Top 5 Features of an Effective E-commerce Website

E-commerce has increased in popularity over the years and continues to grow. In fact, eMarketer predicts that E-commerce sales in the U.S. will reach $434.2 billion in 2017. By that year, online purchases will account for about 10% of total retail sales in the U.S., according to Internet Retailer.

Before you start developing an E-commerce website, there are a few things to keep in mind that will ensure your online store is successful. The following are the top five features of an effective E-commerce website:

1. Logical, rich and user-friendly navigation that covers most users’ buying habits.

When developing an E-commerce website, it is important to remember that customers want to learn as much about a product or service as they can, and they want to find that information easily. If the navigation is too complicated, the user won’t be able to find what they need and will try a different retailer. A logical and easy-to-use navigation is crucial for a successful E-commerce site.

2. Efficient site search

In addition to having a clear navigation that helps users find what they are looking for, it is also necessary for an E-commerce site to have strong search functionality. This allows users to find exactly what they need, making their online shopping experience more satisfying. The position of the search box is important too; if it isn’t clearly visible to the customer, they might get frustrated and take their business elsewhere.

3. Easy to check out

User experience is crucial for the success of an E-commerce website. Ideally, there should be only a few simple steps for buyers to make their purchase. A fast and easy check-out process will make customers happy and keep them coming back.

4. Accurate and clear product descriptions and photos

Online shopping can be difficult for users because they cannot physically see the product as if they were shopping in a retail store. To make online shopping easier, be sure to include a well-crafted product description – between 100-200 words of copy – that provides enough details about the product. High-quality photos of the product, preferably taken at multiple angles, gives the shopper a visual of the product so they know exactly what they will be purchasing.  

5. Analytics Program

A strong analytics program is an essential feature that all E-commerce sites should have. This shows a lot about users behavior on the website, including the most (and least) popular pages, how many pages visitors viewed, the amount of time spent on a page before leaving (bounce rate) and other insights. This information is crucial to understanding the audience so the site can be improved to satisfy their needs.

Implementing these five features can significantly improve an E-commerce website and turn it from a good one to a great one. E-commerce is a booming industry and getting very competitive; it is important that online stores are as user-friendly as possible. Read our case studies to see how our expert PHP developers help build successful E-commerce websites.

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