Ten Things Every E-commerce Site Needs

Ten Things Every E-commerce Site Needs

Benjamin Christie | 24/12/2008

1. Comprehensive Search Capabilities
   Users come to an E-commerce site for one main reason… to shop. Many times they already have a product in mind. Your site must have a fully featured search or shoppers won’t be able to find all that your site offers. They cannot buy what they cannot find.
   
2. Customisation of Search Results
   You may think you’ve addressed the primary need by offering search capabilities, but to have real impact users must be able to customize the results returned. Users should be able to sort results numerous ways including by price, customer rating, best selling, featured and newest. Also ensure that users have the option of viewing all results on one page. Due to the prevalence of high speed Internet connections, loading 150 products on a results page is no longer a performance issue for most.
   
3. Clear Navigation
   Optimising your search capabilities does not mean you can ignore product navigation. Many shoppers rely heavily on this feature to locate specific items. Today’s sophisticated navigation should include more than subcategories. Users should be able to refine the selection as well. If your site offers phones, you may already have a subcategory for cordless phones. You should also offer refining options such as 900 MHz vs. 2.4 GHz and Wall Mounted vs. Countertop.
   
4. Comprehensive Product Details
   Ensure that the detail provided for each product answers all commonly asked consumer questions. Clothing items should address fit. Pieces of furniture should list dimensions. Collections should clearly list all included pieces. This section should also list manufacturer warranties and both editorial and customer reviews. If your details are all well written and include appropriate keywords, it can assist with your search engine optimisation as well.
   
5. Product Photos
   Product photos must be clear and large enough that users can easily see all pertinent details. Include as many photos as is necessary to show accessories or additional product features. You may even want to consider a 360 degree product viewing component.
   
6. Promotional Pricing
   Don’t just tell shoppers what an item costs. Let them know what they are saving. Always show the average retail price and clearly indicate any promotions or discounts directly on the product page.
   
7. Cross Selling and Up Selling
   You should never miss an easy opportunity to increase your average sale. Each product page should include alternative items or accessories to enhance the purchase.
   
8. Guest Accounts
   Users should never have to create an account before adding items to the shopping cart. This is a surefire method of losing sales. Allow users to shop as a guest and include the account creation as part of the checkout process.
   
9. Customer Service Contact Information
   Shoppers want to know help is available if something goes wrong. Your customer service contact information should be clearly visible on every page.
   
10. Clearly Placed Security Info
    The average Internet user is more aware of security risks than ever. Ease their mind by displaying security information such as Hacker Safe or VeriSign prominently, especially during the checkout process.

tags: e-commerce ,  Business ,  Web Design ,  Usability