10 Improvements to Make Your Online E-commerce Store More Useful for Customers

The number of eCommerce stores on the web has exploded in recent years. Anyone with things to offer is opening up shop online in the hope of promoting their wares widely.

This increase in internet retailers intensifies online competition and allows customers to be much more selective about where they purchase. As a result, other criteria, such as the user experience on your eCommerce store, become as important as the price of your goods in determining their purchase.

Consumers today have more shopping options and locations than ever before. Additionally, their attention spans are becoming shorter. Therefore, if you own an ecommerce business and want online shoppers to purchase from you, you must be able to capture their attention fast and make the purchasing experience pleasant and straightforward.

E-commerce has existed for an extended period. It all began with Phil Brandenberger, a man who in 1994 purchased Sting’s first online product, the studio album “Ten Summoner’s Tale.” Twenty-seven years later, in 2021, online commerce surpassed all other forms of business. Globally, it is anticipated that e-commerce revenues would soon reach $4,8 trillion. E-commerce is advancing at such a rapid pace that it may eventually serve 2.14 billion people.

What do buyers search for when they visit an eCommerce store?

Product Images and Descriptions That Are Accurate and Useful:

To guarantee that your customers are satisfied with their purchase and that they are not misled into believing the product is what they are looking for, ensure that your product photographs and descriptions are accurate and useful.

You must present high-quality imagery of your products to your customers, ideally in various forms. An excellent rule to follow is…

• a white backdrop shot of your product taken from a strategic vantage point

• a white-background shot of your goods taken from a different perspective (if different from above)

• If the item is clothes or worn accessories (bags, etc. ), numerous photographs of the item being worn and zoomed-in images of garment details are required (zips etc.)

Photographs of people in their natural habitats and images of products in their natural habitats:

It is recommended to have a variety of valuable photos for each product. Consider what a buyer would want to see if they were to purchase your goods in a high street retailer when designing graphics for it.

Adequate product descriptions further assist you in assisting buyers in comprehending the appearance of the item and explaining some of the item’s essential advantages. This will also aid in the visibility of your products in search.

The following are a few features that may be present in your product descriptions to assist your customer during their purchasing experience:

• The hue
• The item’s size/fit
• The material/fabric from which it is constructed
• What characteristics does the object possess?
• Whether it contains coordinating things
• It’s mass
• How it may be utilised
• Any information on safety that the customer is required to have

Accurate Stock Levels:

Convenience is a common motivation for shopping online. Rather than spending an entire morning shopping, we may pop in and out while we relax in the evening or go to work via train. Consider how irritated your customer would be and how uncomfortable you would be if you ordered something only to discover it was out of stock. You received only a portion of your order. As a result, it is critical that your stock levels accurately reflect your actual stock levels. Real-time inventory software, which is frequently included as a standard feature in high-quality eCommerce systems, will assist you in maintaining precise stock levels.

You are following up on our previous element in determining what customers want from an eCommerce site; convenience; and the comfort that shopping online affords many is a primary reason people desire to purchase as a guest, rather than creating an account. If a consumer has never made a purchase from your website or is unfamiliar with your brand, they will be more hesitant to create an account with you.

To help your website earn your consumers’ trust, you should allow them to make purchases as a guest. Forcing them to create an account may result in you losing the sale. Another reason to enable guest checkout is that if someone purchases a mobile phone, it may be more difficult for them to finish the account creation process on a slower internet connection or while strolling down the street.

10 Improvements to Make Your Online E-commerce Store More Useful for Customers:

Here are some tips on how to improve an ecommerce website:

Simplifying / One-Page Checkout:

It has been observed that a single page checkout boosts conversion rates in comparison to a more extended checkout procedure. For instance, the Vancouver Olympics store offered two distinct checkout options – a single page and many pages. The single-page checkout performed 21% better than the alternative option.

This is due to basic human behaviour. When a checkout process includes numerous pages, it creates friction and distractions at the moment of sale. There is a greater likelihood that the customer will abandon the checkout process and leave the website in the interim. With a single-page checkout, the eCommerce online store significantly minimise the possibility of abandoned carts.

Multilingualism on the site:

Today, customer experience is all about customization. Many people ask for tips on how to improve an ecommerce business. Any customer would appreciate being addressed in their native tongue. Having someone communicate with them in their language establishes a relationship and benefits them in the long run. This is also true for online shopping. There is a greater likelihood of closing the sale. While translating a website will need less effort, the advantages will be substantial. Multilingualism enables you to explore new markets, as existing ones are saturated.

Implementing Instant Search and AutoComplete:

Today’s customers are savvy! They are precise in their search. With the widespread availability of information online, conducting research and acquiring knowledge has become a straightforward process. Intelligent customers have developed the habit of comparing products across multiple internet retailers to locate the best value. Therefore, when a visitor to your online store is looking for a specific product, you must facilitate their search. Including a simple search tool that requires the user to enter the brand name and product details is most certainly not a smart idea. Your eCommerce platform must be intuitive, and the most effective way to accomplish this is through Instant search and autocomplete.

The presence of rapid search and autocomplete in the search field streamlines the process of locating products and provides a quick indication of whether the product is available in the shop.

Inform clients directly on the product page whether an item is in stock:

What is the backorder date? If you’re selling a physical product, inform your customers upfront about stock availability and shipping alternatives. “There is nothing more aggravating than locating the perfect rug, shoe, or garden hose only to discover that it is back-ordered, discontinued, or not available for shipping to your location.

Optimising the Site’s User Interface for All Screen Sizes:

When we talk about responsiveness, we’re not just referring to the site’s performance but also its compatibility with various devices and screen sizes. The online store’s flow should be as seamless on the website as on a mobile device. There is an increasing reliance on mobile devices, and mobile shopping is the latest trend. Indeed, the number of shoppers who purchase exclusively on their mobile devices has doubled. Therefore, when designing the elements of your store, please pay close attention to its mobile-friendliness. You cannot afford to overlook mobile conversions, as you will undoubtedly lose a significant amount of business.

Modifying the Product Description:

Each product on the market comes with an infinite number of alternatives. The best way to choose a product is to compare and analyse two similar products. As a result, it is critical to provide an accurate and detailed description of each product on the website. If your product has ten unique selling points and only includes eight in the report, you will fall behind the competition. Additionally, it would help to optimise the product description for search engines. It will aid in the ranking of your products for relevant search terms.

Enhancing Site Navigation for Easier Product Search:

The website’s layout and navigation must be consistent. It should be logical and straightforward for customers to navigate the website. Consider losing consumers because they cannot locate things on your website and then leave, presuming you do not stock them. How easy it is for a visitor to find a product is determined by the structure of the main website and the flow of products. If you offer a multilingual website, building a landing page that prompts visitors to select their chosen language is preferable. Consistent use of vocabulary and phrasing throughout the website.

Developing the Site for Speed:

The user has access to a plethora of eCommerce sites. Expect them to leave a slow website while the products load. They will move on to the following website rather than wait. The responsiveness and performance of the website are critical components of the entire user experience. Nobody likes waiting in today’s fast-paced world, which is why it’s crucial to optimise your online store for speed and to improve the usability of eCommerce.

Offer Live Chat:

Customer service horror stories can be pretty frightening to hear. It can be aggravating not to receive help after purchasing a product. A negative customer service experience results in a lost customer for life. The presence of live chat on your online store is one of the most important ways to improve ecommerce business as it helps convert browsers to buyers. Customers are more likely to purchase from an online store that offers live chat and help.

Product Video:

If you are looking on how to improve an eCommerce store, you must go for product videos. Videos are the most effective approach to conveying information about a product concise, practical, and time-efficient. Additionally, videos boost the overall user experience on the website. It minimises screen clutter by obviating the need for many images and extensive information. If you do not include videos on your eCommerce website, you are certainly missing out on a lot. You are eroding your audience. Your videos are more likely to appear in search results.