How to Design an Online Store
The Ecommerce Website
There are many ways to build an online store, but the key to building a successful online store remains the same:
• Products Page
The products page can be a gallery of images or some use a blog form in order to present website products. Which is more effective? One of the goals in keeping an online store is that you should be able to convert your leads to sale easily. Most successful ecommerce websites are those that use a gallery type products page where products are categorized and sorted accordingly where drop down menus and next buttons are easy to find, preferably on top and bottom of the products gallery.
What makes a products page effective? It is when users are able to get as much information about a product in the individual pages.
Product Title – A plain product name or code will not get enough attention, but adding some words in the product title that stirs creativity makes a difference. An example for a plain product name or code is “Mirror Cabinet”. To make the item more interesting from all the other sites that sell mirror cabinets, you may turn this into “Maspion Ivory Mirror Cabinet Fit for your Comfort and Style”.
Price – If you set your price too high, there’s a fat chance that visitors would instantly reconsider others who have a lower price than that of your own website. On the other hand, if you set your price too low or lower than average, you will be seen as cheap and probably put your credibility at risk because consumers will question the genuineness of your ecommerce website’s products and services. As for pricing, work around the average cost and include add-ons, freebies, and best customer service. The price of the product should always be in each of the item you post in your product gallery.
Product images – One image would not satisfy the curiosity of one customer and that it will be highly appreciated if you take images of a product on top, side, back, and front view. Images that compare its size to other objects to emphasize height, length, or width also help customers to decide whether to buy the product or not. It also lessens the probability of customers returning the product because expectations and realities are almost at the same level.
Text and Description – To sell out a product or service, the ecommerce webmaster should provide enough data and information about such product or service written uniquely and differently from the manufacturers’ published write-up. An in-depth review and description of the product or service you are selling will not only be helpful for potential buyers but also great in search engine optimization.
Shopping Cart Button – The “add to cart” button is the portal used by any potential buyer which indicates the willingness to purchase the product. Just like any shopping cart in the supermarket, the item will be then placed in the shopping cart.
• Shopping Cart
What makes a shopping cart stand out? A great shopping cart is placed visibly on the right hand side top part of an ecommerce website. A creatively drawn shopping cart or bag indicating how many items are already inside and the total cost of the items is a good way to update customers of how much they are likely to spend in online shopping to how many items. Links going to checkout and to view the items placed inside the cart help online shoppers’ process checkout easily.
• Check out Process
The Check out process is where most of the potential customers leave the shopping cart because of many reasons.
Payment Options – Not all of the online shoppers that go to your site has the ability to pay through a credit card. There are also individuals, most especially first time shoppers, who are afraid to use their credit card information in sites they’re not really familiar with. Opening a merchant account from PayPal will surely ease out and secure the online shopping process.
Remove Pop Up Ads – Pop Up Ads surely drive away shoppers who want to check-out immediately. If you want to add referral items related to what the items the shopper is buying, add the images with creatively written titles below the checkout.
Getting Visitors
When you have an ecommerce website, it will not be of use if the website doesn’t get the visitors that it longs to have. PPC, Social media and search engine optimization, email marketing, and other forms of internet marketing goes hand in hand in increasing the target visitor count.