The world of e-commerce is ever growing, therefore if you have an e-commerce website it is essential you are utilising every key element you can on your site. On average, users spend more than 20 hours per week on the internet, but with over 12 million e-commerce websites it can be hard to get your site to the top of search results. Because of this, it is vital that you adopt every appropriate technique to allow your business to have as high of a search rank, average time on site and conversion rate as possible.
In essence, your website should be able to convey who you are, the advantages to your product and your trustworthiness. If all three cannot be effectively conveyed, you may be missing out on crucial leads which will make the difference between a struggling company and a thriving business.
Here are 7 key elements you should be implementing on your website:
#1 Logo
Your brand identity is vital to the achievement of your business objectives, especially an online store as an instantly recognisable logo will promote reassurance and trust, therefore users will be more likely to purchase from you.
#2 Deals
Everyone loves a deal, make sure to utilise any offers which you can afford to give. On average, you have 7 seconds to convince a user to stay on your site. Promoting any offers or deals will most likely convince a user to stay, nothing attracts better than the possibility of saving money or a freebie.
#3 Latest/most popular products
Your aim is to make it easy for users to decide on what to purchase, you want to clearly show what you have to offer and why they need it. Why not feature a section on your homepage recommending products, with direct links to the full product page. Users want processes to be as easy as possible, these recommendations will make navigating the website easier for them. Make sure to include some quick benefits of that particular product, further explaining why the user NEEDS that product.
#4 Shopping Cart, Login and Search
Again, simple navigation is vital to keep users happy. Nearly all websites include the shopping cart, login and search button at the top or on the right of the navigation bar, make sure to include this on your site.
#5 Social Media links
Social media has quickly become a place to sell products/services and leave reviews. It is not only a place for memes, cats wearing hats and celebrity scandals, your business would highly benefit from being active on social media. Your account will serve to convince users to purchase from you, personalise your brand and become another form of communication. Your followers will also indicate your target audience, allowing your marketing to become a lot more targeted, therefore more effective. By having a social media presence you will not only benefit, but your customers will too.
#6 Chatbox
Calling or emailing a brand can be timely and require a level of communication which some customers may find intimidating. Introducing… the chatbox! Chat plugins are a great way to remove the time stress of email and the physical communication of phone calls, a live chat option will mean your customers will be more likely to talk to your brand. This is also a great opportunity to show good customer service, suggest further purchases and receive feedback.
#7 Trust marks
These are small images/logos which prove a business is secure to use. These could be cybersecurity symbols such as having an SSL certificate, or it could be industry specific accreditations which will promote the company as trustworthy. This is particularly useful if you are not known for your brand. When developing your brand, trust marks are essential in order to convince customers to purchase and share their personal information with you in order to make said purchase. For example, if their web browser is indicating that your site is not secure, they are unlikely to want to document their bank details on your site as they cannot be sure whether this information will be kept safe.
Starting a business, developing a brand and creating a website can be time consuming and expensive. You have invested time, resources and money into this, therefore do not let your efforts go to waste. Make sure to adopt these simple processes which will help your website succeed in converting customers.
For further insights and guidance, we invite you to explore our blog at 07hm.co.uk/blog. Here, you’ll find a wealth of information tailored to the needs and challenges of SMEs navigating the digital landscape. Additionally, if you have specific questions or need personalised advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us via email at info@07hm.co.uk or telephone on 01702 410663.
