E-Commerce Essentials: How to Attract More Customers

E-commerce has become an essential tool for many businesses. Since 2008, the percentage of all e-commerce retail sales has doubled. Although e-commerce has become more mainstream, there are still some kinks to work out in having a secure and credible site. In order for your e-commerce site to perform exceptionally, and attract more customers, here are a few essential features your site must include:

1. Payment Gateway
Of course, an e-commerce site should be set up for accepting payment, but choosing the exact method of accepting cards online is often times a very complex design. The most common method is to set your site up with a payment gateway. Payment gateways are third-party merchants that process credit cards and also act as a transaction handler. The payment gateway service aids in facilitating the process between merchant and customer. (To learn more about how payment gateways work, check out this article.) Payment gateways are crucial in ensuring anonymity to both parties of a transaction and help lessen the frequency and severity of credit card fraud within e-commerce.

2. SSL Certificates
Your customers want to know their information is safe – give them comfort by ensuring that you have a secure site. SSL, which stands for Secure Sockets Layer, is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a server and a web browser. Having this extra layer of security ensures that your customers will not fall victim to hackers. Although the odds of being hacked are slim, some shoppers remain skeptical. 75% of shoppers pay attention to the “https:” status of a website and are more likely to make a purchase if they see a secure certificate.

3. Professional Design
A clean, well-designed website exudes professionalism, which is a critical feature of your e-commerce business. Consumers trust sites that are organized and polished. Just as store atmosphere affects brick-and-mortar purchases, the user experience online can have a positive or negative impact on your business. Marketpath compared site design to the way you think of storefronts by saying, “If it [storefront] doesn’t quickly grab your attention, you don’t walk in and browse – instead you move on to the next store. Same thing with your website – make a positive impression in the first five to ten seconds, or the user will move on to other options.”

Simple navigation, easy checkout options, and a streamlined design can make a big difference as to whether or not a customer abandons their shopping cart, but also if they trust your site enough to give you their personal information.

These are just a few of the essential features you should incorporate into your e-commerce site in order to establish credibility and trust for your customer base. If you need help designing, developing, or optimizing your website – we’re here to help. Contact us today for more information.