Many retailers are very particular when it comes to the layout of their physical store. Every day they take time to stock the merchandise, clean the aisles, and organize the shelves before they even answer the phone or open their doors. They know that promoting their store serves no purpose if they don’t take the steps to maintain it. The same is true when it comes to your new e-commerce site. No matter how you market your site, it won’t get sales if it has a poor design.
Navigability and organization are clear determining factors for e-commerce success. A poor layout could diminish trust and stop a customer from purchasing before they start browsing.
For this reason, we created a list of essential qualities for your site:
1. Clear Logo
Make sure your logo is a quality image that is visible on your homepage. This will be reassuring to your customers and strengthen the belief that your company will give them a great shopping experience.
2. Quality Imaging
Every image that you display on your site should be a quality image. You should not have any pixelated or blurry photos. Having a low-quality picture on your site will reflect badly on your store and reduce customer trust.
3. Clear Navigation System
Create a navigation system that clearly advertises the contents of your online site. Make sure to be descriptive and avoid broad labels like “Store” or “Shop.” Instead, create labels like “Dog”, “Cat” or “Homemade Treats,” if you make your own items in-store. These labels should appear at the beginning of the navigation map so they catch the eye. Additionally, limit the number of menu items to fewer than 7, or else the customer might get overwhelmed!4. Shopping Cart, Login, Search Box
Make sure your shopping cart, login, and search box options are big and obvious. This will increase the legitimacy of the site and improve navigability.5. Contact Information:
Fill your site with as much information as you can about your store – including your store name, address, phone number, and email. This way customers are assured that they will be able to contact someone right away if they encounter a problem.
6. Payment Systems Icons
At the checkout page, your payment processing system icon should be visible and clear. This will help people to feel safe giving you their information and purchasing from your store.7. Social Media Links
Allow customers to follow links to your social media profiles, if you have any. Seeing all of your recent activities and promotions will help them to feel more connected with your brand.
8. Popular Products
Displaying the brand names of your most popular products could help persuade people to browse your online shop. It could also help speed up the transaction if they were looking for that particular brand. 9. Free Shipping and Deals
Any free shipping deals or promotions you have should be displayed clearly on your home page. These will help you stand out from the competition and impress your customers as they enter your site.
10. Testimonials
Include any testimonials you’ve received from past customers on your homepage. Nothing is more reassuring than proof of quality and public respect!
We hope these tips help you to make your site even better. For more advise on how to attract customers to your site, read our article on Promoting Your Online Store Offline.