Komando Tech finds there are over 20 million eCommerce websites on the internet. It can become difficult to differentiate yours from the best eCommerce sites out there. Even if the market is saturated, you can still learn how to stand out from the crowd.

So, in this article, I list down 15 of the best practices done by most eCommerce websites to get more traffic and increase sales.

 

1. Speed

Speed is of the essence, especially when you can get anything with a click of a button. You could lose customers if your website clocks in at more than two seconds. You’ll have only a bounce rate of 9%. (Reminder: a low bounce rate is always better.)

You should have your eCommerce optimized for speed in both desktop and mobile versions. Remember, almost 50% of shoppers use mobile to shop for products.

 

2. Security

Cyber threats still occur because of unsecured websites. Cybersecurity Ventures foresees that retail stores are in danger of cyberattacks.

There were more than 6,000 eCommerce websites hacked in 2019. You wouldn’t want your eCommerce site to be part of the list.

It’s one of the best eCommerce sites’ best practices because it allows visitors to feel safe and relieved as they browse through your website. This will also get them to trust you more with their data and other private information too.

 

3. Navigation

To make one of the best eCommerce sites, the navigation should be straightforward and simple. You want your visitors or customers to find something in three clicks. Some would say the three-click concept is a myth, but it does help if you have a returning customer.

Even if you want your visitor to stay longer on your website, remember your objective is to educate your visitors on your products or get a sale. That’s why you should ensure easy navigation on the site.

 

4. Content

Content has become an essential part of any eCommerce site. Well, it’s how you can get more organic views because of the keywords you use, a.k.a. SEO.

Your product copy can help you convert customers. Sure, you have the features added on the copy but give them the benefits too. What makes it different from other products out there, and how does it help your customers?

Your marketing-related copy can entice customers to look at your selections, promoted products, or sale items.

You can also have a blog page where you link to other blog posts or the products you offer. This way, you can integrate the keywords you want to rank for, and people can visit your blog post to learn more about your items.

 

5. Social Media Buttons

You could go about these in two ways.

The first is adding social media buttons leading to your social media profiles. This will enable them to browse on your profiles. Plus, this could lead them to follow you there too. That way, you can have more promotional offers on your social media sites.

The other social media button should prompt your visitor or customer to share a page or product from your website to their profile. This may increase your exposure to customers. You may have trouble reaching organically or through ads. Think of it as a referral type of sharing.

Love and Lemons has an example of how you can implement social sharing buttons on your eCommerce website. It’s subtle and doesn’t take up much space on the page.

 

6. Search Bar

A search bar is an excellent addition to your eCommerce site. Even if you want to have customers browsing through different pages, you don’t want them to get frustrated. They could go from page to page, finding a product they want where they can search it through a provided search bar. Plus, almost 30% of website visitors that use a search bar know what they want already.

Tip: always add suggestions on the search bar. This gives them an idea of what types of products you carry and can even check out related products.

As expected from one of the best eCommerce sites, Nike has a search bar so that you could immediately find any of their items.

 

7. Recommendations

Recommendations can become a form of personalization. You’ll want customers to have a repeat purchase and get more sales from them too.

You want them to know what other hot items they can buy during this time. Plus, it gives them the idea of fear of missing out too.

Let your visitors see what customers had bought when they clicked on a product. This works well on fashion items, make-up, and electronics. This way, they don’t buy one product, they could buy a set and see it works well for them. It can become an upselling technique too.

Amazon, one of the best eCommerce sites worldwide, has got most of the elements of an excellent eCommerce site. When you search for a particular product, they’ll always have a sponsored product recommendation section, popular products inspired by this item, and other things to consider.

 

8. Special Offers

Picture this. You visit your favorite eCommerce website and see a 20% off on an item you’ve wanted. It’s in bold, or it’s flashing. You’ll most likely click on it.

If you want visitors to come back and convert them into customers, always have special offers prepared for them.

One of the most typical special offers you can provide is to have them sign up on your email newsletter. From there, you can give them a special discount of around 20% to 30% on their first purchase.

Another thing you can apply as a special offer is to integrate it on your eCommerce landing page or as a pop-up. Pop-ups are the best choice because sometimes you want to surprise your visitors or catch them off guard as they navigate your site.

Persuade them to put something in their cart before they leave or in their inbox. That way, they can go back to your site and purchase more items once they’re ready

Here’s how Skullcandy presents its special offer to their customers. The pop-up appears once you’ve loaded the website, and it will prompt you to sign up for their newsletter if you’re interested.

 

9. Social Proof

Social proof is one of the most powerful tools on your eCommerce website. It can influence or impact your buyer’s decision. Most people, about 87% of them, would research first before making a purchase. That’s why social proof is a must for the best eCommerce sites. It’s to show they’ve had some legitimate purchases, and people could vouch for their items.

You can utilize these social proof examples on your website:

• Testimonials/reviews
• Media shoutouts
• Certifications
• Social media shares
• Wisdom of the friends or crowd

Quip uses three types of social proof on their website: media shoutouts, certifications, and reviews. It’s a great way to entice customers who endorse the products and how it has helped customers.

 

10. Local Targeting

If you’re an eCommerce site that can ship globally, yes, a local version of your website is perfect for visitors. This allows them to check the price in their local currency and get personal recommendations perfect to where they live.

Check out this example from Liberty London. On the upper right corner of the site, you can change the location and currency to see the conversion rate of their products in your country.

 

11. Easy Checkout Process

If a visitor has converted into a customer, you wouldn’t want to make it difficult for them to check out your products.

The best eCommerce sites have a guest checkout option, in case they want to have a one-time purchase of something just to try it out.

Perhaps, to have returning customers, maybe you could have them sign-in using their social media accounts or encourage them to register on your site. That way, they won’t have to input their details over and over.

Plus, make sure that your checkout process is secure, so any personal data they include won’t be compromised if any attacks occur. For example, you can add trust seals to make them feel safe while checking out.

 

12. Policies

In a study by Deloitte, 91% of their participants (n = 2000) don’t read any privacy policy. Even if I didn’t participate in this one, consider me as someone who just clicks ACCEPT on the privacy policy.

But to know that your eCommerce website has a Privacy Policy or Terms and Conditions means that you’re transparent over the legalities of your website, shipping, products, and others. This protects both of you and the customer from any significant legal trouble.

 

13. FAQ

One of my favorite pages in an eCommerce site is reading the FAQ page. It’s where I can see if any of the questions that popped in my head have been answered previously. Plus, I get to know how the eCommerce site answers any questions too.

It’s what your visitors can expect from your eCommerce site in terms of shipping, products, payments, and other general questions. Plus, it’s another form of content where you can use relevant keywords and have customers redirected to any of your FAQ pages.

Take a look at how Pipette implemented its FAQ page. It’s a simple and straightforward FAQ page. It’s one page with drop-down grids. Plus, the user can just click on a category related to their question.

 

14. Interactive Product Features

An interactive experience has become one of the fads for the best eCommerce sites out there. Product photography does play a huge role in selling items. However, enhancing the interactivity of the product makes it feel alive for the visitor.

Types of Interactive Solutions:

• 3D
• Augmented Reality
• Video

This makes your product appear realistic before your potential buyer purchases the item. It gives them an idea of the fabric or material, the size, overall look, etc.

Here’s the perfect example from the Bellroy website. You can interact with the slider graph to know the difference between their product from a regular, typical wallet.

 

15. Live Chat

You have a support or contact page in place. But a live chat can enhance your visitor’s eCommerce experience. Customers can see you as more trustworthy if it’s easy to contact you.

This works well if your FAQ page doesn’t have an answer to their questions and want an immediate response from it. Another thing is when they’re unable to find an item, and your live chat support can provide a link to that product or an answer regarding stock.

If you want to integrate these features on your eCommerce website design, you can tap Design Doctor for this task. On the Professional plan, starting at $599/mo, you can request a beautiful website design that will increase conversions. Get the most out of your subscription by asking for other visual assets like marketing collaterals and digital and printable graphics. Sign up for a plan today.