5 Ways Online Shoppers Mentally Grade Websites
Recent Forrester studies report that online shopping will account for 53 percent of retail sales in 2014. That's a lot of new eyes looking at your website! With traffic increasing to your e-commerce site, it's a great time to review what shoppers are looking for. A well-designed site can create a positive experience, resulting in more sales and repeat visits. Here are our my tips for giving consumers what they want:
1. Simple navigation: Whether a visitor is "window" shopping or digging for something specific, your website should be simple to navigate. A cluttered website with glitches can make a fun experience borderline unbearable. Create a website that's easy to navigate and provides a smooth user experience. The more pages consumers visit, the more opportunities you have to sell to them.
2. Clear visuals and descriptions: Creating an experience as close to the "real thing" as possible is key to closing transactions. Companies like Zappos and ASOS are using video to give online shoppers a better understanding of how products look in motion. Infuse as much of the "try it on" experience as you can, and use lighting that enhances the natural state of the product. Not doing so can lead to poor product reviews and a decrease in sales.
If you're struggling with photography resources, encourage current customers to submit quality photos of themselves wearing or using your products. This way, you'll at least be building a community of like-minded individuals who are providing word-of-mouth marketing for a product they love.
3. Promotional deals: The best designed e-commerce sites make it very clear they're running special promotions when a consumer visits. Make marketing messages clear and up front. If you're running a special, add it to your homepage in the top navigation area so consumers will see it no matter which pages they visit. You can even add specials to individual product pages. Show what the discount will be right next to the "Add it to my cart" button. Since you're not there to motivate them, you want to take every opportunity to sell them via strong design and strategic content placement.
4. Uncomplicated checkout process: People want to buy from you; don't make it difficult for them. If a shopper has to click through 10 different screens to finally submit payment, you need to rethink your user experience. Online retailers often forget that strong design shouldn't be dedicated to just the digital catalog. Think about every step a customer experiences and make it as seamless as possible. If your design aesthetics drop off during the final step, the experience changes and it may be just enough to drive them away.
5. Relevant follow up: In addition to ongoing order and account notifications for customers, you should be sending relevant content that engages them. Despite the overwhelming amount of emails they receive, loyal shoppers still expect you to inform them about deals, discounts and new products. Make them feel special with secret promotions, and understood through applicable content based on previous order patterns.
Online shopping should be easier than driving to a brick-and-mortar store to pick up an order. Consumers are demanding convenience when it comes to online shopping, so paying attention to these suggestions can pay off by helping to convert one-time customers into loyal ones.
As a retailer or online shopper, what trends have you noticed about e-commerce websites that cause you to leave? Please post your comment below.
Brandon Levey is the CEO of Stitch Labs, an online software provider for multichannel retailers to help them manage their inventory, orders and sales data in one location.
