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Anyone can start an eCommerce store to make a quick buck, but if you’re serious about scaling your business in the eCommerce industry and you’re in this for the long haul, you’re in the right place.
Given that eCommerce sales amounted to 3.46 trillion dollars in 2019, with experts forecasting that it will hit 4.48 trillion dollars in 2021, it’s a smart move to start thinking about how you can make the most out of your eCommerce store.
In this Mastering eCommerce guide, you’ll find plenty of best practices that you can use to optimize your website, as well as refine your marketing strategies. These tips will help you capitalize on the fast-growing eCommerce market, and exponentially increase your revenue. Let’s get started!
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In this Mobile First Era, consumers are searching for products and purchasing them on-the-go.
With global mobile and tablet browsing (50.13%) surpassing desktop browsing (47.%), it’s important to optimize your mobile eCommerce site for a seamless user experience. Here are three strategies that will help you do just that.
Since the main purpose of an eCommerce site is for users to purchase products, the process of helping users check out and pay should be frictionless.
The add-to-cart buttons and checkout cart buttons should be easy to locate. The general rule of thumb is to include call-to-action buttons that flow with the user journey or at the top of the screen to be highly visible.
To make payment as easy as possible, give customers multiple options such as using an integrated payment gateway, letting them log into their account on your site to use pre-saved debit/credit cards, checking out as a guest with a credit card, or even paying cash on delivery.
Save your users’ time by asking them to enter their shipping address, and automatically duplicate this as their billing information. You can also make the billing information editable to avoid the user having to fill in new information from scratch.
Just like in a retail store, where there are sign boards and sales personnel to help customers find what they want, your eCommerce site should allow consumers to quickly browse through categories and find products they’re searching for.
On the desktop, it’s common to find the search tab at the top of the screen. On a mobile screen, replace the search bar with an expandable search icon to save space on the screen while still providing the same functionality as on a desktop.
At the bottom-of-the fold, display suggested categories such as Recent Searches, Daily Searches, or Trending sections, which the user can easily jump to.
The sort and filter button should also be easily accessible, so that users can filter products based on price range, or through categories that makes sense for your eCommerce site.
To persuade users to buy, your website copy and accompanying images or videos should be informative and engaging.
When it comes to unfamiliar products, users might take a longer time to decide before they purchase. Here, the product description plays an important role in helping users to make an informed purchasing decision. On mobile, having a “Click to find out more” button helps you to squeeze more information about the product into a small screen. Use clear, precise descriptions to make the most out of the limited real estate on the screen without confusing the buyer.
Similar to the product description, images of the product also help users figure out if they would like to buy it. For eCommerce sites, including a minimum of 3 images per product gives the buyer perspective and helps them make a decision. It could also be helpful to include a video of the product, so that the user has a better idea of what it looks like in 3D.
Apart from the product description, the copywriting for call-to-action (CTA) buttons can have an impact on conversions too. For example, a “Buy Now” CTA results in greater conversions compared to “Shop Now” because the former suggests an immediate action while the latter seems to be non-committal. If you’re unsure of which copy works better, you can conduct A/B tests.
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UX refers to User Experience; by adhering to certain UX best practices, eCommerce store owners can ensure that their website is functional and user-friendly for their customers.
Here are two UX tips which will help you improve the customer experience on your eCommerce store and, ultimately, drive more people through your checkout.
You need to build trust as an eCommerce platform. Trust is the key to persuading customers to not only buy from you but also to develop brand loyalty, especially in a space as saturated and competitive as eCommerce.
Here’s how to go about building that trust:
Build a strong reputation over time by leveraging the opinions of third parties, through reviews, customer testimonials and press mentions. Imagine you’re buying a drone on Amazon - what’s the key factor in influencing your decision as to whether the seller is reliable, and will deliver? Reviews!
The web can be highly impersonal. To build rapport with your customers, make your product as relatable as possible by humanizing your brand. When customers are reminded that there’s a dedicated team of people behind your brand, they’re more likely to trust it. This can be done by including customer service tabs, live chats, and images of team members on your eCommerce storefront.
Nobody wants to make a purchase from a website that looks like a scam. Convey the fact that your company is professional and well-established company by incorporating trust drivers (SSL certification, Norton seals, and more) on your eCommerce storefront.
The customer also needs to know that their credit card information is handled safely, and that their purchase will be delivered. Increase customer confidence by including features such as a money-back guarantee, refund policy and fine print detailing the company’s policies around privacy and data protection.
As an eCommerce business, you’ll want to increase the lifetime value of your customers. The best way to do this is through following up and upselling to your customer after they’ve made a purchase.
The post-purchase upsell is a proven strategy that keeps customers returning. You can do this on your site by recommending complementary goods or offering free memberships when your customers complete their purchase.
When a receipt is emailed to your customer, you can include a discount code for their next purchase, links to similar items purchased, or any other interesting information. Remember to keep it relevant and useful, so that your customers appreciate the value you are providing.
Want to maintain top-of-mind awareness and keep customers engaged with your brand? Make use of drip email marketing campaigns or Facebook retargeting advertisements to boost brand awareness. For the latter, use deep links so that you can send your customers to a specific page featuring products which are highly tailored to their interests.