for keeping your eCommerce website current and in the spotlight.
6. Videos
Google is making it easier than ever to send videos and other forms of media to your friends. The major social media platforms are also making it possible to do this. A study from the L2 Think Tank revealed 64% of online shoppers are more likely to buy something after seeing it in a video.
The reasoning for this is obvious. It’s the product in action. It’s like seeing it in person. You can’t touch it, but you can see what it looks like away from the creative photography.
Again, allowing an area where videos can be displayed is a way to promote yourself via social media. Let people see and discover your company in a number of forms. It will benefit you because your potential audience grows significantly.
7. Payment Options
If you’re selling your products on an international scale, it only makes sense people will have different payment options. Clarify what your payment options are before your customers attempt to buy something.
Place small icons at the top of the menu. This makes it obvious what you accept and what you don’t. It also saves you from irritating customers.