Having an eCommerce site is important if you want to make money with your website. Your main page or landing page is the most significant link in this chain, and it becomes the goal of your sales funnel. To get a working eCommerce page going right, though, is no easy task.
There are some things you will need to know and to put in place before launching your page. In this post, we will analyze 5 of these components so that you can check to see if you have these elements working properly.
Great Content
First and foremost, you need great content on your site. Even if it is your main landing page, you need to know who your audience is and speak to them directly through your content. You don’t have to feature articles on your blog, but you should have content that solves a problem for your customers. Include video in your content that illustrates a process or explains something about your business that helps promote your brand.
Excellent Navigation
Have you ever been to a site that had poor navigation? If so, you know the importance of excellent navigation. This is where UX comes in. The user experience is of the utmost importance on your site. If you have elements on your page that frustrate the user, it is doubtful that they will be back.
It’s also important to make sure your navigation blends in with your theme. If you have certain colors on your website, it’s best to continue that color pattern or theme into your navigation. Use colors that complement or match your current theme for the best look.
Remember that you often have only one time to make a good impression. So focus on how your navigation looks and how it works. Put links to your web store or eCommerce part of your site in an obvious location to encourage them to visit that part of your site.
Good Graphics Design
Remember that having a great design on your page, especially in your graphics components is a key element in keeping customers engaged on your site. Individual elements such as the header, payment button, and other elements may either hinder or help the sales process on your eCommerce site. Doing individual experience through Google Analytics or Kissmetrics is one way you may gain some insight into this. Once you find out which elements are working and which are not, you will know which ones to change.
It is also important that you do not change too many things at once if you already have a working site. Changing one thing at a time may help to determine what works best with your visitors through Split A/B testing and other means.
Payment Processing System
You will need a good payment processing system to run an eCommerce site. It should be easily accessible to users so that they don’t have problems running their payments through your site. Choose a payment system that offers a high level of security and ease-of-use such as Paypal. We are not necessarily saying that Paypal is the one one you should use, but it is the easiest.
There are many other payment systems available for you to use with your online eCommerce site but you just need to make sure it is compatible with your web server. This often becomes a problem when site owners attempt to implement a payment system that is not understood by their web server or web host.
Many third party payment systems work through individual payment gateways and charge large fees to operate them. Make sure you read the fine print on what it is going to cost you before you set up your payment system.
Also, make sure your payment systems works with mobile devices, and you’ll need a system that has a mobile app. Again, Paypal is a great one to use for these reasons. It is mobile-friendly, easy to use, and has a high level of security.
There is also a guarantee that Paypal will step in and intervene if there is suspected fraud. We are not just promoting Paypal, but it is one of the safest payment methods out there today. Another option is to use Amazon payments. Backed by Amazon’s A-Z Guarantee, if you want to partner with Amazon on this, it might be to your advantage to look into using Amazon as a payment system. They are almost as recognized and respected as Paypal. The only issue is that some products would not be eligible to go through Amazon payments in some cases.
Call-to-Action Section
Make sure you have a “call to action” section in your web page and tell people what you want them to do. If it is to purchase a product, say, “click the link or button to purchase.” You will also obviously need a button that says, “Buy it now,” or “Add to cart” as well. The “add to cart” function seems to work well with many customers as it gives them time to see what they have before submitting. One-click ordering may cause them to purchase faster, but you will likely have more returns due to customers changing their minds.
Feedback Form
Once customers purchase, you will want to thank them for their purchase. You’ll need some autoresponder for this that will automatically thank them following their purchase. Additionally, you may want to put a feedback form on your site that will offer them a chance to comment on their experience. From the technical end, you will have to have a CGI form handler that will handle submissions from your forms. Many web servers have this available but some do not.
An Easier Solution
Okay, so you know that you need good content, payment systems, mobile apps, and form handlers. If you don’t want to worry about doing all of this yourself or trying to chase down a web host that covers it for you, try our professionals at webdesignteam.com.
We are aware of all of these elements and how they work with your eCommerce site. We also do professional web design including animation, infographics, and coding. We are your one-stop web design firm that knows how to get it done.
Visit us online, check out our work, and let us know how we can help. Whether you already have an eCommerce site or want to start from scratch to create one, we can help. So get your information together and contact us to discuss your eCommerce site.