Anybody that knows anything about web development and eCommerce website design understands that there is a significant difference between the way an eCommerce site is built and how an informational site is built.
A website built for informational purposes has to be designed in order to inform people about a service or a specific book or item, but an eCommerce site has to be built in order to accommodate thousands of items for sale and give the ability to pay for the items with an online payment portal.
Each site will have its own characteristics that make it unique in its own nature, but all eCommerce sites will have one common goal: to make money.
In order for a merchant website to be successful, it has to have some important key factors in place before the site is launched, or it may have an incredibly hard time ever getting off of the ground.
Let’s take a look at the top seven factors that will definitely contribute to the success of the business.
1. Planning
Probably the most important factor to ensure that the website will launch and go the way that the developers intended it to go is to plan out the entire operation before it is even started. When planning it is important to have a close look at what the website will offer and how it will go about delivering the items to the people that order them.
- What will the domain name be?
- What will it sell?
- How much merchandise will be posted?
- Where will the site be hosted?
The domain name and hosting solution should be thought out before the site is ever built. The domain name of the site can contain powerful keywords that will help with search engine visibility, and the hosting provider for the site should be one that is able to handle the high demands of the visitors as they come.
Planning is the best way to get everybody that is involved with the project on board and on the same page so that communication is clear, and the objective is knownall.
2. Discovery
Once the planning phase has happened and the next steps are to develop and implement the website it is time to discover the top pillar keywords and key phrases that the company would like to incorporate into the content of the site.
It takes much more than guesswork and wishes to get great positioning in the search engines. Keyword research will determine which keywords are the best to focus on for the best results. Factors such as search volume compared to keyword difficulty and what audience will use these keywords in order to find your merchandise come into play while figuring out which direction to go with what keywords.
Landing pages with titles and headings for each keyword can be a great way to implement a higher level of SEO practices, but each site will be different and keywords will vary.
3. Development
Developing an eCommerce website is not a simple task. Although there are plenty of third-party applications out there that consist of pre-built eCommerce layouts when it comes to building the backend of a merchant site there are a lot of details to consider.
During the planning phase of the website, everybody should already know what is being sold and how much merchandise will be available.
The developer can use the information that was discussed in the planning stage to determine the way the site will come to its full capacity.
4. Headings
The headings will be what most of the visitors of the site will see first. What they say and the way that they are placed will play a huge role in the way that the potential customers view the validity of the site.
If there are ambiguous headings or headings that seem spammy or without taste many users will bounce away from the site and go somewhere else to purchase their items.
Another great aspect of the proper use of heading is that search engines base their results on properly structured headings that follow up with quality content regarding the words in the headings.
Headings not only can inspire users to go forward with a purchase, but they can also increase search engine visibility. When they are carefully placed within the line of sight as the page flows they carry a powerful punch for both search engine optimization and conversion rates.
5. Images
Images are extremely important when it comes to effective web design. However, you don’t want to overdo it. Although people love to see awesome things that get their attention when they land on pages, if there are too many, or the images are too “loud” it can be a distraction that lures them away from the point of the website.
Although high-definition images with brilliant colors and divine details are amazing, if the pictures that you choose for the landing pages of your site are too large, it will make it hard for them to load and will cause a drag for the visitors. Websites with slow speeds discourage both visitors and search engines.
Images for items for sale should be clear, concise, and plenty. For the best results, and a great user experience be sure to provide pictures of the items that show:
- Front view
- Right side view
- Left side view
- Top
- Variations of colors (if applicable)
If it is possible provide three-dimensional pictures or videos so that customers can get a crystal clear understanding of what they are purchasing.
The idea is to provide enough images that are relevant to the content to keep the customer engaged and interested, but not overwhelm them with distractions.
6. Descriptions
The descriptions of both the pages and the items for sale are extremely important when it comes to successful eCommerce website development.
- Meta descriptions
- Image descriptions
- Item descriptions
The backend of websites is an array of complex coding that tells the content how to appear on the web browser and what to do when a user engages the website. The search engines decipher the code in the way that matters to the people searching for information, then display the results in a way that best describes the results.
The meta description is the block of text that appears just under the search results. The search results will show the title of the page, then directly under the title is the meta description.
What makes this description so important is that it is the portal that which new and unique visitors will enter your site through. If your meta description is interesting, people will click on it.
The images that you place on your website will have the option for some alt text. This alternative text is what will appear if the photo fails to load, or what blind people will hear if they have software that reads them the content of the pages.
In any event, it is crucial to take advantage of these description opportunities and insert relevant, descriptive keywords so the search engines can get an idea of the content of your images.
When it comes to the item descriptions it is wise not to skimp. There may be a limit on how many words or characters you can use to describe each item, but go ahead and use it. High-quality descriptions not only help visitors to choose your product, but they also have the potential to raise search engine ranking results.
7. Structure
The structure of the eCommerce website is crucial. Many websites plug into third-party platforms that help to contain the structure and the items that are listed in a simple, easy-to-use package.
Discovering where to put images, text, headings, and calls to action are all part of the structure of the website. The better a website is structured, the less likely there will be bugs and problems for users.
Conclusion
The success of an online store is a direct result of how the site is developed and implemented. The odds are if you are selling something, somebody on the internet is looking for it. There are some niche markets that do very well because they do not have a lot of competition. However, with some insight and strategic planning, it is very possible for an eCommerce site to be very successful and hold high in the competition.