Last year in the UK an estimated £50 billion (an average of £1000 per adult) was spent on online shopping– accounting for 11.8% of all trade. Despite this however the average conversion rate for E-commerce sites is a slight 2-3% or for the more successful sites it can range from 15% and upwards.
There are many factors needed to create a successful E-commerce site, the most vital however is that it needs to engage the user. The two main ways to do so are through the functionality and navigation of the website.
To convert a visit into a sale the user needs to be able to do three things easily and successfully. The first is that they need to be able to find the product/products they are interested in; a simple yet effective way to do so is through a search function. The users then need all the product information at their fingertips, this may include; size, price, delivery options etc. Finally they need to be able to process the order, this will entail an easy to use ‘add to basket’ and checkout system.
The final step, the payment is the most crucial action for any visitor. Firstly, don’t discourage the user by having too many steps in between adding products to the basket and the purchase. E-commerce is not limited to geography or socio-economic status therefore it is crucial to accept as many payment methods as possible – credit cards, debit cards, PayPal etc. Most importantly reinforce the ethos that shopping online is safe and that all user details will be kept secure and not used for spam or 3rd party marketing.
An E-commerce site is a platform for both communication and promotion, therefore it is essential to utilise it to its full potential. Promote matching or recommended items to customers when they are viewing a product, for example if they are looking at a shirt suggest matching ties. An alternative is to offer the customer incentives to make a purchase, this can range from: free postage, gift wrapping, discounts or free items/discounts on their next purchase.
As with any website if you wish to succeed it is essential to continually develop, look into expanding your market, perhaps by offering new services such as international delivery, M-commerce or digital downloads.
E-commerce is ever-growing in popularity with hundreds of thousands of online product searches taking place each day. Therefore whilst it may seem obvious it is essential to ensure that the site works on all online platforms: mobiles, tablets, PC’s and other devices, the greater the accessibility the greater the likelihood of visits.
By Colin Harris