Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Web Design Tips for an E-commerce Website

Online retail is booming these days or basically any product or service that is sold online. Most people find what they need via the Internet – it is easy to do and at the same time, efficient. Most of us order our take out food, Christmas gifts, renewal of magazine subscriptions and online banking through websites.



If you are thinking of setting up your own retail website, what are the tips that can help you attract more people and earn you more money? We have some of the easiest and most effective ways to do this.


Get a shopping cart application


Install a shopping cart application or choose a web hosting partner that has this in its set of features. There is nothing negative about getting a pre-made shopping cart. This has been tried and tested; you don’t need to worry about developing features for it, integrating with payment gateways etc.


Why do you need a shopping cart application?



  • Buyers are used to checking out items, placing them in a cart and then paying for them all at the same time.

  • Shipping can be managed from the cart application

  • Credit card or PayPal purchases can be managed from here, too.

  • More secured transactions – easier to get certificates


Invest in good product photos


Since this is your store front, invest in clear, clean and concise photos of your product. Have stand alone photos that show the details of your products and at the same time show its size in relation to everyday things. While size can be described in measurements, it is better if you have a model carry the shoulder bag, for example, so that people can see the relative size of it.


The easier it is for a person to visualize how it would be like owning your product, the better chances for you to land a sale. Some tips for photos:



  • Make your background white or any other color that will showcase your product best.

  • Remove distractions such as unnecessary props. Have just one shot of your product with other things like if you are selling a playset, a shot in a backyard with kids.

  • Clean up the details and make sure that you are lighting your product well.


Login feature is a must


By asking your customers to create a profile or account on your site, you can make each transaction faster by remembering their billing and shipping details. You can also take this the next step further by remembering their preferences and “pushing” products and content that fit their viewing and buying history.


For example, if you are selling shoes, you can even save the shoe size that the customer always gets so that he or she does not have to indicate it all the time. Shipping addresses can be lengthy and repetitive to enter into forms. Having pre-defined addresses can quicken the purchasing process and can finish a transaction in less than 5 minutes.


The fastest way is the easiest way to make a sale, whether this is offline or online.


Louis is free lancer writer and expert in providing iPage Training.

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