According to Statista data, e-commerce accounted for about 10% of total retail sales in America, with many experts predicting an increase in this percentage over the coming years. This industry is highly competitive since consumers have numerous options to consider when choosing products. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that your website has all the essentials it needs to succeed if you want to get in on the action. Here are four important things you should consider adding to your online shopping website this year.
Multiple security features
Imperva Research Labs’ studies reveal that 57% of all cyber attacks on ecommerce sites in 2021 were executed by bots, compared to just 33% in other industries. Consequently, it is clear that the ecommerce sector is a prime target for cyber crime. Therefore, consider adding multiple security features to your website to protect your customers’ data from theft. Additionally, a secure site will boost shoppers’ confidence and make them more likely to purchase. For starters, you can establish a firewall to regulate access to your site, ensuring that hackers cannot breach easily. Also, purchase a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate for your site so it can transmit data safely. Finally, use HTTPS, a website monitoring tool, security plugins, and an excellent hosting platform to keep your site as secure as possible.
Multiple payment options
There is no denying that your ecommerce website needs to accept payments to encourage conversions and improve the customer experience. Thankfully, these integrations can accept payments without a card present, so they are worth considering for your site. However, you need to ensure that your clients can pay you in more than one way since they will likely be from all over the world. Therefore, consider accepting payment methods like Apple Pay and PayPal in addition to leading credit cards. Gift vouchers and cash-on-delivery options are also worth offering, but remember to display all alternatives on your site so shoppers can know what they can use to purchase your products.
High-quality pictures and videos
It is no secret that many of your site’s visitors aren’t necessarily there to purchase a specific product. Indeed, many ecommerce site visitors are mostly interested in merely checking out products and comparing prices. However, you can use visual content to grab their attention, keep them engaged, and guide them to make purchase decisions. Consequently, use top-notch pictures and videos on your site to make it look more professional and enhance the user experience. It would be best to offer multiple images for all products and include pictures with multiple angles. Also, make your product videos highly informative and engaging since a reported 85% of shoppers are likely to purchase products after watching them.
Reviews, ratings, and other social proof
Many people read online reviews before purchasing products. Therefore, adding reviews and ratings to your site is essential to simplify buyers’ tasks. You can include user-generated reviews and ratings on your site to encourage visitors to purchase. You can obtain reviews by encouraging customers to leave them on third-party sites like Facebook and Google My Business. Testimonials and social media content are other useful social proof to include on your site, so keep this in mind.
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