12 Essential Website Features that Your E-Commerce Website Should Have - Social Media Impact

• Updated on: 2018-09-27
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The number of e-commerce websites out there continues to increase. Despite this truth, a lot of these e-commerce sites are unable to get the job right by not being diligent in equipping their website with one or more of the necessary features that an e-commerce site should have.

To make sure that your e-commerce site is not one of those, we will run you through on the essential features that e-commerce websites should be equipped with to be a full-fledged and winning player in the e-commerce industry.

That being said, here are 12 of the most important features that your e-commerce site should have:

The first thing that you should keep in mind is security. It is an essential aspect and should be second to none. This is especially true now that there are a lot of cybersecurity attacks that target e-commerce sites.

For you to erase all doubts that your potential customers may have, you should make sure to highlight these security features. And it should not be just for the show, and you should ensure that you implement the strictest security protocols to protect your customers from harm.

Aside from virus and malware protection, your site should also be able to provide a secure connection with your customers with the use of secure sockets layer or SSL, symbolized by the green lock before the URL.

Your site should feature a user-friendly interface so that it can be used to the fullest without many complications. One of the most basic ways to ensure that your website is user-friendly is that the navigation should be simple. You should be able to maintain your site’s navigation as easy-to-do as possible so that going around your site will be a breeze. As a general rule, make it a goal to lessen the number of clicks that a user has to take before getting to their desired pages on your site.

You should make sure that your site is pleasing to the eyes. A lot of e-commerce sites have focused so much on other aspects of the site, and has taken for granted that the visual element is important too.

There are many ways for which you can boost your site’s visual appeal. One of which is by making use of , as well as by exploring the integration of 3-dimensional visual experience to your site.

Your site’s visual quality is reflective of your business’ total quality so make sure that you give it much attention.

Features do not all refer to visible elements of your site. Some of the features are concerned with something not visible such as your site’s responsiveness. And today, responsiveness is more of a challenge than ever before as the share of e-commerce activity done on mobile devices continues to increase. It is crucial for sites to be responsive no matter what device they’re accessed from.

You should be able to showcase on your e-commerce site as this helps boost confidence in your business. Studies have shown that site that shows user-generated content such as reviews and customer feedback enjoy better trust from customers than those who do not.

Customer feedback serves as social proof which helps convince new customers to proceed with their purchase. With tight competition, you’ll need all the help you can get to win customers, and user-generated content can help a lot indeed.

It is a good idea to highlight discounts and promotions that you have in store for your customers. This helps give your customers the sense that they are getting the best deal for the products they want to buy.

You may even practice having a section in your page that is exclusive for featuring your offers. It is, however, essential to highlight these promos at the header portion of your e-commerce site so that your visitors will see them immediately and be enticed to make a purchase.

At this age in time, are vital. It is essential that you integrate your social media account on your e-commerce site where possible. It is an excellent strategy to improve your relationship with your customers by engaging them through social media. Do your best to connect with them. On the other hand, when they connect with you, make sure to respond accordingly. It’s all about building a good relationship with your customers so that they will feel more attached to your brand than any other.

When your users have reached the point that they would check out the products they want from your page, you should make sure that this step is an easy thing to do. Because if they find it challenging, then they might end up abandoning their carts and not pushing through with their purchase. Make sure to offer a wide choice of payment options.

But aside from convenience, make sure that these facilities are safe, preventing harm from happening as you are dealing with your customers’ personal and financial information.

You should make it a policy to be transparent with all your charges. A lot of customers suddenly abandon their shopping carts upon realizing that there are charges that were previously not communicated, and suddenly pops out near the end of the sales process. While it is true that not all shipping can be free, at least make sure that you communicate this from the beginning. Make it a rule that there be no hidden charges.

Another thing that you should be able to communicate properly with your customers is your policy on return and exchange. It is vital that you provide for the eligibility, as well as for the process so that when the need arises, your customers would know what to do.

A common practice on e-commerce sites is offering the wish list functionality as it helps remind customers of products they want to buy, but would not do so right now. Aside from the side of the customers, you may also make use of wish list on your side to remind your customers to complete their purchase.

The final essential feature that your e-commerce site should have is all forms of SEO. This helps your customers, as well as new ones, to find your site. This increases your chances of making sales as compared to those sites that are hard to find and come across. Your can be found in various areas of your e-commerce site, all working together for best results.

The twelve features above are some of the essential elements that e-commerce sites should have to stand out from the competition. Of course, merely doing all these won’t make you the number one e-commerce site in an instant. However, doing so puts you in a great position, helping you achieve more than you have ever done. So make sure to have these 12 features on your e-commerce site now!