The internet affords anyone with the time, energy, and gumption a level playing field of building their eCommerce site and selling products online. Unfortunately, this also created a lot of online competition to carve out and retain a piece of the global online market and appetite for products and services.
Hence, websites need as much competitive advantage as possible, which sometimes comes down to the eCommerce site’s home page designs and layouts.
Admittedly, there are no universal must-have features or design options guaranteeing that your online store will succeed. Still, you cannot ignore the nine suggestions given below when creating and running your site.
Why Sell Products Online?
Before consumers purchase products from your store, they need to discover it and your products. There are many reasons to sell your products online, including:
- People spend money online. The U.S. market spent $602 billion online in 2019, while the coronavirus crisis saw online sales grow by 49% just in the first month of the pandemic.
- Ecommerce sites cost less than storefronts.
- Online shopping is convenient and safe.
- An online presence increases brand visibility and gets your services or products found in search.
- The growth in mobile means consumers can buy from anywhere.
This post assumes you have already built your online store and know the basics of running and managing one. Instead, it focuses on tweaking your eCommerce site pages to attract visitors and convert leads into customers to increase sales.
The primary goals of eCommerce home pages are to:
- Make your online shop sell more
- Show the advantages of your service or products
- Gain visitors’ trust
How to Improve Your Ecommerce Site
The following nine features will help you improve your online store’s usability and increase sales and profitability. These features, while desirable, are not obligatory.
- Logo
A brand logo acts as your business card. It’s a reassuring symbol online and adds an element of trust to your business.
- Deals, Freebies, and Free Shipping
People always respond positively to shopping deals, freebies, discounts, and free shipping options. Online users always look forward to sales, exclusive deals, and discounted periods and will buy anything at slashed prices.
Others are attracted by free shipping, significant markdowns, and promotions. These special prices and appealing promises stimulate visitors to spend. Hence, positioning eye-catching banners of discounted offers and promotions on the top of your home page makes sense.
- Share Latest News and Upcoming Events
Your home page is the best place to house the latest news about sales periods, popular products, and upcoming events. Make it easy for shoppers to find your exclusive deals, hot prices, latest trends, and new arrivals.
- Shopping Cart, Search Box, and Login Box
Ecommerce sites often place the shopping cart, search box, and login box together. Stores also provide customers with private accounts where they can check their current and previous orders. These accounts require sign-up and login boxes, while search boxes allow visitors to find specific products.
- Include Payment Method Icons
Ecommerce websites serve customers from across the globe with different preferred payment systems. Therefore, it’s best to clarify all your acceptable payment options in advance to avoid confusion due to technical limitations.
Try and provide popular payment options such as credit and debits cards, PayPal, and gift cards and place the icons at either the top right corner of your site or at the footer. Remember to comply with PCI Data Security Standard (DSS) required for online stores and other service providers that process, store, or transmit credit card data.
- Lead with Brand Products
Never place all your products or catalog directly on the home page. Instead, have the most eye-catching and attention-grabbing offers readily accessible. You can also lead with branded products to grab the attention of visitors who are merely browsing.
Leading with brand products also makes sense for retailers with a vast product catalog. They can also offer the opportunity to “shop by brands.”
- Social Media Links
Social media is a powerful marketing medium for online stores and provides one of the fastest online information sources. Social media platforms offer excellent self-promotion opportunities, especially if you leverage online communities’ power and influence.
Hence, include social media links on your site and maintain active online visibility by keeping shoppers abreast of special deals and the latest news.
- Trustmarks
Trustmarks refer to logos or images that prove a security guarantee from an external, trustworthy party. These accreditation certificates, such as network solutions like McAfee, BBB, TRUSTe, VERISIGN, or GeoTrust, give visitors and customers a sense of security and the confidence to share their private information.
- Phone Numbers and Online Chats
Customers prefer to talk to humans when they encounter problems or need customer support. Hence it’s essential to provide 24/7 hotlines and live chat support. Such value-added customer service builds trust, gains repeat business, affords you positive online reviews, and develops brand loyalty.
Over to You
After setting up your online store and spending money marketing it, your home page also plays a huge role in completing sales. The above suggestions can help make or break your eCommerce site.
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