As an estimated e-commerce industry sales will hit around $4.8 by 2021. However, choosing an eCommerce platform, and creating a store is not a straightforward process as it seems.
There’s only one goal of a business owner’s and that is to build and operate a successful eCommerce store but it’s not that easy.
The first step is very important, right!
That’s why, we’ve put together this article that details all the factors you need to keep in mind before choosing an eCommerce platform.
1. Mobile Optimization
2. SEO Optimization
3. Website Security
4. Multiple Payment Options
5. User Experience
1. Mobile Optimization
Nearly 60% of searches are done from mobile devices so mobile optimization is the most important part of an online eCommerce store.
Your eCommerce platform should be mobile friendly and easy-to-use so that your mobile customers can easily access your website as well as make the purchase easily.
Not only this Google has also started to use the mobile version of a website as its primary search engine index.
Here are some specialties of a mobile-optimized website :
– The website should look good on different mobile devices.
– The website should load quickly on mobile devices.
– No scrolling (horizontal and vertical screen scrolling)
– Easy to find the navigations tab
– Less (no) pop-ups on mobile
Read the full benefits of having a mobile-optimized website here.
2. SEO Optimization
SEO Optimization is the second most important part of an online eCommerce store. If you want more traffic, leads and sales then you need to focus on search engine optimization strategies of your store.
SEO store has lots of benefits for example your store ranks better and higher in the search engine result pages.
Here are some of the important factors when looking for an SEO friendly platform :
– Add a custom domain name
– Easy to add and update meta tags
– Adding alt and title tags to website images
– Access to the sitemap and robots.txt file
– Ability to add SEO friendly URL structures
– Ability to add the blog page
Having an SEO friendly store is the first step of a successful eCommerce store.
Read important SEO checklist for boosting eCommerce sales here:
3. Website Security
For an eCommerce store, security is a very crucial part. User doesn’t want to enter credit card information on an unstable website. So make sure your store is 100% secured and stable.
One of the best ways to secure your store is to install a valid SSL certificate. Yes, the green padlock on the top URL bar is known as an SSL certificate. The main benefit of having an SSL certificate (Secure sockets layer) is that it keeps user sensitive information safe by encrypting this information between servers.
Choosing a trusted eCommerce platform is also very important. Here are some of the most trusted eCommerce platform you can use for your very first eCommerce store :
– Shopify
– WordPress
– Squarespace
– Magento
– BigCommerce
4. Multiple Payment Options
What will be the benefits of having good website traffic if you can’t able to convert them into your loyal customers?
In simple words, if you want to grow your eCommerce store and want to boost your leads and sales, we recommended you to have more than one payment option. Only PayPal doesn’t help you grow your sales, you need to consider other payment gateway options as well as Worldpay, Stripe, and Amazon pay. You should also provide users the ability to make the payment processing using credit and debit cards also.
In 2020, there are a very good number of payment options available globally. Also it’s a very good practice to give them the ability to purchase an item using a guest account. Forcing them to make an account every time is definitely not a very smart idea.
5. User Experience
User Experience plays a very crucial role in the success of an eCommerce store. Not only it decreases your website bounce rates but it also builds trust in your brand.
Here are some of the important factor you need to keep in mind before building an eCommerce store :
– Your website design should be very good.
– Ecommerce store should be easy to navigate.
– The website should load quickly.
– Multiple product images & Cross-selling options.
– Easy and user-friendly checkout process.
– Not forcing them to register before purchasing an item.
– Lowest shipping charges.
– Give them an option for Live chat (So that they can be 100% assure before making a purchase).
Conclusion
The eCommerce industry is constantly growing. If you are serious about your business (& eCommerce store) make sure you check and follow each and every point properly.
If you are looking for an eCommerce store, you can contact us here. We will help you get an eCommerce store up and running very quickly and effectively.
