As a powerful selling tool, it goes without saying that an effective ecommerce marketing strategy and website is one that enables you to showcase your goods for optimal success. There are a number of factors that determine what makes this type of website so effective however. Many new e-tailers are so focused on getting their shop online, that they don’t stop to ensure that they have everything in place to foster conversion.
That doesn’t mean that you need all sorts of bells and whistles. Ultimately, you will see far more return on your investment if you focus only on the things that will drive genuine value. In this short guide, we take a look at the features that are most important for any ecommerce website.
Essential Ecommerce Website Features
Some of the most important elements for your ecommerce website include the following:
- Responsive design. As Google clamps down more heavily on websites that are not mobile-friendly, responsive design is more important than ever before. Today’s customer is likely to be shopping from their smartphone. Your site should be fully functional on any device – computer, tablet and smartphone at the very least. An outdated design that is not responsive could end up setting back your SEO efforts.
- User-generated reviews. Reviews are equally important. Most shoppers will use these reviews to make an informed purchase. With that in mind, the star rating on products may just be one of the features that most shoppers value. If you’re worried about having negative reviews, don’t be. In reality, negative reviews can be more effective than none at all. If you respond to all reviews properly, you will help your shop gain a loyal following.
- SEO friendliness. It is also essential that your website is fully optimised. SEO plays a hugely important role in how people find your website. Product pages, URLs, navigation and product descriptions all help your website rank – especially in conjunction with reviews and a responsive design.
- Email marketing. If you are not making use of ecommerce marketing features such as email marketing and lead generation, you are missing the chance to convert more people. Investing in a holistic marketing strategy that incorporates email along with mobile marketing strategy, social media and other channels is the best way to grow your store.
- Landing pages. You will also need optimised landing pages that entice potential customers and get their attention right from the start. These can be used for everything from email marketing to PPC. You can also use these pages to display special offers and welcome deals.
Now that you have a better idea of what features you will need to focus on, it will be a lot easier to perfect your ecommerce website for maximum results.