According to eMarketer, consumers are expected to spend $ 1.672 trillion online in 2015. This figure shows that web development is an extremely important funnel to outreach customers. However, ecommerce website development sometimes proves difficult for web developers. Below, we present some effective practices both businesses and PHP developers, .Net developers can leverage for a website that will sell.
1. Choose the right platform. Finding a platform for e-commerce web development should be considered along with business goals. Companies should answer some questions, like whether their website developers can perform hosting, or need extra help; how much they can pay for a platform, etc. However, there are some criteria your platform should meet in order to get better sales. First, an e-commerce platform should be compatible with certain payment options and a country’s currency. The next point is design options and a possibility to create new content.
While platforms offer free and paid design themes, it is always better to use a platform that is a robust content management system with online support. Last but not least points for web developers are security and the possibility to extend website features. Many platforms offer a number of security measures: SSL certificates, compliance with PSL standards, fraud protection, monitoring for DDoS attacks, which are important for mitigating business risks. When it comes to an option to extend a platform, it is better to do it without migration to a new platform, thus reducing costs and giving more flexibility to the business.
2. Make your website available across devices. Some research says that 80% of smartphone users now use mobile to shop online while the conversion rate on mobile devices is appr. 3 times higher than that is on desktops and laptops. Responsive web design means better user experience, higher user loyalty, and, consequently, more sales.
74% of mobile users are said to return to an e-commerce website again if it runs on their mobile devices. On the other hand, due to responsive web design, website developers add more value to SEO. Thus, Google doesn’t appreciate content repetition. When web developers produce multiple versions of a website for different devices, they repeat the same content. Consequently, the website has poor page rankings. On the contrary, responsive web design uses a single URL and codebase.
3. Create a good layout. Web developers should implement an effective layout strategy. Contrasting colors, easy-to-read typography, appealing call-to-actions, real images – all these elements should narrate a user-centered and commercially oriented story of the web development and create a buying mood. Apart from it, website developers should eliminate distractions like an offer to visit a Facebook page, or a subscription to a newsletter. These are second-, or even third-rate call-to-actions that get customers confused.
4. Offer the right payment options. Since payment options are about clients‘ money, e-commerce website developers should offer the most reliable and secure payment service. You would hardly transfer your credit card data to an unknown service. Choosing a popular one increases trust in an e-commerce website. For example, PayPal is compatible with the majority of e-commerce platforms and is available all over the world. Google Wallet is also a trusted service that is famous for its high-security level.
5. Make you’re the checkout process transparent. Many e-commerce website developers as well as online retailers report that complicated checkout processes and hidden fees are the main reasons why customers abandon their shopping carts. Time magazine says that web development should grab customers‘ attention within 15 seconds. Meanwhile, up to 50% of e-commerce websites ask clients to repeat the data! A good technique for web developers would be a one-click option like it does Amazon as well as highlighting all the fees for the audience at the very beginning.
6. Clear store navigation. When it comes to storing navigation, less is more. Due to clear navigation, website developers reach better product discoverability. Web developers should fill each page with a specific function, the goal of the home page is to summarize what it sells and what benefits it brings to your customers in comparison with other pages. The product page is about describing items and associated options, etc. In other words, web development companies should ensure a clear way a clear path from the home page to the checkout page for customers. Too many navigational options clutter the user experience.
7. Do not ignore patience of mobile users, or quick loading time is important. Even though the e-commerce website can meet the aforementioned criteria, web developers can still bog it down because of the long loading time. Most customers would wait 6-10 seconds before abandoning the web page. Today, website developers can take advantage of a number of compression tools, content delivery networks, platform-specific tweaks, hosting suitable for a highly trafficked e-commerce website, etc. to provide quick loading of large images and graphical elements.
8. Incorporate customer reviews. 61% of customers read online reviews before making a purchase decision, and they are now essential for e-commerce sites. Here, web developers kill two birds with one stone. On the one hand, positive reviews act inspirationally. On the other hand, reviews are unique content that is constantly updated. Consequently, that’s the factor to foster SEO for the web development.
Find more strategies on website promotion in our next blog post.
Elinext Group software development projects:
EdQuants Web Portal
GoldStar WordPress Plugin
LoanGarage Financial Portal
Custom CRM System
Poshberry Flight Tickets Website
Industries and Technology Areas
Industries: IT
Technology Areas: software development, web development
