In today’s world, many, if not most business owners have an online presence. Even if they are considered to be “brick-and-mortar” businesses, the majority of businesses have a least a simple website so they are locatable online. With more and more companies moving towards the direction of eCommerce, the importance of having an easy-to-use website is becoming something of a requirement.
If you don’t use your company’s website for more than just to exist on the internet, as long as it looks nice and has the information you want on there (essentially what you do and how to find you) you can get away with having a mediocre site. However, if you are making at least some portion of your money from online sales, you will need your website functioning at its utmost capacity. There are 3 main things to think about when it comes to your online shop.
1. What is the User Experience (UX) Like
When a user gets to your website, their experience needs to be excellent from entrance to purchase. If your website is the slightest bit confusing or unappealing, there is a good chance that the user will get frustrated and exit your site before he or she has the chance to buy. Can your users find the items they are searching for easily? Can they easily find their cart? Is the payment process simple and efficient? These are all questions to ask yourself when designing the UX of your website.
2. How is My Customer Service Center?
Often times, while doing online transactions, there are bumps in the road when it comes to your customers’ buying experiences. This is fine, and it’s even to be expected, but when an issue does come up, there needs to be a quick solution to your customer’s needs. You must make sure that there is someone available if a customer receives a damaged or incorrect item, or was charged the wrong price for it. Maybe he or she has questions about how to properly use the product. A good customer support section has multiple ways to get in contact with a representative (phone, email, live chat, etc.) and even an FAQ section providing answers when users have concerns, not during working hours.
3. Do I have a Reliable Host Site
You don’t need to be totally tech-savvy to know that it’s a bummer when your page loads slowly or drops out in the middle of a shopping experience. Having a reliable host company hosting your website is very important for the user experience and for your potential sales. If a user enters his or her credit card information, clicks “buy, and the page loads slowly and then drops out, they don’t know if their card was charged or not. This creates problems for everyone and is bad for business.
By checking these three things, you’ll be well on your way to a great online shopping experience for your users, and some nice sales numbers for your company as well.
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