Important Features of an E-Commerce Website
Online shopping; a beautiful lovechild of web design, the internet, and businesses wanting to sell their products to a larger audience with access to the web. Businesses like Amazon and eBay have made our lives much easier.
However, behind the scenes of a great e-commerce website is a team of web designers using their technical mastery to make sure shoppers don’t have any problem making their purchases.
There are a number of various features all working together to make the website operational for an online business.
Here, we have listed some of the most essential features e-commerce websites need to have to guarantee fruitful transactions.
1. A Shopping Cart
Well, this one goes without saying. The shopping cart is integral for e-commerce stores. This is where your customers stash their loot while they continue shopping for other products. It
should be flexible for both guest users and registered users. People should be able to checkout easily.
2. Payment Gateways
All big e-commerce websites all have multiple payment gateway integrations. The common ones include PayPal and credit/debit card integrations for VISA, MasterCard, etc. Some companies have their own integrations, such as Amazon Pay and Apple Pay.
3. Order Processing
If there was no order management feature integrated into e-commerce websites, there would be chaos. An order processing management panel allows you or merchants on an online marketplace to get details about purchases, cancellations, code verifications, exchanges, etc.
4. SSL
SSL or Secure Sockets Layer is a safety feature crucial for any website that requires sensitive information from consumers. Credit card information, addresses, etc., are saved for prepaid
shipments on e-commerce websites. SSL makes sure the payment gateway is secure by encoding information, preventing it from being misused or stolen.
5. Responsive or Mobile–Friendly Design
According to a study, the Canadian Walmart online sales increased 98% when they optimized their website. This and many other surveys show that users prefer online shopping due to its convenience. Your e-commerce website should be able to adapt to whatever device it is accessed on.
6. High-Res Photos or Videos
If you’re selling tangible items, whether it’s clothing or kitchen appliances, high-definition photos are a must. The customer should be able to see exactly what they are getting. Videos
help with technical products, where you can show how to use it. One important point to remember is to optimize the images so they load quickly or the customer will likely drop off.
7. Descriptions
Product descriptions are key to a successful transaction. Technical details, such as size, color, ingredients, etc., all need to be right there for the customer to see. If you sell confections, snacks or other edibles, information about possible allergens needs to be made clear. This will help build trust with the customer as well as make purchasing easy for them.
8. Reviews
If the customers aren’t able to leave comments or reviews on products, it doesn’t really shed a good light on the business. You will be surprised to know that almost all customers read the
reviews. You can even take it one step further and use the reviews as user-generated content to market their star sellers.
While these sum up some of the must-haves, there are other features e-commerce websites should have to further enhance user experience. These include wish-lists, related items
recommendations, and multi-touchpoint contact pages.
To find out more and learn how we can help design your e-commerce website, contact Website Ultra today and start selling your wonderful creations.
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