Web Design Company, Lounge Lizard, shares the 10 Critical Features for Online Stores
LONG ISLAND, N.Y., Dec. 20, 2017 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Lounge Lizard is globally recognized as a top web design company within the web design and development industry. Lounge Lizard's brandtenders are creative, tech-savvy, and passionate in developing innovative strategies that drive conversion for both startup and established clients of all industries, making them the "best of breed since 1998."
Online shopping has never been more popular with sales increasing across every niche over the past few years. However, just because it is gaining in popularity that does not guarantee that your store will enjoy high conversion rates or healthy user experiences. The difference between those stores that will do well and those which won't is often not as much product related as it is feature related. Certain design elements simply make the customer's journey a faster, more enjoyable experience. Today the NY based web design company, Lounge Lizard, shares the 10 Critical Features for Online Stores.
Reliable hosting. Having reliable hosting is one of the most important features for an online business, especially during the holidays. After all, you can't make sales if your store is offline or gets overwhelmed by traffic during peak shopping hours.
Fast page loading. Speed is critical to your conversion rate. For online stores it is essential that your entire site has been fully optimized to load as quickly as possible. Even a 1 second delay will cost you conversions as we have become a very impatient society that expects instant response and gratification.
Simple navigation. The more complex the navigation, the more easily customers will get lost or confused and then leave your site out of frustration. KISS - Keep it simple and standard! Customers should have easy access to shopping carts, search options and checkout from any page with an inventory that is easy to navigate without searching all over the page.
High-resolution photos and video. Shoppers want to see products from multiple angles including zooming in and being used prior to making a purchase. That requires quality high-resolution photos and/or video when applicable. Images and video must load quickly as well to keep customers engaged.
Mobile friendly website. This is an absolute must for online success. Google is requiring mobile friendly sites with the penalties affecting SEO. Additionally online shopping on mobile devices increases each year and to not be mobile friendly means missing out on sales.
Multiple payment options. Many customers still have anxiety about online shopping, and rightfully so, due to numerous stories about theft and fraud. This can lead to a customer trusting only one or two payment options such as Visa or MasterCard. Other customers use alternative banking options such as PayPal. As an online seller it is important to cater to all of your customers by offering a choice of payment options to meet their needs utilizing secure payment gateways.
Real-time shipping. A big reason for cart abandonment has to do with surprising shipping costs. For example, you place a few items in your shopping cart and are thinking it will be $50 plus shipping costs. It can then be a big surprise to find that shipping costs are an additional $20 which at the point of sale can make a customer question the purchase; something you don't want. Real-time shipping updates instantly which then prevents last minute sticker shock.
Customer relationship manager. Customer relationship manager (CRM) software is a vital piece of the game when it comes to online stores. It allows you to keep your entire customer interactions organized which in turn provides information to improve your relationships with customers. This can increase customer retention and drive sales and is important because of the high cost of customer acquisition.
9. User-generated reviews. Social proof is a very valuable aspect in generating sales. Shoppers read reviews and consider the star rating on a product (when shown) as a vital factor for purchase. Even if some reviews are negative, that is acceptable to the general public because there is always someone with a bad experience. In fact, if you don't have any negative reviews it makes it appear you sensor reviews for your own benefit.
10. FAQs. A frequently asked questions section that is indexed and searchable is an absolute must these days. Customer confidence is increased when there is direct access to information that will help in the decision making process since you do not have the opportunity to ask questions like you would in a face-to-face interaction. Having an additional information section is useful for resolving common concerns and establishes credibility for your products and business.
Lounge Lizard Long Island Web Design is an award-winning, high-end design boutique specializing in website and mobile app development, UX/UI, branding, and marketing. Lounge Lizard excels in creating the ultimate brand strategy, fully loaded with expertly crafted visuals that work together to increase sales and effectively communicate a client's unique personality.
Media Contact: Ken Braun, Lounge Lizard, 631-581-1000, [email protected]
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