It is no secret that small businesses have it hard. The odds are firmly stacked against you, so much so that any success seems improbable. Thankfully, technology has attempted to level the playing field. Due to technology, the business sector is no longer an exclusive club that only allows the rich and the powerful to enter. Websites allow you to maximise your marketing effort by increasing awareness of your brand. That traffic then turns into sales if you can convert it and stop the user from ‘bouncing’. How do you do that? With a little help from e-commerce. Here are the features your ecommerce website needs to succeed.
- Logo
A logo is a sign of your reputation. Whether you are a small business or a massive one, it is a reassuring symbol of trust. Most consumers will always have that nagging thought in the back of their head. There is something about Internet shopping that makes them think they are vulnerable, and for good reason. The logo tells consumers that you are a legitimate business. Why? Because you have gone to the trouble of designing a reputable symbol for your company. Logos are a certification of your intent and success.
- Checkout Counter
No company wants to stuff their site with unnecessary elements because they annoy the users. When users cannot browse your site because they are constantly being reminded about offers, they tend to leave and don’t come back. However, the ‘checkout counter’ is different. It hardly takes up any space, so you can put it on every web page on the site. Plus, it is a constant reminder that they can quickly, and easily, make a purchase at the click of a button.
- Mobile App
Mobile app development is big business. Consumers use websites because they are quick and easy. Well, apps are even quicker and even easier to use. A link to the app on your site, or to the App store, will increase downloads and sales as a result.
- Incentives
For the most part, you are not going to get people to part with their cash without an incentive. Due to the amount of competition, customers have become accustomed to offers and deals. No one is willing to pay full price for products anymore because they think they can get it cheaper. Your site needs to adapt to this mentality to cash in, literally. ‘Ten percent off’ or ‘Two for the price of one’ are offers that should persuade your customer base to make a sale.
- Navigation
Simple navigation is the cornerstone of any website, not just ecommerce websites. However, it is an important factor if you are trying to make money because it affects the bounce rate. Yes, there is that saying again. The bounce rate is the amount of time people leave without making a purchasing or clicking on another area of your site. People ‘bounce’ because they cannot be bothered navigating a site. The layout and the structure are too complex for them to understand, so they go elsewhere. After all, there are plenty of alternatives.
- Payment System Options
A good ecommerce site has a variety of payment options for the customer. You need to realise that your customer base is eclectic. You have a variety of people from around the world, all of whom prefer different payment methods to the next. If you don’t supply those methods, they will leave.
It is important to have a range of credit card suppliers, from Visa and MasterCard to American Express, as well as PayPal.