Importance of Online Shopping Experience

If you’re a business that sells products online, you’ve hopefully spent a lot of time navigating your website, experimenting with text and images, and going through the checkout process. If you haven’t and you’ve noticed a low percentage of sales, it’s likely because the online shopping experience on your website is poor and customers are giving up on it long before they purchase.

It is essential that your website is fully tested to guarantee your customers a positive experience.  If your website is cumbersome or difficult to navigate, a potential customer may move to another retailer who offers a streamlined way to shop.  When designing a website where your ultimate goal is to get visitors to purchase products, there are several things to keep in mind.

Make Navigation Easy

Your website should be clean and crisp. Your website design should not distract from the ultimate goal of the website: to get consumers to purchase products. Your design should be easy on the eyes and simple to use for consumers. It should contain enough images to entice consumers but it should also have enough text to explain products as well. I have personally chosen a different company because a website was too difficult to maneuver for my tastes.  If I’m going to buy yarn at an online craft store, the website better provide me with a pleasurable trip up and down virtual aisles and an easy check-out.

Make Links Clear

If someone is exploring your website and they are looking to purchase, it should be very clear where they need to click in order to do so. If a person has to search for the link they need in order to buy something, they will likely move to another website. You should have specific categories labeled. For instance, if you are a clothing store, you should have specific links for men, women, and children. It should not be difficult for consumers to find what they need through your links. You should make links that lead to a direct purchase clear, such as “buy here” or “order this product.”

Make It Mobile Friendly

The number of people purchasing products through their mobile devices has skyrocketed in recent years. Consumers should be able to use their mobile device to easily navigate through your website and be able to purchase from it with no hassle.  Your website should render clearly on a mobile device, just as it would on a desktop computer or laptop. Mobile users should be able to easily select a product, view a sizing chart, and enter credit card information.

When creating and updating your website, follow these suggestions and customers will be much more likely to purchase from your site because their user experience will be simple and hassle-free.