e-COMMERCE
WEBSITE DESIGN

Of all types of businesses, Red Deer & Alberta based e-Commerce companies must place a special emphasis on their online presence. However, many e-Commerce websites prioritize the appearance of their website over the complete customer experience and brand engagement of their website, products, and brand.

1. Quality Products & Pricing – are essential, but startups don’t need to have as many products as Amazon to be successful. A smaller selection of products can make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for. It’s important to carefully strategize your product selection and pricing. It’s also worth considering that trying to source a large amount of inventory can create logistical problems that can lead to delays and frustrate customers. You may want to consider reducing your product selection and adjusting your prices.
2. Website Design & User Experience – are crucial for engaging customers and driving them to make purchases with minimal frustration. It’s important to build trust, enjoyment, and comfort with the brand through the design of the website. Make sure that customers can easily browse, share, and understand your products. The design of the product gallery should be easy to navigate and intuitive. Analyze drop-off rates for all pages on the site to ensure that the website navigation is clear and that users can both browse and navigate to specific interests.
3. Online Merchant Accounts – offer lower fees and more control over return policies, making them a good choice for e-Commerce businesses. Third-party gateways like PayPal can slow down the shipping process and cause delays in cash flow, so it’s worth considering an online merchant account. Changing your payment method is easy with most e-commerce solutions, and with WooCommerce it’s as simple as entering your new merchant account credentials. I recommend that all new e-Commerce businesses use an online merchant account for accepting payments.
4. Provide Quality Online Customer Service – consider including helpful hints during the purchasing process, a clear and easy-to-understand exchange policy, and detailed content information and usage instructions. Engaging with customers and prospects through social media and providing authentic support during the buying process can help turn them into long-term brand advocates. Keep in mind that Google favors businesses with strong customer engagement and may penalize those with poor customer experiences. Avoid writing fake reviews, as Google is also on the lookout for these. Overall, strive to create a memorable customer experience through your website and marketing efforts.
5. Make Every Purchase Personal – this is the single most important tip for a new and/or small e-Commerce business. You are the differentiator, include a handwritten or signed Thank You so the online customer knows they’re actually dealing with a real live person on the other end. If they feel a connection, they are more likely to recommend and share the satisfaction of dealing with you & your business, with friends, family, and on social media.