26 Things To Consider Before Developing Your E-Commerce Website!

Creating an efficient e-commerce website is a matter of great skill as there are several factors that needs to be considered. There is no one specific point that can be pinned and termed as a success contributing factor to an  e-commerce website. It is important that the e-commerce website is responsive and gives a smooth user experience.

HashTag Technologies has the experience of curating E-Commerce Websites for diverse industries and of varying sizes. Our expertise, backed with our extensive experience, brings forth the best in class e-commerce websites that are distinctive and efficient. Listed below are few elements that must be taken into account during the curation of an e-commerce website.

Optimised website speed:

With technology making things faster, users cannot wait for a long time for your website contents to download. Slow speed can spoil the entire shopping experience and can make customers not to return to the website ever again. This is why an optimised website becomes crucial.

Mobile / tablet friendly:

The high usage of smartphones in today’s world makes it a compulsion that your e-commerce website is multi-device friendly. Whether it is a desktop, mobile or a tablet, the website must be able to operate seamlessly without any glitches.

Simple login process:

Having to browse multiple pages, registration and updating personal details is a boring task. When you have your website ensure that the registration can be completed in simple few steps without many complicated questions, this saves the customer a lot of time, without checking their patience levels.

New product indication:

A smart e-commerce business website must always display what is new in their stock. At times users will be busy checking the usual categories and might ignore the new products altogether. With a flash button indicating new products, you will make sure they spot the new ones.

Product images:

This is extremely important as e-commerce websites are full of products which are not tangible before purchasing. In-slider images with zoom option will allow the user to check the product in detail and then opt to buy.

Organised menus:

The manner in which products are listed also makes a huge difference. Sorting the products in a logical manner gives the customers a reasonable sense of order and makes it convenient to proceed with the procedure.

Detailed product descriptions:

Good description enables the user to understand the product quality. As online products cannot be held or felt, the detailed analysis of ingredients, textures, etc., builds the right image of the product in the customer’s mind.

High resolution product images:

Always make sure that your e-commerce website has quality images so that users are able to see and imagine the products clearly in their minds. It will help them decide whether they want to proceed further with the purchase or not.

Product reviews:

Gathering reviews will enable further sales to be as smooth as possible. If a customer has liked a product and wants to make a purchase, having the reviews will catalyse the entire process of buying.

Cross-selling / Strategic related products:

Having great offers is one way of selling. When a customer chooses a product and buys it, by displaying similar products or some discounted products of same category, it will encourage the customers to further check the other set of products. This enables more sales.

Wishlist:

This enables the customers to save products that might be of interest with no immediate will to purchase the same. Wishlist helps customers to keep a tab of things for future purchase and that is why having one on an e-commerce website is important for your business.

Shipping API integration:

Once a user chooses a product to be purchased, the next thing that they want to know is the shipping amount. Providing dynamic shipping costs by integrations with service providers such as Fedex, DHL, UPS, etc., helps the customer have accurate shipping rates before making the purchase.

Efficient checkout experience:

Once the order is placed, then the checkout option will take the user to the billing screen. This is probably the most important portion of your site where the user decides to go ahead and make the payment for the purchase. Hence it needs to be as simple and easy as possible.

Payment gateway integration:

One of the key features is the ability to make payments without any technical glitches for which the payment gateways must be efficiently installed. The flow of the same must be hassle free and must be appropriate. Also the e-commerce website must be able to offer different payment options including cards and net banking. Every single detail makes a difference when a website is being designed for an e-commerce website. The transaction must not fail and must be completed. We, at HashTag Technologies take utmost care of these details and give user privacy and security the importance that it deserves.

Live shipment tracking:

If you are wondering if this feature is really needed, then understand that it is a must needed option. For various reasons once the order is placed, customers will be curious to know the status of their order and where exactly it is. It also helps to track the order without it getting missed out.

Emails- transactional, follow-up and retargeting:

E-Mails are an effective medium to keep in constant touch with the customers. Transactional mails, on account creation, profile update, purchase, etc., and also follow-up mails informing them of offers, new products, etc., will keep the brand name ringing in their minds.

Live chat:

Having an interactive helpdesk is needed for the e-commerce business. Customers can resolve their doubts on an immediate basis and proceed with placing the order. This not only gives an excellent user experience but also leverages the business to a great extent.

Search engine optimisation:

It is a usual notion that as part of SEO site speed needs to be increased in order to show higher on search results, but in reality, SEO involves lot many factors such as content, Meta descriptions, images and so on. SEO is quite technical and hence needs the advice of the experts. At HashTag Technologies, we put forth our experience and knowledge to let your website make the most of it.

A search function:

This adds to the convenience of the customers by allowing them to search certain categories or specific products. It is extremely useful when the website has lot of products in each category.

Social sharing buttons:

Flooding social media is an effective means of communicating. Users make use of these options when they want to share a certain piece of information about a product and hence this option comes in handy.

Site security information:

When any new user visits the site, it is but obvious that they check the site security. With so many cyber threats lingering around, this is an important slice of information for one and all in order to trust the site.

Trustmarks:

The standard trust marks build the confidence of the customers who want to place their orders. Trustmarks from McAfee, GoDaddy, etc., improve the authenticity of the site, thus resulting in more customers feeling safe to place to transact using their credit and debit cards on the site.

Return policy:

A clear cut returns policy eases the whole buying experience. It saves a lot of time of customers as well as the organisations. Having all the clauses stated it lets the buyer decide whether to proceed further or not.

“About Us” page:

This is particularly important for an e-commerce website as it lets the user know with whom they are dealing with and also instils a sense of confidence before proceeding with the shopping. The basic details about the firm and the team will add clarity to the users and can bring a lot of difference.

A footer with subscription:

If the user is happy with the experience of going through the website, then they would want to subscribe and stay updated about the developments and the latest products. The subscriber database can be used for further marketing campaigns.

Exit intent pop-ups:

These have been very popular of late, as they throw calls to action at the moment when the user is indecisive about what to do next. This helps them to sort out their decision and act accordingly.