Best Practices For Running A Successful Ecommerce Website
Wow, you are running an eCommerce business? Well, the term eCommerce no longer needs acknowledgement, does it? In today’s ever-changing times, everyone is working extremely hard to outdo themselves. But how they do it results in whether they might succeed or fail in their venture. And that’s the most tricky part: Launching an eCommerce business might sound like a cakewalk, but it takes a heck lot of effort, tactics, and various approaches.
Wow, you are running an eCommerce business? Well, the term eCommerce no longer needs acknowledgement, does it? In today’s ever-changing times, everyone is working extremely hard to outdo themselves. But how they do it results in whether they might succeed or fail in their venture. And that’s the most tricky part: Launching an eCommerce business might sound like a cakewalk, but it takes a heck lot of effort, tactics, and various approaches.
Fortunately, there are several eCommerce software development companies that can assist you well during the seismic shift. They have all the knowledge, and experience in offering a comprehensive set of services and most important of all – a roll-up-sleeves attitude. So are you ready to claim traction of not a million but a trillion-dollar eCommerce pie? Well, if so, the following article will guide you on how to go big in no time. Here you are about to receive full disclosure of certain best practices to keep in mind for running a successful eCommerce website, especially in today’s nerve-wracking times.
Running any business is a full-time job. Here you don’t get any days off or any sick leave or be able to slack off at work because one mistake can lead you to an immense amount of losses and meaningful revenues. So you see with so much at stake, you should be making any random choices or trying any random approaches. I do get it that there is a lot on your plate but you need to know that the never-ending market competition is going to be more and more fierce in the upcoming years. So be well-prepared!
Here success and sustainability both matter and you know what’s the worst part here. It has nothing to do with how long you have been running your eCommerce store. Take it as a reality check or a wake-up call, it’s time to up your eCommerce game! Now here comes the big question, where to start from? Keep reading. I am sure you will get all your answers by the end of the following post.
So with that in mind here are our top ideas to help you up your ecommerce business game.
Chose A Reliable Service Provider
One of the most obvious things to keep in mind is choosing a reliable hosting service provider. Unfortunately, businesses unknowingly tend to skip this step most of the time in an attempt to save money which could cost them in the long run.
You see, choosing a reliable hosting service provider is one of the best and sure-shot ways to consider if you want to speed up the conversions. And not doing so can increase the page loading duration and compel your valuable customers to leave the website in no time. There is a huge scope for dissatisfaction, purchasing premium services from a reputable company can take care of all these bottlenecks.
Shabbiness Is A Big No-No!
Imagine you are visiting a pizza place. There are two options available, one place is totally shabby and cluttered whereas another one is extremely clean and neat. Which one would you prefer? Of course, the latter one! Well, similarly this mentality works with online stores. Your eCommerce store must be neat, decluttered and well-designed to grab the attention of your valuable customers in a single go.
Now whenever we are viewing something very basic we tend to focus on one particular thing. Here is the twist, here you need to show a clear point of focus on what you want your visitors to see at their first glance. Make sure their eyes are drawn straight to a CTA button or especially on the products you think they will buy instantly. Ignoring CTA is again a big No-No! Here’s a quick fix, ask yourself these couple of questions before launching the eCommerce website.
- What actions do you want your end users to take once they land on your website? Of course, purchase the product
- Whatever you are placing on the website make sure it’s not a distraction or cluttering.
To make your visitors prefer you, you have to make an extra effort to make things easy and convenient for them. People hate overwhelming and confusing presence.
Trustworthiness Is Important
Another approach or best practice to consider for your eCommerce store is to make sure to come up with a trustworthy solution for your end users. Now you have two options http://www.website.com and https://www.website.com, which one will you choose? Well, again the latter one! With cybersecurity being a major concern, it is very important to ensure people that your space is highly secured and any information provided won’t be compromised at all. In addition, try opting for a valid SSL certificate. Having one can indeed make a lot of difference.
In addition to this, try to add as many trust seals or trust badges to the website. Ask your present users to provide valuable reviews and feedback, and try to make your website more authentic by placing phone numbers and physical addresses.
Did You Ever Think Of The Menu?
Having a well-organized navigation menu can have a great first impression on your end users. Here what you should not be doing is, don’t overcomplicate things. By doing so, you are pushing your end users away from finding exactly what they are looking for. However, there is no cookie-cutter solution or way that your menu has to be in this particular manner but one aspect must be taken into account and that is keeping your menu well-organized.
For example, if your eCommerce store includes just clothes and attires then you can categorize in regards to topwear or bottom wear for both men and women. If it comprises more than accessories, then you can surely add accessories, home decor, electronic appliances, groceries and whatnot!
Is The Search Bar Prominent?
The Next thing you must be taking into consideration is to try adding a search bar. Now if you are looking for a specific product then there will be no point in browsing things here and there. So try making things easy, hassle-free and more convenient for your end users. Even though your website features a simplified and clear-looking menu, not adding a search bar can be pretty devastating. An eCommerce store is never about selling one or two products. Here you are eligible to sell as many products as you can. So why bother your end users and compel them to scroll through these unnecessary products?
Instead, try making their experience more better by simply adding a search bar. This will surely drive more sales and conversations. Also, not to mention adding so can certainly narrow down their search and consumes the least amount of time possible.
What About The UI/UX?
You see web designing and web development always tend to work in tandem with each other. Offering a streamlined user experience or user interface has benefits of its own. For example, there is a specific hair dryer which has been frequently bought by your customers. Not every visitor of yours knows it but you as the store owner knows the fact that the hair dryer is worth buying. So what can be done is, try informing about the same to your end users. How about adding a recommendation at the bottom saying “frequently bought” By doing so, you won’t be just communicating with your end users but also saving their precious time.
If not purchased then they will at least have a look at the product and keep in mind the latter. One of the basic rules of the eCommerce realm is to try keeping your end users as engaged as possible, the more they are on your website, the more they are likely to buy products from your space.
Create A Community
Now you must be wondering how come an eCommerce store has a community. Well, in today’s ever-evolving times the definition of eCommerce is no longer limited to simply buying and selling products. It’s about marketing as well and doing it genuinely.
Try to create a community of your customers for current and potential ones where they can grow their network and share their purchase stories.
Though this community creation factor is often not taken into consideration because it’s not that easy to create as well as maintain a space where people can come and share their thoughts regarding your products and services. However, if you do then you won’t just be maximizing conversions but also enhancing enough traffic and engagement to your website.
Make It Easily Accessible And User-Friendly
Another best practice that businesses must take into account is to try making your website more and more accessible and user-friendly. Of course, the website must be attention-grabbing but there is no point if it is not easily accessible or user-friendly. Also consider that in some parts of the U.S and other areas such as The EU require your website to be accessible for people using screen readers and other assistive technology and failing to ensure they can use your site could lead to hefty fines.
An additional tip, do not try to incorporate call-to-action more than once on any page, annoying popups and intrusive banners can detract from the content. Sometimes too much persistence can make your end users leave the page and switch to your competition.
Streamline The Checkout Process
Well, this one is pretty huge! Many times businesses often fail to add a simplified checkout process. Imagine someone eagerly wanting to purchase from your store but is unable to do so just because your checkout process is not easy and manageable.
In fact, several stats have revealed that most of the time customers abandon the cart just because they get stuck during the checkout process. So as an eCommerce business, make sure you don’t make the same mistake. Do keep your tabs on the checkout procedure and come up with a solution that is hassle-free and streamlined for your valuable customers.
You Might Also Like: Abandoned Cart Emails: How To Re-Engage Customers Properly
It’s All About Maintaining Long-Term Relationships
Starting a business, especially an eCommerce business is never easy and maintaining one is even harder. So one shouldn’t stop themselves at just showcasing their businesses. Even though this is an eCommerce business that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be well sustained and considered a long-term relationship.
In today’s fast-paced times, nurturing long-term relationships is pretty pivotal. Try to come up with ideas that you think are needed for your valuable customers. For example, provide 24/7 services, try to communicate with them every now and then, and try customizing and personalizing the shopping experience as much as you can.
Final Word
We’re sure you will come across many other eCommerce best practices but these are some of the most preferred and tried and tested ones. Once you start incorporating these methods and approaches, I am sure nothing can stop you from gaining success to the next level. Simultaneously, keep evaluating the conversion rates and then make relevant changes in the strategy.
We hope you did find the following post meaningful. If so, do share it with your peers. In case, if you still have any doubts or queries, feel free to mention that in the comment section below.