Whether you’re adding an online store to your brick-and-mortar shop or starting an ecommerce business, you need to design your store to be as profitable as possible. What makes the difference between a store that performs well and one that’s mediocre? It’s the great customer experience. Here are the best practices for offering your customers the experience they’re looking for.
1. Your Unique Value Proposition Front and Center
State your Universal Value Proposition (UVP) at the top where it’s clear and visible to anyone who visits your store. Your UVP is what sets you apart from others, so it should be the first thing people see. Before they start shopping, they should know exactly what sets your store apart.
2. Use High Quality Images
Images make your site more attractive and provide a better shopping experience. Go for big, beautiful images that are high resolution. For your products, hire someone to take pictures if you don’t feel confident with your camera skills. With online shopping, people can’t handle your products in-person, so you need to offer as much detail as possible.
3. Add Video Product Demos
One great way to improve the customer experience is to include video product demos. As with images, people want an up-close look at your products and what they can do. Make short videos introducing key products and showing them in action.
4. Make Your Site Trustworthy
Although online shopping has become a regular part of most people’s everyday life, many are still sometimes wary of buying from an online store they don’t know. Make some effort to prove to visitors that your site is trustworthy. Ways to do this include adding trust badges, certifications, reviews, customer testimonials, and social media activity.
5. Cut Out the Clutter
A simple design offers the best visitor experience. Get rid of any site features that are unnecessary or heavy programs that take time to load and might slow down a user’s browser. When someone visits your online store, their eyes should go straight down the page to your CTA buttons and not get snagged by distractions.
6. Easy and Intuitive Navigation
Make your site easy to navigate. Resist the urge to be creative and artistic over providing convenience. Create product categories and put a menu somewhere first-time visitors will easily see it. If you’re not sure what categories to create, get ideas by looking at ecommerce sites that sell similar products or Amazon.
7. Provide Essential Information Upfront
Make all information necessary for shopping easy to find. This includes your Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, shipping methods and options, and return/refund policy. Add an FAQ where visitors can easily search for answers to their questions and provide fast and efficient customer service when they need it.
