All websites are unique in their way, but an eCommerce website is not just a website, it’s a virtual store on the internet where shoppers come, visit, search, and purchase. Any eCommerce website aims to retain the visitors and influence their purchasing decision for a higher conversion rate. It doesn’t solely depend on the range and quality of your products; there are other factors, elements, and eCommerce website features that can influence the shopping behavior of your potential consumer when they visit your website.
As an online seller, one cannot ignore some trends and features of eCommerce website to stay relevant in the competition. They don’t guarantee higher conversions but these elements do define how well a site is marketed and designed for a user-friendly experience. It is all about how well you are showcasing and marketing your catalog and USPs based on visitor’s interest and shopping experience.
In this post, we will talk about the top 10 must-have features for successful eCommerce websites that you should implement on your platform to attract more shoppers.
Positive reviews and ratings about your products are the best marketing tool to attract and encourage more customers to shop from your website. Almost every customer tries to find and read reviews about a product he/she is interested in before placing the order. More positive words than negative words can influence their purchasing decision in your favor. You can create a dedicated comment and review section on your eCommerce website or can use plugins from the thirds-party review platforms including Foursquare, Facebook, and Yelp.
You should encourage your happy customers to leave a positive review of your product on your site. You can also ask for more personalized reviews on their social media pages by tagging your store to influence other customers to visit your store.
2. Featured products/categories
In a time when online stores offer multiple choices and options to select from, featured product sections are the must-have eCommerce website feature. You should integrate featured product sections like related products, most popular products, best-selling products, and new arrivals based on shoppers’ interest, search, and purchase history. You can integrate these sections on different pages on your website as per your requirements. As all these depends on how much you are spending for development or cost of ecommerce website. It encourages customers to spend more time on your website and shop more from different sections.
You can use the phrases like “you might also like this”, “people who bought this item also searched for” “we have brought something new for your”, and many others to describe your features product sections. This is the best way to influence your shoppers to shop more from your catalog
3. AJAX search, product filtering, and sorting
You can’t think of an eCommerce website without a search section, filters, and sorting options. With hundreds and thousands of products in different categories, online shoppers want to search and find the products easily that they are looking for. AJAX live search is the best for eCommerce sites as it displays the more relevant results as users type in a beautiful list view. It acts like the auto-suggest feature that makes it easier for the shopper to find what they are looking for in a dynamic view.
An easy-to-use product filter and sorting option based on different parameters are also essential for a successful eCommerce website. This feature let users sort products based on their preferences and style to find the most relevant match in the search results.
4. Special offers
Besides telling your customers about special offers via standard marketing practices such as email, newsletters, social media, and promotional messages, you should also use the header section of your website to promote special offers running on your online store. This is the best way to flash ongoing deals and discount offers to the visitors coming on your website. It motivates shoppers to spend more time on your website to buy more and make the most out of the ongoing offers. You can also create a dedicated deal page on your website to let visitors check all the ongoing deals and discounts on a single page.
5. Wish list
It is like the bookmark feature where your customers can add any product to their wish list for future shopping. Sometimes, online shoppers find a product interesting and want to bookmark it so that they can easily find it next time they visit your site without going through the lists of products. This feature encourages customers to come back to your website to check and buy a product later when they want to.
A ‘Wish List’ feature with ‘Notify Me’ options can be very productive in case a product is out of stock and a potential customer wants to wait for it till it returns to stock. You can notify them about product availability using this feature to encourage them to buy something that they liked earlier.
6. Security Features
As an eCommerce site carries online transactions and stores user’s personal information, secured HTTPS connection with SSL certification can protect customer information and privacy. SSL certification on your website makes it reliable and trustworthy for online shopping and transaction. It guarantees that the user’s data is secured against the danger and threats of malicious attacks and hackers. Apart from installing the SSL certificate on your website, you can also implement two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security and firewall protection to block malicious traffic.
7. Advanced payment options
In the time of digital payments, you should include all the popular and advanced payment options on your check out page for safe and faster payments. Along with Visa and MasterCard payments, you can include options for UPI payments, PayPal, Apple Pay, or any other popular digital payment option in your country for user convenience. Many customers prefer less complicated payment methods with fewer steps to complete the process.
8. Shipping information and order tracking
You should clearly mention shipping options, charges, and delivery details on the product description page. It helps customers to calculate the total cost or their order and product delivery time early in the checkout process. With all the information in the early stage of shopping, you can make customers checkout faster with favorable options.
You should also include order tracking feature in your eCommerce website to let users check their order status in real-time. Many online shoppers prefer to shop from a store that offers real-time tracking of their order so that they can track when it is going to deliver and what is the current status.
9. Live chat
Live chat is a common and trending feature on eCommerce websites nowadays. You should plan and implement your resources accordingly to integrate the live chat section with the instant messaging feature. This is where your visitors can directly contact you in real-time for any inquiry related to product information, shipping options, payment issues, ongoing offers, or any other shopping-related queries.
It builds s sense of accountability for your services from your side so that ensures your priority for 100% customer satisfaction for positive shopping experience on your website. You can ask your developer to integrate this feature at any part of the development or support period as per your requirements and resources.
10. Pages for term & conditions, privacy policy, and return & exchange policy
You should publish dedicated pages for your terms & conditions, privacy policy, and return & exchange policies in the footer of your website. These pages should explain clearly about your policies and regulations while serving customers. You should be very clear about your offerings, content, and information on your website to avoid any issue or inconvenience. Your privacy policy promises that customer data and personal information is not shared with anyone.
A well-written page for your return and exchange policies is one of the trust-building features in eCommerce websites. It is like reassurance from the brand’s side that they are there to help buyers if they don’t like any product after delivery and want to exchange or return. Many potential online shoppers first visit this page on a website before placing their orders. They tend to buy from an online store with an easy and relaxed return and exchange policies.
At Conclusion
So these are the most important and must-have eCommerce website features that you can implement depending on the type of your online store. They are categorized as best practices to integrate into any online store site for a user-friendly experience and secure shopping. You can modify these features with a touch of innovation during the eCommerce website development process or integrate them in the future as per your needs. A professional and experienced team of web designers and developers can help you create a fantastic online shopping experience with the most advanced elements and features of eCommerce websites so that you can serve your customers well while running a profitable business.
Meet Ratan Singh, a dedicated professional blogger and unwavering technology enthusiast. His journey in the world of content writing commenced over seven years ago. With a fervent passion for the latest advancements in technology, gadgets, mobile phones, apps, and social media, Ratan has emerged as a go-to source for all things tech and digital marketing. His analysis of the social media landscape unravels the latest trends and strategies, making him a valuable resource for digital marketers.
