Having a stunning website, studded with pretty catalogues, amazing photographs, and illustrations isn't the way to earn money from a web-based business. Many other factors help a website becoming successful and a home to the customers. Whether it's the load speed, cross browser compatibility, one step checkout, or the payment options provided to the customers, immense care is needed because it's matter of building repute and winning over the customer loyalty.
Here is given a glimpse of the 6 factors that can convert a simple e-commerce website into a big hit of the industry. Read and implement them on your e store.
1. A Website With Heavy Load: Remove The Burden
When a visitor comes at your website, it's the site speed that hits him hard or appeals to go ahead. More loading time can irritate the visitor and he/she will surely think about switching to some other e shop. Make minimum use of flash galleries and heavy graphics. Dynamic pages might create a good image for your website, but it affects the site performance, which is noticed by the visitors. Not a single visitor will want to stay for longer just to see your web pages opening. Remove the extra burden from your e-commerce website to make it attractive for the prospects.
2. Cross Browser Compatibility: Don't Ignore That
An e-commerce shop should run smoothly on all browsers. Whether it's Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, or Safari, your website should be compatible to all of them. The compatibility isn't just about easy viewing, but about all the features running smoothly on the browsers. If you aren't capable of making your website cross browser compatible, you can hire experts for that. Many web designers offer the services of creating cross browser compatible websites. Spend little money and let the prospects view your website on any of their preferred browser.
3. Search Bar: Facilitate The Visitors
An e commerce store without a search bar is just a mess for the customers. With a search bar, visitors can look for the products of their choice in just few clicks, instead of browsing through all the products offered at the website. In fact, it makes the online shopping a hassle free task, which is what demanded by the online customers. Don't let the visitors feel exhausted while waiting to reach the products of their choice by merely browsing.
4. SEO And SMO: You Cant Live Without That
Having an e-commerce store, built professionally, but not getting the attention of the targeted customers is useless. With search engine optimization, integrated into the website building, you can expect the prospects coming to your store quicker. Hire experts to make your website search engine friendly and to appeal to the search engines so that the prospects could find you with ease. It's more like building your repute over World Wide Web. Similarly, social media optimization should also be an integral part of website building. Without promoting a website over different social media platforms, you can expect stunning return on investment. Let your customers talk about your business over social media through likes and shares. However, for that purpose, you will have to make your website shining and services satisfying the customers.
5. Performance Feedback: Don't Ignore 3rd Party Usability
To make your e-commerce store successful, you need to know the visitors' behavior at your website. Get help from usability tests, surveys, and scores offered by third parties. It will let you know what's missing at your website and what to improve. You can use Crazy Egg to know what visitors are viewing at your website. Pay attention to these little things and let your website shine in your particular business niche.
6. One Step Checkout: To Avoid Complications
Another very important thing at any e-commerce store is the checkout process that often makes the online deal complicated for the customers. If there are many steps involved in the process, the customers feel irritated and think about switching without completing the deal. So, uses the one step checkout extension for your Magento based e shop and make the process hassle free for your customers.
Customer satisfaction is the top most priority whether it's about web designing, web developing, or web marketing of an e business. The points given above need your attention if you want to make you e store successful and earning huge.
What do you think about making an e commerce store customer friendly? Share your views in the comments below.
As an online shopper, I can’t agree with you more. The user experience is definitely the most important for any ecommerce site to succeed. The offerings and deals are secondary to shopping experience on the site. In a nutshell, it really has to be easy and fast.
The one thing I would add is security. There will be no transactions if customers don’t trust the site enough to provide personal information. PCI certification is something worth looking into.