The user experience is perhaps the most important aspect of your website. It does not matter if you sell the perfect product. If customers can't find what they want, or the website design confuses them, they won't stay long enough to come to love your brilliant products. Work with a user experience developer that understands how the user interface (UI) affects the overall success of the site.
1. The Audience: Before you even think about starting your e-commerce site, you must learn about your audience and potential customer. What do they want? What do they expect to see on your website? If they can't find the information they need immediately, they'll move on.
2. Website Goals: Obviously, the goal of an e-commerce website involves the sale of goods or services. However, you need clarity when working with a UI designer. You have two main options, you can pull in customers by immediately presenting them with products, or you can provide an interactive interface that allows customers to express their interests and receive custom recommendations based on their answers.
3. Functionality: How functional is the website? Do users have to search for the search bar? Is the information they want and need readily available and easy on the eyes? Use colors like blue or orange that are non-straining and promote sales.
4. Testing: Set up various website portals to see what website design pulls in more sales and meets your goals. The design and method of selling the product can mean the difference between a successful sale and a lost customer.
5. Marketing: Customers that stumble upon your site need to quickly understand what the website specializes in. Run tests with people to see how quickly they can identify the website services or products. Ask them what the first element they noticed was and see if that lines up with the goals of your website.
6. Promotions: Offer a promotion for first time buyers that is easy to view and find. If the promotion blends in too well with the website, customers won't notice it. Avoid making it look like a sponsored advertisement or spammy promotional link. Concentrate on developing a UI that instills a sense of trust in your customers.
7. Newsletters: Newsletters are an excellent way to pull in users that found your site and became interested in your product or service, but maybe they weren't in a position to buy anything yet. If a newsletter subscription appears prominently on the site, you can bring those "lost" customers back with promotions and coupons.
8. Product Reviews: People have bought your products, right? Offer incentives for users to leave product reviews by allowing them easy ways to comment on your site. Product reviews and positive testimonials should be easily located on the website. Your UI designer should know how to effectively create attractive product listings and make it possible for quick product reviews.
9. Social Aspects: Incorporate a forum, or allow people to discuss your products on social media sites. Every website should have a section located near the bottom or top of the site that lists social media icons. Customers look for these icons to develop trust with the company and see what others are saying about the service and products.
10. Appearance: Why is appearance last? Because, while it is important, without a properly functioning site with the necessary components for success, the website will fail. A pretty site certainly instills trust in customers, but it does no good if the customer can't find what they want.
