One of the most difficult questions to answer in the retail business, not just the ecommerce business, is -- what do customers want? The answer is a complex set of factors that have baffled retailers, psychologists and business owners everywhere. There is no "one" answer to what a customer wants. In fact, what makes one customer happy can send another off the deep end. But your ecommerce website does not need to know the complex psychology of a customer -- all it needs to do is have the right five elements to encourage customers to stay.
A Fantastic Landing Page
The landing page of any website plays a gigantic role in getting visitors to stay. It is a short summary of the site, a jump-off to explore the rest of the goodies stored online. This is true regardless of what type of website you own, but for an ecommerce site this is a make or break matter. Does it accurately showcase the types of products you have?
Is it attractive? Engaging? Does it make customers want to dive right in and shop? Attractive landing pages often showcase the latest site deals, new arrivals, discounts, sales and featured products. Diversity, easy navigation and a great layout are elements that contribute to the success of your site.
Identity
The first glance at your ecommerce site should tell the customer exactly what you are and what your brand is. This means that the look and feel of your website should reflect your product line and target demographic. A couture website for young women would have a very different look and feel than a couture website for working women -- because the demographic appeal is different. The age gap might be only a few years, but a young twenty something would probably have very different taste than a successful 32 year old woman.
High Quality, High Resolution Photography
Photographs engage visitors more than words do -- but bad photography will kill your site even before half of it downloads on a browser. High quality photography should draw the eye to your site and your products as soon as the landing page loads. Make sure that your site features high resolution photos that draw the eye and present your products in the best possible manner. Anyone who has ever hesitated on buying something from an eBay auction because of a bad product photo knows this.
Make sure your front page photography is stellar and beyond reproach. A good photograph is worth more than a thousand words -- it can guarantee a conversion.
Great Copy
Copywriting makes the sale when the photograph cannot. Make sure your ecommerce site features great copy that encourages your customers to take action and to shop! Concise copy gives them a quick idea of what is going on in your site: sales, new products, etcetera. Many web site owners only view copy as a way to incorporate search engine optimized terms into their website, without considering that terrible copy gives the impression of a terrible website.
For the front page, brief, snazzy copy is best -- do not hesitate to hire a great writer to help you make those sales. The combination of irresistible photographs and great writing is a formula for success!
Easy to Figure Out
If your website looks hard or if links are difficult to find, then you are in trouble A bad layout is easy to recognize, because your visitor will have no idea where to look first. Make sure that your layout draws the eye. Many sites are laid out in an F shape -- heavy on top and gradually tapering out as the visitor scrolls down. This is because the eye if often naturally drawn to the top left of the page first. People have a tendency to read or browse the items there first then scan their eyes downward to see if the rest of the site interests them. Make sure this part of your website is perfect.
Nothing beats an attractive and easy to use ecommerce website -- and your customers look for these five elements subconsciously. Make your job easier by giving them a great layout, attractive packaging and an easy user experience that they can keep returning to. When it comes to ecommerce websites, the first impression is sometimes the only impression you get.
