A regular request when I embark on site builds for our clients is an ecommerce section where business can sell their wares online. And why wouldn’t you? Your website operates 24 hours a day, when you and your employees simply can’t.
At Emphasize Design of Calgary, we provide website design services that specialize in creating an effective marketing funnel. We want our site visitors to have a positive experience that results in a trusted relationship built, a product discovered and a new fan of your business. Our job is to attract people to your website, convert the leads we make and close the sale with your new customer.
We’ll embark on your web design project by sitting down and discussing your site needs first and your content development second. Once we have your brand built and your company well-represented online, it’s time to talk about ecommerce requirements. Some companies offer a few niche merchandise choices, while others have a wide range of products they want to present to the public. Although the requirements for each may seem quite different, there are a few hard-and-fast ecommerce do’s and don’ts that apply to all online sales sites.
Ecommerce Do’s
- Always make sure the user is aware where they are in their progress. It’s helpful to have the number of steps needed to complete a purchase and which step the user denoted loud and proud at the top of each page.
- Make pricing clear and straightforward with no additional, unexpected charges. For online shopping it’s totally expected to have to pay for shipping, but anything else just seems like a gouge at the end.
- Provide plenty of photos from all angles. Multi-media options like videos and live chat can be even better. Videos can be very good for showing exactly how a product works, and live chat is very helpful for those who have a question and want it answered immediately. Easy-to-find contact information is also very important.
- Offer detailed descriptions, but keep them clear and concise. Use short sentences and bullet points to make it easy on the reader.
- Always make sure your website is fully responsive and viewable on all devices ― large and small.
- Use a CRM System. Customer relationship management (CRM) software provides a comprehensive database where you can store everything you ever needed to know abut your clients. It fills the data management void, providing a streamlined platform where you can easily record and access key data.
- Follow up. A simple email saying, “We hope you are enjoying the purchase of (enter said product here). If you have any questions or comments, please let us know!” can go a long way.
Ecommerce Don’ts
- Overclutter your site. The temptation can be to try to jam everything all on one page, but you can use features like accordions and text blocks to break up content.
- Move your user to a new page without retaining a log of the choices they have made thus far. It’s annoying to have to go back to double-check the exact dimensions of something you want to buy when that information could have been carried through.
- Require shoppers to fill out long registration forms to make a purchase. Making entering contact information optional is a subtle way to let people know that just because they made a purchase on your site you’re not about to try to friend them on Facebook. Lots of people don’t like leaving a long electronic trail, which is a preference you should let them have. A good CRM will still allow you to keep track of purchases.
- Forget about the importance of a good search function, especially if you have a lot of products on your site.
- Ignore your ideal shopper. Knowing who wants to buy your stuff makes it a lot easier to sell it to them.
Emphasize Website Design Services of Calgary
Our team at Emphasize Design is here to help you every step of the way during your website build process. It’s what we do and we love it! Discover our attractive website design solutions and pricing packages to fit every Calgary business.
