When it comes to effective eCommerce website design there are several key elements that come into the picture that make it an entirely different design than regular website design. Websites that are in place to promote different types of series, inform people of information, allow blog posts, and so on are in a different league than eCommerce sites.
For people that want to have an eCommerce site that makes sales and provides quality, they have to do a little more footwork than the average designer.
eCommerce Explained
Back when the term “eCommerce” first appeared in the world things were a lot different, however, the concept of selling things online has not changed at all.
An eCommerce site has to be:
- Clean
- Trustworthy
- Easy to navigate
- Descriptive
- Stable
The “e” in eCommerce stands for electronic, so the term really means “electronic commerce.” Given the way that the internet works, a person could do really well in the eCommerce market, or do really badly.
The difference between somebody succeeding and somebody failing could simply be the way that they present their product to people on the internet.
People that are looking to buy things online want a clear description of what they are buying with pictures or 3D views and even videos to further describe what they are looking for. What makes eCommerce a little more difficult than other types of online businesses is that online markets are competing with real-life markets where people can physically examine and feel the products they are looking at.
Search Engine Optimization and Conversion Rates
In order to have a successful online business, you have to have an online presence. When people search for items on the internet usually the first websites that they see at the top of the search results are from big-time sites like Amazon, Google Store, or eBay.
If you are planning on competing with online monsters in the big game you must have an intense SEO plan in order to be seen at all. In fact, many of the online stores out there pay for advertisements in the search engines and can pay upwards of $200K per month.
In addition to being widely visible in the search engines, the website itself has to be created in a way that builds trust and inspires visitors to carry out the goal of the site and purchase an item, or 10.
Search engine optimization is only one part of the equation. When it comes to being seen, then having visitors purchase items on the site is a whole different ball game. Although visibility is instrumental for the success of the business, how good is it if people are not buying merchandise?
eCommerce Development
Another huge factor in the design of eCommerce websites is that the entire structure of the site will have to be built in a manner that is much more complicated and sophisticated than an informational website.
For example, an online store that has hundreds of items for sale will have to be built on a platform with eCommerce capabilities, and be hosted on a server that is strong and fast enough to handle the heat of a multitude of online customers.
There are pre-built platforms such as Woo Commerce and Shopify that many websites can implement for a price, but there are also skilled developers that can custom-build websites that are structured to allow people to shop, make transactions and pay online.
Building Trust and Generating Revenue
There are so many crooked scams on the internet that people are skeptical when it comes to trusting an online store that they are unfamiliar with. Even though they are trying to buy something that they really want, most people want to know that they can trust the store before they give them their credit card information.
Some of the elements that can forge trust are:
- 5-Star online reviews
- Complete contact information
- A great-looking website
- Fresh, new content
When visitors land on a website page if they get a sense that the site is low-quality or if there is anything suspicious-looking they will turn away and not come back again.
The eCommerce website has to be in tip-top shape, filled with useful content, and without broken links or pages that are not clear about what they are offering.
Many online stores start by subletting their items on a larger eCommerce site such as Amazon. After they build a reputation for being high-quality and trustworthy they shift from being on the larger site to their own site.
In fact, it is a wise idea to keep both the standalone eCommerce site and the seller account on the other platform for as long as possible.
When customers see that there is a history of good sales transactions, they will tend to be more trustful when it comes to making purchases.
Items and Descriptions
The great thing about eCommerce websites is that you can post as many items for sale as you want to, depending on the bandwidth of your hosting provider. If you have a million pieces of merchandise that need to have their own specific pages, an eCommerce site will allow you to do so.
When offering items for sale on a website remember to:
- Write clear, descriptive titles
- Give rich, explanatory descriptions with keywords
- Provide many clear photographs from different angles
Not only do customers want to know as much as they can about the products that they are considering buying, but the search engines will also pick up pieces of information from the site and present it to seekers in search results. Clear descriptions and great titles make for optimum search engine visibility.
Payment Processing
There are literally thousands of options when it comes to payment processing on an eCommerce website. Some of the more common platforms have the ability to integrate several processing methods into one checkout strategy that handles all kinds of transactions. Other platforms will only allow PayPal or certain credit card vendors such as Visa or Mastercard.
The most important functions of a payment processing portal will be:
- Security
- Prompt payment
- Ease of use
Making sure that the seller gets the funds is extremely important, however, having a secure means for transactions is of the highest importance because if hackers get in and hijack the money, everybody loses.
Some types of payment processing methods are:
- Mail-in check
- PayPal
- Direct bank deposit
- A merchant account that accepts cards
If a visitor makes a purchase then goes on to the payment processing portal and gets a sense that it is untrustworthy the odds of them going through with the transaction are pretty slim. Nobody wants their bank information stolen or hacked.
eCommerce Website Design Fundamentals
Above all else, the merchant that is selling items online has to be responsible and possess ethical values. As soon as a website gets a reputation of being shady or untrustworthy, people will steer very clear of it. If the merchant is stealing from people the truth will come out sooner or later and they will have to face the consequences.
The best way to form an unrelenting sales machine is to develop a function that shows honesty, integrity, and fairness in business. The success of a website will be a direct result of a great reputation that delivers quality merchandise and great customer service.