Want to make enough money out of online shopping? Then a successful e-commerce website is a handy solution. A study by Mashable states that U.S. shoppers will spend $327 on online shopping, up 45% from $226 billion.
There are no special designs or features available that takes your e-commerce website to the peaks of popularity. However, there are some best practices for making your WordPress e-commerce website success and improves overall customer experience.
Also Check: A complete guide to WooCommerce - Building your WordPress e-commerce website.
13 Best Practices for Successful eCommerce website
Here are 13 best practices that are worth knowing for turning your WordPress into successful eCommerce website.
1. Use Good Product Images
High resolution images, close up detailed images as well as images from multiple angles are a must. Since customer is shopping online, it is important to ensure a customer can see as much of it as possible.
These high resolution photographs reduces product return and complaints from customer. To see an example of high resolution images, you can check aetherapperal.com.
Here you can check which size fits you by providing the astounding images of clothes on models.
2. Product Description
Your product description must be interesting, complete and engaging. Do not make it too long like a blog post. Make it short, simple and informative that engages visitors towards your product.
Check out Kenneth Cole website to see an example of product description.
3. Easy and quick purchase process
The checkout or purchase process should be quick and simple. Customers literally abandon the product in their hands and make a quick exit when they see lots of options on a single purchase page.
Reduce the amount of information your customer need to fill in or provide. To make payment process easy, you can use Stripe as the payment gateway to make checkout process quick and easy.
4. Product videos
It has been proven in the studies that well implemented product videos boost sales. This is subtle kind of marketing that show your shoppers how your product works, behaves, interacts or fits.
These product videos provides users a better experience of what they’re buying. For an instance, check out FiftyThree sales page. The product video describes how your product works and interact with you.
5. Write SEO Optimized Product Titles
Many prople search products with the product name. Therefore, SEO Optimized product titles improve search engine ranking of your and boost your sales.
To write SEO optimized product titles, you can use any WordPress plugin like WordPress SEO by Yoast that provides you complete SEO solution. You can write SEO rich product titles and description to improve rank in search engine.
Also Read: How To: Setup Yoast WordPress SEO plugin
6. Transparent policies
To win your customers trust, you need transparent data policies. Let them know who are you and what you stand for. Mention all your policies, FAQs, return policy and information on ways to contact customer service.
To get some example, check out Suitsupply’s FAQ page. All types of policies are explained under FAQ page.
7. Shopping cart visibility at all times
Make sure that Shopping cart is visible at all times to your customers, preferably at the top right corner of the screen. Also provide information to your customer in their shopping cart via drop down menu.
Customers have a habit of checking shopping cart constantly which results in increase of conversion rate of your website.
8. Easy Navigation
Shoppers want a navigation that is easy for them and easily get them from one page to another without any fuss. Make sure your navigation process is easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for.
This can be achieved by carefully categorizing your items into categories and sub-categories.
9. Simple registration
Make your registration process quick and simple. Do not make it too long which frustrates your customer. With the registration form offer them incentive or display the security of their information.
For an example, you can check jabong.com which offers very easy registration process with some incentive like voucher of Rs. 1500.
10. Product Filtering
Give your shoppers an option of product filtering to filter their product according to them and strip out the items they’re not interested in.
When buykilt.com, an online Kilt and Scottish Highland Dress retailer implemented product filter, they find a huge change in revenues and conversions. There was 76.1% increase in Revenue, a 26% increase in conversions and 19.76% increase in shopping cart visits.
11. Send e-mail newsletters regularly
Send e-mail newsletters regularly to your customers and establish a good relationship. Share some tips, product updates and useful information. Highlight the products that are coming soon or have some special offers. This ensures that your customer don’t forget about your website.
Use good e-mail marketing plugin like PopupAlly which allows you to promote your products, offers and incentives and drives traffic on your website.
Also Read: How to add pop opt-in box in WordPress?
12. Contact Info
Give complete, clear and easy to find contact details to your customer. So that they can easily contact you in case of any queries related to your product.
Zappos.com provides you separate contact page where they give all the contact details including phone number, email address, chat option and email address to report security issue.
13. Answer questions quickly
It is very important to answer customer’s questions as soon as possible. Also update your FAQs and sales page with important information comes with customer’s questions. Use live chat plugins for quick communication.
Also Read: Best WordPress Live Chat Plugins
Conclusion
Running a successful e-commerce website takes lot of efforts but with these tips you will be able to run a successful online store easily and improve your sales and conversion rates.
If you are facing any challenges in building a successful e-commerce website, or have any tips, please share with us.