Essential Features for a Successful E-commerce Website

E-commerce has proven itself and its importance in the world of business and retail. Current US Census data indicates that e-commerce activity is up across all sectors and is likely to continue rising. Likewise, revenue via e-commerce is also on the up, and e-commerce occupies a significant and growing percentage of overall retail sales. Everything indicates these trends will continue, and every independent or small business needs to consider the role of e-commerce in their overall business plan.  And e-commerce success starts with an effective and well-designed website–but what goes into that? The essential features for a successful e-commerce website aren’t always obvious, and a solid understanding of what they are, how they work, and the best ways to implement e-commerce website solutions is vital for businesses on all levels.

While the particulars will depend on the business and industry in question, there are several essential features for an e-commerce website that are nearly universal. These core features and functions ensure that your e-commerce website is an effective tool for moving potential clientele through your funnel and converting them into sales.

• User-friendly navigation is always important in website design, but especially so if your site is intended to translate site hits into sales. When visiting your site, users should be greeted with a pleasing aesthetic, clear layout and functionality, and site navigation that supports an easy and intuitive user experience.  

• Mobile-responsive design is now an absolute requirement for all business websites. Mobile devices are now the primary means of accessing the internet for most consumers, meaning that potential clientele will most likely find your website via mobile. By ensuring that your site offers a clean, responsible mobile experience you’ll help retain the audience–and the clients–your e-commerce business deserves. 

• Secure payment gateways are another requirement for any sales or e-commerce site, and with good reason. Online fraud is a real threat and can create huge problems for both businesses and consumers. By ensuring that your payment system is both secure and easy to use, your site will build and support your e-commerce presence. 

• Responsive design both builds on and transcends mobile-friendly design. By incorporating responsive design, you’ll ensure that your website will be accessible and functional to visitors across a wide range of devices, browsers, and operating systems. In a diverse digital world, reaching the audience you need means ensuring that you can reach the majority of devices out there.

• Effective search functionality is vital because, simply put, site visitors can’t do business with you if they can’t find what they need on your site. In order to facilitate sales, answer visitor questions, and ensure that time on site converts to sales, your e-commerce site will need an effective and up-to-date search function. 

• Presented information means that everything about your site is clear, informative, and accessible. From the overall design to the text and visual content, from the page organization to the inventory or list of services, all of it must be presented clearly. Time is money, and the faster visitors to your site can find what they need the more likely they are to make a purchase.

• A clear and simple contact function helps both current and potential clientele get in touch with you to ask questions, submit sales or pricing queries, or redress issues with your products or services. Helping folks get in touch as easily as possible and ensuring a prompt response to client communications promotes an effective e-commerce experience. 

E-commerce is here to stay, and with that come some amazing opportunities for businesses of all types and sizes. By leveraging the power of -e-commerce via a successful e-commerce website, you’ll continue to build the success your business deserves. Wahha Designs knows how hard you’ve worked to build that success, and we want to put our skills and bleeding-edge understanding of digital marketing and e-commerce to work for you. Get in touch today and we’ll discuss how we can amplify and elevate your business’s digital presence.