What 15 Must-Have Features Can You Find On This Ecommerce Site?
Choosing a good ecommerce platform is a cornerstone of your business. When it comes to features, you can have your pick of the litter. However, not all features are made equal.
In this article, we’ll talk about the features that make a great ecommerce site.
1. User-friendly
You might have come across the K.I.S.S. adage about keeping it simple, and we think it’s not a bad idea to keep your ecommerce website as simple as possible, without sacrificing elegance and user-friendliness. As a matter of fact, studies show that 76% of consumers say the most important characteristic of a website is ease of use!
The objective is to help shoppers get to what they want faster and without running into unnecessary complexity that can clog up their path to purchase.
Online sellers have minutes, if not seconds, to make a sale. Focus on the user experience by providing shopping categories, filters, and comparison capabilities that will help them find what they need with minimal effort.
2. Mobile-friendly website
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3. High-resolution photos & video
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4. User-generated reviews
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5. Special offers
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6. Wish lists
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7. Find-in-store
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8. Related items
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9. Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
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10. Social Proof
First off, link your social profiles with your online store. This will allow customers to find more information about your business and connect with you on a more personal level.
Next, make sure to include any user-generated content that you receive. This can be anything from photos of customers using your products or written testimonials. Having this information available will help customers see how others use your products and how they can use them too!
11. Security features
Online transactions are an integral part of our lives. In fact, according to Statista, retail ecommerce sales worldwide are projected to reach 4.5 trillion US dollars this year, and some estimates have it almost doubling by 2023.
With the skyrocketing popularity of online shopping comes a rise in the number of fraudsters and cybercriminals—so it’s no wonder that security features for an ecommerce site are one of the most important things we think about when developing websites for our clients.
We realize that security is always a concern when considering launching a new ecommerce website, so we wanted to walk through some of the top features you should look for when choosing a platform—and explain why we believe WordPress with WooCommerce is one of the best options available today.
-SSL certificate: Establishes secure connectivity between a user and the website. Look for HTTPS and a green lock in the address bar before trusting an online store with your information. Select an SSL certificate vendor with name recognition. The enterprise ecommerce giants almost always use Symantec.
-Two-factor authentication: Adds an extra layer of security by requiring username/password and a system-generated code sent via email or text.
-Use a firewall: Provides a
12. Advanced Payment Options
As the world becomes more and more obsessed with Apple Pay and PayPal, advanced payment options are a must-have feature for any ecommerce site. Just think about how easy it is to use Amazon’s one-click shopping—it’s literally so simple that even the laziest shopper can buy with just the click of a button!
There are plenty of payment options out there, but you shouldn’t include them all. To figure out which one(s) to use, you need to understand who your target audience is and what they want. If you’re selling tech products to millennials, maybe you should consider offering Bitcoin as a payment option. But if you’re selling luxury items to older folks, maybe you don’t want to bother with that. The bottom line is: do your research! And if you decide not to offer a particular payment option, be sure to explain why.
13. Detailed shipping information
Shopping cart abandonment is a retailer’s nightmare. It happens when you’ve convinced someone to add an item to their cart, and then they change their mind at the last minute and decide not to purchase it after all.
Alarmingly, unexpected shipping costs are the number one reason for shopping cart abandonment. So it should go without saying that your website is optimized for shipping.
It’s critical that ecommerce websites include shipping information early in the checkout process, including a ZIP code calculator showing cost. It’s also helpful to include delivery time and options for faster delivery. Sites should list countries that are outside normal shipping zones.
Interestingly, shoppers spend 30% more per order when free shipping is included. Be sure to present codes for free shipping on all pages of the site through the header navigation, if applicable.
14. Multi-touchpoint contact page
Shopping online has become the way of the future, but it’s no secret that a lot of people are still unsure about how to do it.
And that makes sense—there are a lot of scams out there, and it can be really difficult to tell what you’re getting until it shows up on your doorstep.
If you’re an online retailer, one of the best ways to build trust and loyalty is to make sure you have a contact page on your site. You may think that this feature is just an added bonus, but it’s much more than that. If a customer has any questions about your product or shipping methods, they will turn to this page first.
When someone lands on your contact page, you want them to feel confident that their concerns will be heard and addressed promptly. Remember, every detail counts for building brand loyalty!
15. return policy
Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, you know that shopping online isn’t always as straightforward as it is in-person. Sometimes, the color looks different on screen than it does in real life. Sometimes, the size runs small or large. Sometimes, you just change your mind.
That’s why return policies are an essential feature of any ecommerce website. Your return policy should be clearly visible and well-written or illustrated. This is another trust-building feature of online selling—it reassures buyers that if they are unhappy or just need a different size, the brand is there for them.
start creating fantastic shopping experiences
With the right features in place, ecommerce sites can more easily establish a connection with their customers, build brand loyalty, and support users through every stage of their shopping experience. It’s well worth the effort to consider these must-have features as you start planning your next ecommerce site.
