When running an online store, it’s imperative that you place several key eCommerce website features strategically. Running a website is hard but running an eCommerce site is probably twice as taxing. Aside from meeting quotas, marketing your products, attracting people to your site, and finally convincing them to buy, there’s the additional demand of keeping your eCommerce website on-trend and up and running.
Aside from considering what provides the best customer experience, some of the most effective tips there are points to essential eCommerce website features that you cannot go without. From deciding on the best open-source eCommerce platform for your needs to considering different payment options, make sure that you settle on what works best for your brand.
So, on this list, we rounded up some of the key eCommerce websites features that you need in order to attract more people and generate more sales.
- High quality product images
- Accurate product descriptions
- Ratings and user reviews
- "Related items" section
- Personalised wishlist
- Easy checkout process
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Clear exchange and return policies
- Advanced payment options
Throughout the article, we’ll be using the website of health and beauty brand stockist Glovida so you can visualise some of the eCommerce websites features better.
Without further ado, let’s get right into it!
High quality product images
Humans respond to and process visual data better than any other type of data. We can’t help it, we’re just inherently visual beings. So, when selling something online, you not only have to make sure that you complete the product images, but also that the images you do post are high quality. Be wary, however, since most high quality images may end up loading slower. Too much load time is a very big conversion killer, so optimise your images (lower the resolution) properly so you don’t drive potential clients away.
Product images of Glowfully Charcoal Beads Cleanser Gel 100ML from Glovida
Before, it was enough to post just one picture of an item and be done with it. Online shoppers now, however, want to see multiple angles of the item. They also want an option to zoom in and out so they’d get an overall feel of the product before proceeding to checkout. Finally—and this is so true for clothing and beauty retailers—it helps to include a photo of someone modeling and using the product. This way, potential buyers can better visualise how the product would look on them. A visualisation like this helps shoppers relate better to the idea of using the particular item, leading them to buy.
Accurate product descriptions
Online retailers can easily slaughter product descriptions. Just as images are important, it’s also equally essential to include accurate product details since these aid shoppers’ decision making process. Think of it as your sales pitch. Like any sales pitch, you start off by warming people up to the idea of using your item. Most effective product descriptions start off by briefly painting a vivid image of what it would feel like if a person uses and owns their products. Tell a story surrounding your product and emphasise exactly how your product would and could benefit your customers.
Finally, delve into the more technical stuff. However brief, enumerate the materials used to make the product, the ingredients, the size and overall dimensions, colours, etc. Be as transparent as possible about the nature of the product.
Ratings and user reviews
Online buyers are more discerning nowadays. They make it a habit not to take things at face value anymore. They invest time to observe ratings and read user-generated reviews. A recent study claims that at least 90% of people who purchased a product were in fact influenced by positive reviews. This data (and more) suggests the importance of reviews. Although of course, exposing your products like that could get very daunting, especially with the possibility of getting negative reviews and then losing sales. But surprisingly, reviews can do the opposite. It’s easy to assume that reviews are fake if they’re all good and positive. Negative reviews make the item look more believable and reliable. Opening a section for your response also allows you to explain the situation better to other people looking to buy the product as well as apologise genuinely when mishaps happen.
Rating and product reviews on Heliocare Purewhite Radiance 60’s
Some open-source eCommerce platforms already have built-in customer review plugins. But you can also scour the internet for one that suits your website’s functionality the best.
"Related items" section
Keep in mind that shoppers don’t immediately buy into a product that landed them on your page in the first place. Many things could cause this sudden disinterest; they may have read a detail that they didn’t like or found out, upon closer inspection, that it wasn’t the right fit for them after all. However, that doesn’t mean you should lose them to competitors.
A “related items” section arouses a shopper’s interest and keeps them on your site longer. "Related items" can also expose your other products to them, giving them the option to not only buy what initially piqued their interest, but others they may also need. This raises the possibility that they complete a purchase and exposes them to items they would’ve otherwise missed.
Personalised wish lists
A personalised wish list lets people bookmark items from your store. The more shoppers see these items, the higher the chance of them proceeding to check out. As one of the most sought-after eCommerce website features, wish lists provide a user with a more strategic way of planning their purchases. Shoppers love considerations like this, and they especially love not being rushed into making rash decisions. Most stores even allow users to make categories that display their saved items in an organised manner.
Aside from user ease, however, an Oberlo article saw wish lists as a good indicator of user preferences. Akin to a “snapshot” of interests, wish lists truly provide rich data into your buyers’ preferences which you can use to build your future recommendations.
Easy checkout process
Complex and boggling checkout process is easily one of the biggest conversion killers for eCommerce sites. Shopify directly points to complicated checkout processes as the reason why cart abandonment happens. To stop potential buyers from leaving your site, make sure that your site’s design and functionality work together to simplify the checkout process from within your site.
Your customers don’t need a lengthy checkout process. The key is on simplifying the checkout and leaving them only with the basics. This could be a snapshot of their purchases, a chance to edit the cart content, their shipping and payment details and then the total cost.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When purchasing items online, it’s normal for people to ask questions. You may have customer service ready, but for people looking to inquire about specific details, the FAQs page is the first place to go. More than answering customers’ common questions, a FAQs page on your eCommerce website really builds your buyer’s confidence and further establishes your credibility. For Shopify, it’s a way to alleviate “purchasing anxieties” since it deals with pretty much all the nitty-gritty details surrounding an item and your retail processes.
Creative FAQs page of Glovida
FAQs pages work well when they present data accurately. Here’s a guide to creating an accurate FAQs page for your eCommerce site.
Clear exchange and return policies
It could become frustrating for buyers to purchase items only to see that they did not meet their expectations, are delivered in the wrong size or colour or worst, damaged on route. At this point, they’re probably thinking about returning the item to the seller. Clear exchange and return policies are essential eCommerce website features since they assure your buyers of your dedication to meeting their needs. It shows them that you’re there if they need you, especially if unexpected things happen to their package.
Clear policies surrounding exchanges and returns—even if you don’t offer any—build shoppers’ confidence to purchase from your brand. In essence, it helps customers make more informed buying decisions.
Advanced payment options
As digital communities evolve, so do the global rise of alternative and mobile payment options. We’re particularly moving in a cashless direction, where most transactions happen through our smart devices. Being ready to accommodate this change by integrating advanced payment options into your site ensures that you stay relevant. Not only that, but it also increases the overall customer satisfaction of your more tech-savvy customers.
Integrate these eCommerce website features into your site and generate more sales.
Periodic revamps and updates to accommodate the changing eCommerce trends and consumer behaviour is a must. Managing an eCommerce site doesn’t end once you’ve launched your website. Based on your chosen eCommerce platform, you may have to make necessary updates occasionally. This is to make sure that your website stays relevant, doesn’t lag behind trends, and is safe.
Good thing there’s a team for your needs. Inquire about our website design and development services and let us help you provide top-notched service to your customers!
