New IT technologies have completely changed the way people shop in the 21st century. Internet and mobile devices have made it possible to purchase products or services at any time and in any location. As a result, a tremendous number of e-commerce websites appeared on the world wide web and continue to compete with each other.
In order to win that competition, make sure that your e-commerce website is able to provide excellent customer experience. There is no magic formula for a successful e-commerce business. However, there are some major elements of an eCommerce website that you must pay attention to. In this blog post we will talk about elements of the ‘product description’ page that are important in order to increase your website’s compatibility and customer satisfaction.
Images
As online shoppers usually don’t have access to the real product, the visual appearance of what you sell online is extremely important. Imagine that you are buying a dress via an e-commerce website. In a real store you would be able to touch the material it’s made of, try it on to make sure it looks good and that it matches the color of your shoes, etc.
None of those actions can be accomplished online. But what e-stores can use are pictures that are supposed to convince the customer to specific goods.
Below is a list of features of images that would appeal to online shoppers:
– high quality pictures that show the product and also allows for zooming in/out for clear visibility of details;
– a few pictures of the product (usually one is not enough) showicasing it from different angles;
– pictures of a real product. You don’t want customers to return it because what they saw online doesn’t match what was delivered;
– right background. For instance, if the item you are selling has a dark color, the background color should be light. The contrast between the product and background makes its contours clear;
– if you are using models for pictures, they should look neat and healthy. People buying the item will unconsciously associate themselves with those who are on the picture;
– images of the product in all colors offered;
Product Description
A detailed description of the product makes the shopper’s decision to make the purchase easier. It also decreases the number of unsatisfied buyers as a result of unmatched expectations concerning of product’s description and the product itself.
Tell shoppers how they will benefit from the product as well as what features it has. Remember that people don’t just buy a product, they buy a solution to their problems.
You also can use a product description for search engine optimization (SEO). Find out what people are searching for online and use those phrases to get higher rankings on the search results page. I personally use Google AdWords Keyword but there are many different options available on the web. The same method should be used when writing a title.
Pricing
Based on the infographic posted by Bit Rebels, 52% of people are more likely to enter a store that has a ‘sale’ sign displayed. The same principle works with online sellers. If you offer some products for a reduced price make sure to make that clear on your website. The most common color for sales signs is red. Add a red ‘sales’ sign and add a stroke through the old price as well as highlighting the new one. This simple technique makes buyers believe they are saving money by purchasing this product instead of another similar one.
Also the final price of the product including taxes and delivery expenses should be clearly written on the product description page.
Give Options
What meets the demands of one customer is not necessarily the same of another’s. Giving a wide range of options increases the number of customers you can satisfy. Below is a list of he most common options you can offer to online shoppers:
– size;
– color;
– delivery. For some, price is the main criteria when deciding to purchase something. Others want to get the product ASAP and don’t want to worry about paying some extra money. If you deliver the product door – to – door, you could also provide the buyer the option of specifying the time of delivery that would be most convenient to them (day, hours);
– payment. Make sure that you have a merchant account that allows you to accept major debit/credit cards.
PayPal is another very popular payment method that should be offered on your website. According to Statistic Brain, 18% of e-commerce is represented by PayPal. As a result, PayPal integration is one of the most frequently requested enhancements for eCommerce websites. For those who use Oracle/ATG Web Commerce Suite, Spark::red has developed the only PayPal certified Sparkred™ PayPal ATG Integration Module that is available for free.
Social buttons
Alway keep in mind that we live in the age of social media. ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ buttons are a nice way to increase prospective buyers’ awareness about your offers for free.
Buyers’ comments
According to the survey by Search Engine Land, approximately 72% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. Also buyers’ opinions about different products is one of the ways by which to monitor customer satisfaction and source ideas for the future improvement of your services. Offer other products
When a person has already showed interest in a particular item, your e-commerce software should also be able to ascertain what kind of other products he or she could be interested in. The software should support cross-selling and up-selling by remembering the history of each shopper’s searches/purchases and suggest products to the customers based on those findings. Those products might be similar to those already purchased or just items that go as accessories for the product the buyer is already viewing.
Oracle/ATG Web Commerce is a leading cross-channel platform. Its Business Intelligence combines data about customer behavior on the website as well as demographic data via different channels. That allows your website to give the best matching product based on your customers’ interests and increase online sales.
Return, exchange and guarantee policy
Many online shoppers worry that the product they buy will not be exactly what they expect it to be. Ensure them that there a backup plan exists for those who are unsatisfied with the purchase by telling them about your return and guarantee policies. In case you sell products from third-party manufacturers, it is a good idea to give links to their guarantee policy on your website.
Security guarantee
Card holder authentication information is the main target of hackers. You know such information as well as your customers do. Convince them that their transactions will be fully secure by posting trust seals.
However posting seals is not enough. You need to make sure that your e-commerce website does not just look secure but that it IS secure. In order to achieve that goal choose PCI DSS compliant hosting provider. Read more about PCI DSS and why it is so important for your business here.
The advice given above are is mainly focused on the product description pages that are designed for desktops. Most of them will be still valuable if you create a version of your e-commerce website for mobile devices. However, there are a few differences. Read ‘How to make your website mobile friendly’ to learn more about this topic.
Very useful information. Thank you.
Thanks! Glad it was helpful!