A lot of ecommerce sellers are on the lookout for tips and tricks to improve their user experience. This can be tough when so much goes into how your site looks and feels from the shoppers’ point of view. Let’s examine what the ideal ecommerce website user experience looks like from start to finish.
#1 – Your Ecommerce Store Is Visually Pleasing
When a consumer enters a brick-and-mortar retailer, he expects the store to be clean, well-organized, and well lit. If there are piles of unfolded shirts in the doorway and bare walls, he might not feel so welcome.
The same things can be said for ecommerce stores. From the moment visitors land on your homepage, they expect big, beautiful images and a clean layout. And since your customers can’t see and feel your products the same way they would in a physical storefront, it’s important to retain a high level of visual quality throughout the shopping experience.
#2 – Your Website Loads Quickly, No Matter the Device
Studies show 47 percent of consumers expect a web page to load in just two seconds. It’s true. What’s more, 40 percent of shoppers will abandon a website if it takes more than three seconds to load and become navigable.
Those are some cut-throat stats.
If you want to keep customers on your ecommerce site, you’ll need to prioritize by compressing images, trimming JavaScript, nixing website redirects and optimizing web caching on user devices.
Which actually brings us to our next point.
Mobile and tablet shopping have become just as common as desktop/laptop shopping. Thus, your site needs to load quickly no matter the device. If you choose an ecommerce website builder like Shopify, you won’t have to worry about mobile usability, because those requirements are built right into the platform.
#3 – The User Finds What They Look for with Ease
Grocery stores are notorious for placing staples (like eggs or milk) in the back aisles. The idea is force shoppers to walk all of the other products; nudging them to buy more than they need.
Meanwhile, online shoppers want to find what they need as quickly as possible. If they can’t, they’ll look for a website that’s easier to shop – one of your competitors.
Your navigation bar, menus, buttons, and links must be visible, clearly labeled, and they need to direct traffic to the right places. Otherwise, your shoppers might jump ship.
#4 – Product Descriptions Anticipate Customer Queries
Ecommerce shoppers are unable to inspect or try on merchandise as they would in their local big box store. This puts the onus on e-sellers to share all necessary product information in their descriptions. This includes sharing details about the materials used, how to maintain the product, sizing charts, and customer reviews.
The goal is to keep web users on your ecommerce site. If you fail to provide the necessary information customers need to make a decision, they will likely leave your site to find another.
#5 – Visitors Are Provided (Accurate) Product Recommendations
Nobody likes a pushy salesperson. But most people do appreciate appropriate product recommendations.
Many ecommerce websites feature additional items in their marketing emails or at the bottom of product pages. This can be a good play, as long as they’re relevant As an example, recommending red and green candles when a buyer has purchased a Christmas-style candle holder just makes sense.
#6 – Shoppers Get Help When They Need It
The retail industry is constantly evolving, but quick and courteous customer service never goes out of style. Offer your shoppers help when it looks like they need it.
New technologies have made this easier than ever before.
Rather than requiring shoppers to call a helpline to listen to hold music, many e-stores are opting for chat boxes. This technological wonder keeps users on the page, while a chatbot or real person is able to assist them. It’s a seamless solution to a classic problem.
#7 – The Checkout Process Is Quick & Painless
The customer journey is almost at an end. They’ve about to check out and pay. The sale is all but in the bag — as long as you keep things simple.
Too many e-stores require potential buyers to create an account and/or jump through a number of hurdles before they can check out. This is asking to lose the sale. If a customer wants to create an account, they will. But you need to make room for one-off shoppers and newcomers.
So long as the checkout process is quick and painless, you’ll make the sale.
#8 – The Buyer Enjoys a Variety of Shipping & Payment Options
Let’s say a customer needs a Game of Thrones-themed tie ahead of Father’s Day. They are ready to buy from your ecommerce site, but your delivery methods are too slow. While the visitor may still buy the gift, it’s just as likely they will look at another site.
Quick shipping options will help you hold on to this customer.
The same thing goes for payment. Some consumers are heavily focused on cybersecurity. In which case, they may be reluctant to share their credit card information. You can keep these shoppers happy with PayPal, Google Wallet, or Bitcoin payments.
So, does your ecommerce website user experience look like what is described above? If so, you are sitting pretty. Otherwise, you need to work on your site.
[…] ERP solution combined with digital marketing can also improve your website’s user experience. You can use the software to automate tasks that may consume your employees’ time that they […]