In our most recent webinar, we dove deep into ecommerce. Our presenter, WSI Consultant John Leech from Ireland, explained why ecommerce is so essential for your business and some expert ways to improve your visitors' website experience. Read this recap on our recent webinar, “Expert Tips to Improve Your Ecommerce Website Experience,” or watch the recording here.
While in 2019, only 15% of retail commerce was online, COVID-19 has brought about a permanent shift as internet shopping becomes the new normal. In our webinar, John shared his three-step framework for developing a strong ecommerce solution:
Ecommerce Website Experience #1 – Learn
Exactly as IRL, prospects will ask themselves, “does this look right?” and “am I comfortable doing business with this company?”. Use your Home, About, and Why Buy from Us pages to portray the type of establishment you are. Include social proof content such as testimonials and how-to articles to engage and build your reputation as a helpful expert. Display your physical phone number in the header as it is still a subconscious trust indicator. 51% of consumers trust companies that make it easy for visitors to contact the company's people.
Use your website's footer to build more legitimacy with certifications, security protocols, and professional partnerships. 23% of shoppers have abandoned a purchase because they don’t trust the website's security.
Double down on your contact details and make navigation easy with the predictable social media links in the footer.
Thanks to Amazon and eBay, a well-curated search function is essential on your Home page. While the element's arrangement can vary, category image navigation helps move customers to your profitable, key product categories. This is particularly important as the public gets more comfortable with using mobile to shop. By 2021, 72% of all retail eCommerce worldwide is expected to be on mobile. At the same time, beware of distracting carousels and animations, which can negatively impact your conversion rate.
Make checking out easy – just as you would in a physical store.
Ecommerce Website Experience #2 – Shop
Your product catalog pages and how you categorize them to assist in navigation tell users that you have the solutions they are searching for. Your website is your shop, so who is your best sales assistant? A dynamic search with multiple different filters that helps your customer find what they want.
People make decisions based on comparisons, so help them compare options. Answering questions before they are asked keeps customers moving through the flow to making a purchase – avoid instances where they may stop and wonder “why?” as this is when you risk losing them.
Customization options, such as choosing a specific color combination, mean that the user is investing more time selecting that product. Feeling control in the experience leads to more commitment and that, in turn, leads to significantly improved conversion rates.
Your images must be of the best quality possible, without impacting your page performance. In line with that, videos are growing more popular every day – especially for your top, high-markup products. Shoppers who view a product video are 174% more likely to purchase.
Make everything easy for your customers – from navigation and checkout to descriptions and warranties.
Ecommerce Website Experience #3 – Buy
To complete the purchase process, your checkout page needs to be as clear and concise as possible. Avoid being part of the approximate 70% global cart abandonment rate for eCommerce by:
- Removing all possible distractions;
- Having a one-page checkout process;
- Avoiding forced registration and allowing guest checkout;
- Waiting to upsell until the purchase is complete;
- Offering multiple payment options, like a credit card, PayPal, or Apple Pay;
- Being open about shipping costs right from the beginning.
In Summary
With the assistance of your local WSI consultant, you can tweak your eCommerce web design and see the impact of those changes using analytics. But don’t focus solely on the design, and make sure to spend as much time as possible on the entire online shopping experience.
For more information on improving your e-commerce website experience and other digital marketing strategies, contact WSI today.
