E-Commerce
5 Secrets of the Best Ecommerce Websites that Other Sites Forget to Do
The best ecommerce websites go beyond the basics of nice product photos and a simple checkout process. With so much online competition, it’s important to set yourself and your website apart. Here are some secrets of the top ecommerce websites today.
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Seventy four percent (74%) of consumers trust the opinion of other shoppers. If you want them to buy your product, show proof that others have bought it and love it! Here are some ways the best ecommerce sites show social proof:
- Customer testimonials
- Customer ratings / stars
- Displaying number of products sold
- Cross-selling products by showing “Customers who bought this product also bought…”
- Featuring the bestselling products on a page
- Showing “Sold Out!” or “Just 5 Items Left in Stock!”
Design around the User Experience
Studies show that 91% customers who can’t find what they’re looking for within one or two clicks will leave and never come back. That’s why the best ecommerce websites put a lot of attention to user experience and site navigation. They make sure their “Shop Now!” or “Buy now!” buttons are easy to find, add several ways for consumers to search products or contact the company, and avoid overcomplicated product categories. Before launching the website, they ask a small group of users to check it out and test the search and purchase process. (Read about website design mistakes that drive customers away.)
Avoid abandoned carts
The Baynard Institute compiled data from 37 reports and found that commerce websites can have an average of 69% abandoned cart rates. That’s more than two thirds of your revenue!
To avoid abandoned carts, remove any point where the customer can hesitate. Don’t require customers to register to buy – the hassle of filling out a form may turn them away, especially if they’re just checking to see if your store is reliable. Demanding sign-ups are like asking someone to marry you on the first date. If you do need them to be on your record, just ask them to give your email address so you can contact them about shipping and delivery.
The best commerce websites just have one page checkout, and will offer several payment options. They also give options like “Add to Wishlist” so that customers can save items for future purchase instead of simply leaving them in the cart.
You should also have marketing tactics to win back customers who have abandoned their carts. You can send automated emails, send discount codes, or ask if they had a problem with checkout.
Provide an FAQ on products
The best ecommerce sites like Amazon always have an FAQ for their products. This helps customers get instant answers or find out more about how a product is used, what it’s made of, and more. Unlike product descriptions, FAQs concentrate on the customer’s concerns.
Give Automated After-Sales support
One way to win customer’s trust is to give automated emails that notify your customer when an order has been shipped, and then send a thank you email when it has been delivered. This is one way of keeping your connection going – and even ask for reviews or cross-sell other products! For example:
“Your item has been delivered! Thank you for your order. We hope you like it! We’d love to hear your review of your product and our service. Please email us your feedback at xxxxx, and get a 20% discount on xxxx.”