9 Must-have Features For E-commerce Websites

With the advent of technology, the online shopping experience has caught a lot of demand and attention. Recognizing the ease and convenience of this, many brands are moving to the online platform (if they haven’t already) to reach out to potential customers. eCommerce has also helped build a large audience globally giving the brand a certain reach which was impossible before.

While this is a great platform to bring both consumers and brands on one page, it is also important to make sure that this collaboration is smooth and goes on without any glitch. There are some features that help an eCommerce website stay relevant, user-friendly and keep the traffic up and increasing. Take a look!

User-friendly website

One of the main components of building any website is to keep its look simple, appealing and user-friendly. User-friendly would mean that the website has an easy navigation system, has proper tabs, instructions, content, images, videos, aesthetics that keep the consumer interested and browsing. All the web pages should also stay updated and there should be a constant activity that keeps the site alive and running; a dormant site is a big no-no. 

Mobile-friendly website

Since most of the population own a smartphone, it is only obvious that they scroll and browse through websites on their phones. While the experience of a website is great on a big screen, it is vital that the site also be mobile-friendly. The structure, layout, and content of the website should not be glitched when browsing through the phone. Most website builders have the option to make a website mobile-friendly making this process of designing and layout easy and fast.

Good visuals

Content and visuals with high-resolution photos and videos helps keep the customer engaged to your website. Especially on an eCommerce website, it is important that visuals be of high-resolution. Considering people are sitting at home and looking through products on their screen, they expect the image to look as close to the real product as possible. Depriving them of this pleasure will leave the website with bad reviews and poor referrals.

While buying products, some people may want to research more about it, and so it is always advised to also have a content section that describes the product in detail to help the consumer make an informed decision. Many even opt to have blogs which are another great idea if there is enough bandwidth to keep it updated with new information constantly. This is especially true with tech products as most people read detailed reviews and specifications before making a purchase.

User-generated reviews

In addition to a blog, having a review feature under products is another tab that keeps the eCommerce website relevant and trustworthy. When consumers buy a product, they should be allowed to leave an honest review for others to see and consider when they make their purchase of the same products. Some eCommerce builders have features that allow the users to send in photos, or videos of the product used, making the reviews more readable.

Frequently asked questions

This eCommerce feature is probably one of the most important ones as it answers most queries that consumers may have. When shopping online, there could be many questions regarding payment option, return policy, product quality, shipping details, so on and so forth. Having a FAQ feature on the eCommerce website can act as a savior and also take the load off customer care executives who may get the same queries over and over again.

Customer support feature

Having an easy customer support contact info is a must feature on eCommerce website. This feature makes your website more approachable and trustworthy making the consumers feel at ease when shopping with you. It is also possible that there may be a problem with a product and the consumer needs immediate attention for the same, so having a strong customer care feature makes this process easy. Some even have an online chat box feature for their website which is helpful if you need guidance in choosing a product.

Related items – “you might like this”
Once a consumer makes a purchase, to keep them browsing through the page a little longer for potential other purchases, a “related items” feature is a catalyst. This eCommerce feature nudges the customer to items which they may like and are more likely to purchase if navigated towards it. Make the most of this feature!

SSL certificate
Most people are extremely particular when it comes to sharing personal information online, especially when it comes to card details. It is important that an eCommerce website has an SSL certificate to prove that all the transactions are encrypted and that this exchange of information is secure.

Payment options
With multiple payment options available these days, it becomes necessary to specify which all are acceptable by the website, so having a list of payment options becomes an important eCommerce website feature.

Apart from this, there are many other must-have eCommerce website features that make it a hit amongst brands and consumers. Some have wish-list features or find-in-store option for those companies that also have a brick-and-mortar store. It is also possible to log on to these websites through social media profile making the sign-up process easier. Depending on each website and the requirement, it is possible to add/edit some features that are most compatible with the said eCommerce website.