E-commerce websites are generally large and have many web pages lined with products. This makes it very easy for customers to get lost within the maze. Thats why you should always use elements that show visitors their location on the website. The most effective way is to provide breadcrumb navigation that help visitors figure out how deep they are within the site structure and where they can go from there. In addition use headings and subheadings to inform about what topic of the page they are viewing
2. Provide Contact Information
Apart from making sales, e-commerce websites are also an efficient way obtain new leads and establish mew customer relationships who can contact you directly instead of placing an order on the website. This makes the website more usable for people who would like to further their business relationships with you make sure your contact information is displayed prominently on all the pages of your website in addition to a dedicated Contact Us page that lists detailed contact information.
3. Prominent Display of Search
The Search function of the website should be located 'above the fold'. This helps users to locate exactly what they need without having to browse through multiple pages. That is why it is important to place it somewhere customers can easily locate it. It is advisable to place the search box near the top or middle of the web page or as part of the sidebar
4. Add Search Filters
In order to provide users with a richer user experience, sort the search results into various types and categories. This can be success' accomplished by deploying search filters like price, type, availability, size color etc. It also helps to view the search results in a organized manner.
5. Show Related Products
E-commerce websites offer a great opportunity to market your products and services as well. Group your products together and when customers buy an item from the group, suggest them products related to it. This will highly increase the chances of another product.
6. Include an FAQ
When people visit your website, they have certain questions about the products, the purchase process, the delivery and so on. Hence, it is important to have a Frequently Answered Questions on your website that addresses the basic queries of your customers. You should also leave a provision for visitors to send in their queries in case they don't find a solution to the problem in the FAQ list.
7. Shop Before Registering
The registration process is one of the most common nuances faced by visitors to an e-commerce websites. If you ask them to register even before they enter your website, they might just get turned off and leave. Make sure you allow customers to add items to their cart before you ask them to register. This would ensure that all the window shoppers would get to have a peek inside your website. There are chances that they might actually buy something if they like it. Customer retention is critical to online success.
Kabir Bedi is the senior web consultant at LeXolution IT Services, a reputed offshore web development company located in India. The company provides a range of web design & Development services to its clients from across the world.
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