The success of an eCommerce platform is first and foremost measured by its sales levels and customer loyalty.
Small Business of Moscow, a state-financed entity, hosted our our workshop for eCommerce platform owners in February 2016. We examined real-life cases to see how to increase eCommerce sales with minimum expenses, what to consider when planning the development, and how to evaluate efficiency.
The reality is that production agencies often take over creating eCommerce platforms, however, production represents only a part of the process, which has only limited effect on the end result. There are examples of successful stores that utilize budget-friendly SaaS solutions, and, vice versa, expensive custom developments with questionable practicability.
This understanding opens up new possibilities for entrepreneurs in search of a perfect solution. More than 16 years of experience allowed us to gather 7 basic principles that we use for our projects:
№1: The shorter the journey, the more chance it will be finished
Figures speak unanimously: every click, every additional interaction with the website lowers the number of customers. Information architecture and UX are crucial for high conversion rates for any online store.
№2: Every page is a landing page
Now everyone has grown accustomed to landing pages and has even learnt how to create one. Yet the truth is every website page is a landing page. Here we speak not only of catalogue or product pages, but of information pages as well: about the company, contacts, terms. Every page should have a goal.
№3: User behaviour does not equal buyer behaviour
For instance, average time on the website may be several minutes, while average buyer sessions can last up to dozens of minutes. Understanding these differences leads to more sales.
№4: A good sales person never pushes the customer
One cannot change the order of things: before buying something, the customer must be involved and interested. Call-back services and squeeze page popularity led to oversaturation of pages with call-to-action elements. Popups with words like “You haven’t found what you were looking for? Call us right now!” appear faster than the user feels the need for the operator’s assistance.
№5: Buyers need products, not the beauty of webdesign
Online store design is a service, an interface that helps to make an order; it should not steal the show.
№6: Attention is a limited resource
High-quality code and logically structured interface respresent an important factor, especially taking into account user concentration and attention deficiency when they have several tabs open and lots of shopping choices.
№7: Human first
This is our main principle that we pay the most attention to in all our projects. Our buyers are not abstract entities. They are your friends and relatives. Keep that in mind.
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