E-commerce is the wave of the future. However, you need to do more than just set up an online store and hope customers buy. Just like any cutting-edge tool in your business repertoire, it’s important to learn the optimal way to use that tool. That’s why if you aren’t seeing much return on investment with your online store, you need to take a hard look at the vital components that make such a platform attractive to customers.
To start with, keep in mind that customers love online stores ultimately for their convenience. Customers can access your store from any Wi-Fi-connected device and pay with any card (ideally). If these features sound divergent from your experience of running an online store, it’s time to learn how to recognize the signs that you need to improve your online store.
1. Your Web Design Isn’t Mobile Responsive
You’re likely building an online store to boost the accessibility of your business. Many of the potential customers you’re missing out on are those who shop most often with their smartphones. You need to ensure customers can easily view and interact with your website from their mobile devices.
Mobile-responsive design can improve your online store’s accessibility tenfold. What responsive design does is allow your website to adapt to different platform sizes.
We’re sure you’re aware of the many different sizes of smartphones and tablets on the market today.
When your design is responsive, customers know you’re a forward-thinking business owner with their preferred, modern shopping experience in mind.
2. Your Website’s Layout Is Confusing to Navigate
If your online store fails to communicate essential information to your customers when they first land on your site, they will quickly bounce off to a website that’s easier to navigate. Your website should rely on a streamlined and clean layout.
When customers are online shopping, they like to scan a page quickly for the options they want and get going on their checkout process even quicker. That’s why user experience (UX) design should inform all your e-commerce design decisions. Some key features customers appreciate are:
- Easy-to-find menu and search bar for fast navigation
- Attractive high-resolution images for your products or related images if you’re selling services
- Concise content writing that’s easy to scan for essential information
- Customer service contact information
- Readily available terms and conditions, including information on shipping and returns, and an FAQ section for loose ends
3. You Don’t Have an Integrated Payment Solution
Have you ever shopped online? You might have noticed how frustrating it can be to have to take several steps to check out. To eliminate that frustration from your customers’ shopping experience, you need a customized, integrated payment solution. Such a solution allows customers to pay quickly and easily after they’ve added the items they want to their shopping carts.
There are many benefits to having an integrated payment solution, such as the ability to improve your online brand. Online shopping is gaining popularity, which means there are thousands of businesses you must compete with. A quick and easy checkout process can help you beat out your competition.
