Year over year, the e-commerce industry is booming. That doesn’t mean that your business is automatically growing together with the whole e-commerce world. If your startup isn’t growing at the speed you’d like, there’s plenty you can do to grow your revenue faster.
Excellent web design is likely the strongest growth tool of every e-commerce platform. What Mjolnir is to Thor, your website is to your business. Let’s make it spark thunder that will captivate every visitor.
Targeting Existing Customers the Right Way
Acquiring new customers is expensive. Selling to existing customers allows you to grow your platform quickly in a more cost-effective manner. Repeat business and customer loyalty are what make an e-commerce platform thrive.
You can achieve that through email campaigns and remarketing ads. No matter how old-fashioned it may look like, email is a very effective tool for maintaining relationships with customers. It’s especially great for reaching out to the smartphone-toting, internet-savvy consumer who prefers to shop online.
So, set your pride aside and let your customers know you miss them and that they’re more than welcome to come back. You can incorporate time-limited promos and other strategies for increasing customer loyalty into your emails. Invest time and effort into creating a well-designed email template. As long as your email shares your website’s domain, you should treat it as an intrinsic part of your website.
Google’s remarketing ads allow you to target visitors who have already interacted with your website. Those ads are shown to people who seek out your platform on their own. They are most likely to be receptive to your message.
Steep the ad design in your visual brand. That way, you’ll keep your brand fresh in the consumer’s mind. Ground it in compelling design paired with a valuable offer, and you’ll earn long-term repeat business.
Ensure Great Load Speeds
Unless you have an unorthodox approach to e-commerce, your site dictates the strength of your entire enterprise. Your visitors will leave if they are met with frustratingly slow load speeds and inept design. If your site takes more than 4 seconds to load, you’ve lost a quarter of your potential visitors.
A part of the solution is to equip the site with minimal graphics and a clean design. For quick load speeds and maximum impact, use design elements smartly. Most e-commerce platforms are photo-heavy. Rid the site of data-insensitive photos and graphics. Replace them with minimized photo files.
However, do your best to maintain good quality when minimizing file sizes. Tell your web designer that quick load speeds are paramount. Simple text, white space, and artful use of color go a long way. Minimalism translates to a site that’s pleasant and easy to navigate.
Helping the Customer
If a visitor has a question about your business, they should get an answer quickly. If they have to wait more than 4 hours, you’re in trouble. How fast you can respond depends on your budget. But, investing in customer service comes with great ROI.
Websites are racing to offer the fastest customer service. Instant customer support is all the rage these days. The live chat button located on the first page of the renowned games-of-chance info portal AskGamblers is a great example of how it should be done. The button offers instant help without being intrusive.
Even if you’re unable to answer questions immediately, the live chat function allows the visitor to easily submit a ticket. Then, you can answer at your earliest convenience.
The function gives you an edge over your competitors and can save you a lot of money in the long run. Make sure all other contact details are easy to find. The longer it takes to get to them, the more annoyed the visitors will be.
The same goes for your Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Moreover, you need to make sure it offers concise and informative answers. It can save both you and the visitor a lot of time.
Mobile Optimization
Since more and more people are shopping through their tablets and smartphones, you need to make sure your site is easy to use on all screens. When optimizing the site for mobile use, the rule of thumb is: keep in mind that the user uses one of their thumbs to navigate (pun intended). A few other takeaways:
- Interface actions should be effortless.
- Since hover effects do not work on phones, include clickable buttons.
- Instead of “images everywhere,” think code.
- Employ easy-to-use forms.
Conclusion
When developing your platform, don’t skimp on the design side of things. According to a study conducted by Stanford University, your site lends your business web credibility. Leverage it to your advantage.
