So, you’ve finally decided to take the plunge and launch your online business. Good for you! You’ve decided on your product offerings and figured out your business plan; now, all that’s left is to actually set up the website.
Seems simple enough, but there is actually a whole lot that needs to go into a successful e-commerce site. If you’re not entirely sure what to focus on, here are some of the most important elements.
User-Friendly Homepage
Your homepage is like your storefront, the very first thing your audience sees when they click on your business page. First impressions matter, so you need to get this right.
Do some research about website homepage best practices to learn what is required on a homepage and how to keep customers browsing your site for longer. Make sure that the page is user-friendly, easy to navigate, and pleasing to look at. Your audience will need to find their way to the rest of your site from there.
High-Quality Product Images and Descriptions
Without physical premises, your customers won’t be able to see or touch your product offerings in person. Therefore, you’ll need to let your visuals and descriptions do all the convincing.
Invest in high-quality product photography (preferably done by a pro) for your offerings, and work with a copywriter to come up with enticing descriptions. Provide your customers with as much information as possible to help them make their decisions while shopping on your page.
Secure Payment Options
Consumers want to feel at ease when shopping online, and many people are cautious and even skeptical when it comes to sticking their card number into any online page.
Offering secure (and recognized) payment gateways is a key part of building your website to negate this issue and help your customers build trust in your brand. Along with making sure the payment is secure, you want to be certain that the system is working properly so your customers can check out and that you’ll get paid.
Customer Reviews and Testimonials
As a small business, potential buyers will want some reassurance that they can trust your products, which is where reviews and testimonials come in. Show customer reviews on product descriptions and add a testimonials page to your website to showcase what your buyers have to say.
In the beginning, you may need to ask your customers to leave reviews to help you out. A good tactic is to offer some kind of benefit for leaving a rating or review, such as a 20% discount on their next purchase or access to exclusive deals.
Mobile Responsiveness
Finally, in 2024, you have to ensure that your website is optimized for mobile. Many consumers are shopping on their smartphones and will likely click out of a website that won’t load properly.
A good e-commerce platform should make this easy to set up, but work with a professional web designer if you’re having trouble or feel unsure about your website’s responsiveness. An even better option is to develop a mobile app for your business, but this will take extra time and capital.
