The online community has grown over the years with more people looking to enjoy the benefits that come with internet access. One industry that has benefited the most from this new trend is the business sector. Many businesses are digitizing their process and taking their products online.
Today, one can purchase anything they want from the comfort of their homes because of eCommerce. As a business owner, however, you’ll need to focus not only on the quality of the services you sell but also on the experience of your customers. Be sure to use a guide for online store owners to learn and understand whatever you need to introduce or change in your strategies. The better your website’s user experience, the more clients you’re likely to attract and keep.
So, what are some of the important tips to improve this area of your business and remain competitive in the market? Read on to learn more!
Optimize your website for mobile users
According to statistics, mobile users account for over half of website traffic today. Therefore, as you build and run your business online, you’re likely to have at least half of your prospects and customers viewing your website from a mobile device. One thing you need to note is that the market is full of competitors offering the same products as you. Therefore, if the consumers aren’t happy with the experience they get from your website, they can easily jump ship.
So, what do you need to do to avoid facing this problem? When designing or renovating your website, it’s important to build one that can accommodate mobile users. Ensure that all the content is visible even when accessed through a mobile device. If you’re not sure where to start, then it’s important that you hire a professional web designer.
What’s more, is that Google has advanced its indexing and ranking criteria to suit the current market. As such, mobile versions of websites are analyzed and ranked accordingly for mobile-initiated searches. To appear among the top, you’ll need to invest in the experience of this portion of your prospective clients.
Improve the loading speed
The loading speed is one thing that can either make or break the overall experience of your users. Regardless of how premium the graphics look, if the pages take a long to load, users are likely to give your competitors a chance. To ensure that your e-commerce business remains competitive, it’s important to make the necessary changes whenever you notice any lagging in terms of loading speed.
Among the most common causes of this issue is the use of heavy themes and plugins. Inasmuch as having excellent graphics is a good thing for your business, you can always achieve this without going overboard with the images, plugins, and whatnot. It’s also recommended that you compress your HTML, JavaScript, and CSS files.
Another factor to consider is the speed of the servers. Some service providers have slow servers that can significantly affect the speed of your website. Make sure you invest in one that has low downtime rates and can handle huge traffic. Of course, it might cost you more but it’s worth the investment.
Enhance navigation
A typical eCommerce website has a lot of sections because it’s simply an online version of a brick-and-mortar store. Consumers will definitely want to move from one section to another seamlessly, and that’s where the quality of your website’s design will be tested.
The first thing you’ll need to work on is the efficiency of the navigation buttons. Make sure they’re easily accessible and are simple to use, even for an ordinary internet user. When shoppers can explore all the options offered by your store, you’ll not only have a higher chance of closing sales, but it’ll also increase the number of returning customers. Adding a voice search mechanism will also give your customers more ways of moving from one end of the website to the other.
Simplify the checkout process
Once the customers have added whatever they want to their cart, what next? This is one part where many eCommerce businesses go wrong and end up losing customers. It’s the final step, but if it proves to be stressful in any way, the buyer might give up and move to the next online store.
To avoid losing clients at the final bit, it’s important that you make the checkout process as seamless as possible. Only include important sections like the customer’s address and the card or bank account to be billed. Once this information has been provided, your website can save and use it the next time the customer requests another purchase.
Conclusion
The e-commerce industry has become competitive, which gives you more reason to invest in high-quality web design services. To enhance the user experience of your website, you’ll need to focus on the loading speed and optimization for mobile users. Improving the navigation and checkout process can also do wonders for the experience of your site’s visitors.
