Managing An e-commerce Website
Manage stock levels
There is not much that will frustrate a customer more than ordering a product online only to find it is actually out of stock because someone had sold the product on the shop floor and not updated the website.
Making sure stock levels are up to date is so important and if you can, think about integrations with other systems that manage your stock so you can ensure that online or offline, data is live. And if this isn’t possible, have a clear system in place that all your team can follow to ensure stock is managed as efficiently as it possibly can be.
Update product information
New products will likely be regularly added to your website, and updating product information is going to be a key driver to success. Especially if you are selling a product that is available on other websites, by having the best content and information available, you are giving your website the best possible chance to secure that sale.
It is also important to make sure that any information is accurate. If you are selling furniture for example and you have incorrect dimensions on your website, you could face disappointed customers returning your products as they may not fit in the allotted space.
Take care with your photos
No matter how good the design of your e-commerce website is, if you have photos that are poor quality or for example have an inconsistent background then your e-commerce website will visually suffer. Either invest in a good quality photographer or, if that is cost prohibitive then invest in a good quality camera and ask for a tutorial from a professional photographer. Investing in professional photography will always pay off on an e-commerce website.
Think about aftercare
There are some products that need little or no explanation but if you are selling something that needs any element of set-up then making creating content that makes it easier for your customers is always going to be of benefit. For example you could create YouTube videos to show how your product can be used or have a dedicated help/resource centre/forum as part of your website. Anything that you can do to make the lives of your customers easier only improves their buying experience and means they are more likely to purchase from you again, recommend to their friends and write a positive review.
Encourage reviews and testimonials
Reviews and testimonials should be a key strategy for any e-commerce business. Rarely will a website visitor make a purchase and part with their money if there are no trust signals on the website. Trust signals may be good design, accreditations/affiliations the business is part of, recognised partner logos and many more.
But a key signal to a potential customer that yours is a reliable website will often come down to quantity and quality of testimonials and reviews.
These could be on your website, social channels or using a third party such as Trustpilot but whatever platform you use, encourage reviews and testimonials from your customers and reply to them as you get them (both the good and the bad!)
Keep your offers and banners up to date
Special offers, promo codes and banners where you showcase these are all essential ingredients to a strong e-commerce presence but it’s essential to keep these up to date. We have all been in the position where we see a promo code, make a decision to purchase a product on the basis of that only for it not to work on checkout.
This instantly puts a customer off your brand and you may well have lost them for good. And equally, having them in place may mean you get a sale and a new customer you wouldn’t otherwise have had.
Publish new content
There has never been a stronger argument for publishing new content on your e-commerce website. Whether product reviews or information, news about your brand or perhaps introductions to your team, fresh website content will liven up your website both for users and search engines – so you will get more traffic and visitors will stay on your website for longer. It really is as simple as that, good quality content will only help your website.
Studio44 have been developing bespoke e-commerce websites for many years and have worked on many successful projects in that time. If you are looking at a new bespoke e-commerce website for your business and don’t quite know where to start then get in touch, we would love to talk through options with you and see if we can help!
