Is Your Ecommerce Strategy Strong Enough?
Are you doing enough to make sure your conversions are maximized?
There are many elements of your website that will affect just how well you can turn browsers into buyers. It feels like everyone now has an online shop; the benefits of offering your products or services over the internet are so plentiful that ecommerce online stores have sprung up by the thousands, each competing for a share of the lucrative online market. But what makes a successful ecommerce website?
However, many online businesses fail to go the distance. Indeed, Forbes has previously described how just one in 10 startups make it to their third year, a figure which can definitely throw some water on the flames of your entrepreneurial dreams. Don’t fear though, there are plenty of ways you can spruce up your online store to make sure it invites custom, and that customers close the deal.
So what does it take to make a strong ecommerce website?
Ease of use
With plenty of alternative sites available to your customers, your store has to be super simple to navigate, with clear purchase points on every page. From the time they land on your website to the time they check out, your site visitors should feel confident that they can work the website with ease, finding helpful links to products, shopping carts and purchase points on every page. In this vein, your checkout process should be simplified as much as possible to avoid any potential customers abandoning their purchase at the last – or indeed any – hurdle.
Truth
Transparency is key to online businesses as it can be difficult to gain the trust of a potential customer from behind a mobile, desktop or tablet screen. Avoid any hidden nasties in your checkout process, such as last minute shipping price increases, or taxes which don’t appear anywhere else on your site. If your customers make the decision to purchase from you, they won’t be likely to stay or return if they feel hoodwinked by your company.
Truth should also be a top priority in your website’s content, as this will please both your customers and the search engines. A strong and truthful “About Us” section which is clearly accessible will encourage site visitors to connect with your brand and create trust between both parties.
Consistency
In-keeping with the importance of trust mentioned above, your website should be consistent throughout to encourage visitors to trust you with their hard earned e-cash. Your brand tone of voice should be clear and consistent across all channels you choose to communicate through. Your “About Us” section, for example, should be crafted in the same voice you use on your social media channels, and any email comms you use should also adopt this voice.
Consistency should run throughout the design and development of your site; ensure that each page follows the same color scheme, layout and functionality. This is made easy by the use of a template-based website builder tool, such as our very own Online Store Builder, as you can edit your site with ease and the functionality, and navigation is all under control from our end.
You can find out more about how Online Store Builder could be the solution for you here.