eCommerce has taken the digital world by storm. It is growing at a rate of 20% every year with a growing number of people now turning to the internet to make money.
The industry is worth $423.34 billion in the US alone. In fact, according to this report, over $3.45 billion were made in sales in a single day on last year Cyber Monday sale.
With such a huge potential, many people have realized the importance of eCommerce business and are now turning towards running their own.
No matter how big or small of an eCommerce business you are planning to start with, you will need a basic, simple yet efficiently working eCommerce website if you wish to find success.
While you can start with a Facebook page as well, but the importance of a website cannot be neglected. According to WSI web design experts, users prefer to purchase from a website and not Facebook pages, as a business that has a professional site is considered more reliable.
So if you are planning on starting your own eCommerce business, think of a website first. Here's are 3 things you need to know before designing an eCommerce website:
Your website should speak for your brand. If are already running a business, then your website should stay relevant to its theme. However, if you are just starting then you can come up with a new idea of your own.
The theme depends on several factors including your target audience and the nature of your business. For example, if you are starting a site that offers fashion accessories, then your website should be all colorful and funky. On the other hand, if you are starting a website for professional services, then your website should be subtle without funky elements.
Moreover, the color scheme should be easy on the eyes with proper fonts. If you're using a predesigned theme, then make sure to use one that's made specifically for your niche.
It is all about user experience. Visitors will not stay on your site if it doesn't offer a great experience. The most important thing is to have an easy to use layout. Around 90% of users will quit a site if it is too complex, so make sure to stick to a simple layout.
Some other factors to take care of include:
- Menu Bar: Have a menu bar with working links to all important pages, such as contact us and about us page.
- Information: Make sure to provide all relevant information on your site, from product details to cost.
- Call to Action: Let your visitors know what you want them to do, i.e: make a purchase. The right CTA technique can improve results by 100%.
- Search Bar: Allow visitors to easily look for what they need. This can be taken care of with the help of search option.
Keeping the latest stats in mind, it is a must to have your website open properly on mobile devices. Around 50% of all users use mobile devices to browse the web. If your website is not mobile friendly, it would force your visitor to go to another site, causing you to lose your potential customer.
Other than this, a site that is not responsive also finds it difficult to rank well on search engines as Google considers this factor when ranking websites.
Conclusion
The design of a website can make or break a site. While there are some ready to use templates out there, make sure to customize your site according to your needs so that you can get great results.