10 Crucial Elements for a High-Converting E-commerce Store
E-commerce is an area where design plays a critical role. Visitors need to trust a business to purchase products, so they expect consistency, competence, and usability. If you create a store that is difficult to use or makes consumers question a buying decision, you can quickly lose sales. Even though there is no set formula for an e-commerce site, there are consistent elements that perform well for store owners. The following elements should be included to satisfy visitors and keep your conversion rate high.
Calls to Action
It is easy to assume visitors will know exactly how to operate your site. Visitors may be accessing your store for the first time, though, and aren’t certain how to add products to the cart. Clear and obvious calls to action draw attention to themselves, providing a useful service for customers. A colorful button will stand out, leading consumers towards the next step of making a purchase.
Fast Loading Speeds
Conversions are certain to fall when pages take too long to load. Consumers expect pages to load quickly, with additional seconds adding to the frustration. You can run your site through the Google PageSpeed Insights tool, taking notice of the recommended improvements.
High-Quality Images
Products are added to a page to enhance the user experience, but low-quality images do the opposite. If visitors look at photos that reduce the appeal of a product, it is natural that conversions will fall. Camera and lighting options have become accessible, so there should be no excuse for using images that don’t help sell your products.
Enticing Descriptions
Many e-commerce stores use descriptions sent from the manufacturer. The text may just list the features or offer a rudimentary view of the product. To offer the best user experience, though, you must write a focused description that sells the benefits of using the item. Try to uncover the main reasons particular products appeal to consumers, focusing on these details in the text.
Customer Reviews
Customer reviews give visitors confidence in your website and individual products. You may be concerned that negative reviews will impact sales. However, as long as the products are quality and do what they promise, reviews should stay balanced. The existence of the reviews helps people make a buying decision while also offering social proof that many other buyers exist.
Security
Security is particularly essential for an e-commerce store as customers need to provide payment details. People will want to feel secure handing over their personal information, so trust becomes a crucial factor. Using a secure payment gateway is required, with security and trust seals helping to ease the minds of customers.
Mobile Compatibility
Shopping via mobile devices is commonplace, so you need to provide an exceptional experience for these users. Some stores use responsive designs, but the mobile version is only adequate. If a large proportion of visitors are coming from mobile devices, though, you need to offer a tailored experience with these people in mind.
Contact Details
Without the brand recognition of a mainstream company, smaller e-commerce stores need to gain trust. Shoppers expect to see contact information, knowing that customer support is readily available. A phone number, contact form, and even a live chat option can drastically improve the conversion rate.
User-Friendly Navigation
Visitors expect to find products without difficulty. As a store adds more inventory, it becomes trickier to organize your navigation. Ensure that you group relevant products and showcase the most popular items prominently. Larger stores also need a visible search tool to assist customers who know what they want.
Effective Checkout Process
The checkout process is an area that can lower conversions. Consumers are often debating whether to go through with a purchase, so a poor checkout sequence can quickly lose a sale. Ensure you keep people informed of the checkout stages while offering clarity on each page. You can test whether to require registration as it may impact the overall conversion rate.
As with most aspects of a website, you can test the various elements to gain the most accurate results. Certain features may work consistently for other sites, but you may find an alternative method that offers better outcomes. In most cases, though, adding these elements to a store is the best approach, with conversions likely to increase. E-commerce is an area where a certain amount of predictability can work in your favor, ensuring customers feel comfortable with your business. When you can gain the trust of your visitors, you have the basis of a high-converting website.