You Better Shop Around
Updated: Mar 1, 2021
As the world continues to hunker down and we really get to know the inside of our house (has that stair always made that weird noise?), the one salvation many of us have is ecommerce. Whether it’s groceries, board games, or electronic gadgets, online sales have skyrocketed in recent months, as venturing outside the home has become risky due to COVID-19. Many businesses have reassessed their ecommerce functionality, making changes to ensure their sites are easy to navigate, their products are clearly displayed, and their checkouts are hassle-free. As the holiday season creeps closer, it’s more important than ever that your ecommerce site is a well-oiled machine. Here’s how it’s done.
Take your site for a spin.
How often do you visit your own website? If you're a business owner, the answer might be "Not much." We recommend making a habit of checking in on the front end of things regularly, just to make sure your website is operating at max accessibility (on mobile and desktop!). Pretend you’re a first-time visitor to your online store. Test out the search function, flip through product photos and specs, and navigate through the checkout process. Was it clear and easy from the get-go? If the answer is anything but an enthusiastic “Yes!”, now’s your chance to update and tweak, be it taking new product photos or optimizing your store for mobile devices.
Clean up the copy.
To someone seeking the products or services you offer for the first time, how would you describe what you provide? You and your colleagues spend all day, every day talking about what you do, so it may give you pause when someone responds with a “Huh?” When optimizing your ecommerce site, pretend every visitor is a new visitor, even if they’ve been a loyal customer for years. A good place to start is your website copy: Make sure industry-specific terms are defined, service-related processes are clearly described, and the purposes of your offerings are easily understood. Don’t assume everyone knows what a “dongle” or an “antioxidant” is! Just for fun: How would you describe your business to an alien?
Make it fun.
Unless we’ve got a reckless streak, most of us don’t really love parting with our money. We spend money because we need to, and it doesn’t always feel, well, fun. Adding small touches to your ecommerce site that reinforce a customer’s choice to spend can make a big difference (we love this brand’s cheeky site copy, pun intended). Make sure your product guarantees have high visibility, and be clear yet compassionate when explaining your refund policies. Following checkout, a simple “You made a great choice today!” or a discount code for their next purchase can set you apart from those other cold, faceless transactions.
Screens now separate so many of us from face-to-face interactions, so it's crucial that your website represent the best *you* you have to offer. If you need some help wrangling your ecommerce site or planning your promotional campaigns, contact us today!