When people think of ecommerce, their minds generally move to Amazon, Etsy or Steam. But ecommerce has no limitations – even small, local and indie brands can set up an ecommerce store and sell merchandise directly to their customers. Ecommerce provides a fantastic opportunity for brands to increase sales, reach more customers and provide a seamless user experience.
Just as a traditional website needs regular upkeep, so does your ecommerce site. By continually updating and optimizing your site, you can separate yourself from your competitors and climb the ecommerce ladder. Below are some of our best tips for improving your ecommerce website.
Make Sure You’re Using the Right Platform
Even though it might seem like basic information, you’d be surprised how often the wrong ecommerce platform is chosen. Not all ecommerce and merchant platforms are created equal, so it’s important to use one that has the features you need. If you’re not seeing the results you had hoped for, it’s possible that you’re using the wrong platform.
Get back to the basics by answering the following questions:
- What is your budget?
- What products are you selling?
- What features does your ecommerce store need?
- What payment methods do you want to accept?
Once you know for sure that you’re using the right platform, you can move onto the next tips!
Improve the User Experience
No one wants to shop on a messy, slow website, so you need to make sure that you’re providing a good user experience. The best ways to do this are by making sure that your store is laid out in a visually appealing manner, and that your customers can easily learn about your products and services. If users are able to find what they’re looking for quickly, they’re more likely to make a purchase.
Put yourself in the customers’ shoes and pretend you are shopping for an item. Can you find the product easily? Are there clear descriptions and pictures next to the products? Are the category pages neat and organized? How is the checkout process? Is it lean and simple, or could it use some improvements?
Optimize Ecommerce Site Speed
Another way to improve your ecommerce site is by increasing its speed. Google says that a large majority of users will leave a mobile website if it takes more than three seconds to load. Online consumers are not patient, and you can’t expect them to change. Instead, you must provide them with the website they are looking for.
Some of the best ways to improve your ecommerce site speed are:
- Use fast and reliable hosting
- Reduce redirects and remove broken links
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
- Minify your code
- Compress and reduce images
- Use pop-ups sparingly
- Decrease thumbnail image sizes
Update Your Product Copy and Images
When was the last time you wrote product descriptions or uploaded images? If it has been a while, now is the time to improve them. Users want as much information as possible so that they can make an informed decision, so include all necessary info. But even more important is the images you select.
Because the ecommerce environment doesn’t allow customers to see and touch products in person, you need to provide them with high quality, detailed product photos. Focus on providing multiple photos of the product, zoom capabilities and 360-degree rotations, as these convert easier than single photos.
Maintaining your ecommerce site is the best way to ensure you’re delivering the best user experience. Today’s consumers have a lot of options, so you can’t get away with mediocre. Follow these tips to improve your ecommerce site, or schedule an appointment with WSI Internet Partners for insight.
