All business owners know that a website is essential in the modern world of hybrid/online commerce. However, relatively few business owners know how to optimize their websites to improve revenue. From WordPress store locator software to digital asset management tools, keep reading to discover 6 website design ideas to increase online sales.
1. Organize All Products Into Categories
The concept is pretty straightforward. If customers can’t find what they are looking for, it will be impossible to make a sale. If they click through a dozen different dropdown menus, look up their item in the search bar, and still lack satisfaction with what they see, they simply move on to one of your competitors.
Therefore, it is critical that you make your product page prominent and easy to navigate. Arrange your products via categories. Use images as much as possible to facilitate navigation. Additionally, give customers the option to filter based on size, color, quantity, etc. The easier you make it for your customers to find exactly what they want, you reduce the amount of time they have to think, get frustrated, and/or talk themselves out of making a purchase.
2. Streamline the Checkout Process
There are many benefits–for you and the customer alike–to having customers create an account with your business prior to completing a purchase. It adds a level of security, can help tailor the purchase experience to the specific customer, and can make future purchases much more efficient. To enhance these advantages and create a seamless online experience, consider investing in custom web design. A tailored website can optimize the account creation process, ensuring a user-friendly interface that aligns with your brand and enhances the overall customer journey.
However, the fact remains that some 20% of customers will abandon their cart if they are required to create an account and log in prior to making a purchase.
Therefore, it is best to have a guest checkout option, backed by the highest level of SSL encryption, available to capture as many first-time shoppers as possible. Allow multiple payment options, such as credit card, PayPal, and Venmo.
If you provide customers with outstanding products, they will see the value in creating an account with your business. You will ultimately develop more loyal customers in the long run than by forcing an account on them initially.
3. Prioritize Professional Images
The average attention span of customers is shrinking with each passing year. So to satisfy a marketplace that has years of experience scrolling Instagram, use one of our quickest website design ideas. Have dozens of professional images available for all of your products.
With the right images, you can effectively replicate the experience of in-person shopping. While robust product descriptions are necessary to keep the customer lingering, it is the pictures that will catch their eye. Also, remember that the majority of shoppers will be browsing on their phones. So, ensure to size and format all images to fit neatly on a mobile screen.
Additionally, investing in professional photo retouching can make a significant difference in the visual appeal of your product images. High-quality retouching can enhance colors, remove imperfections, and create a polished and professional look. Whether it’s adjusting lighting, removing background distractions, or highlighting key features, professional photo retouching can elevate the overall aesthetic of your images and leave a lasting impression on your customers.
4. Install Plugins to Improve the User Experience
Creating a seamless UX is critical for improving the sales of an online store. Although there are many considerations involved in creating a UX, one of the key factors of a strong UX is that it helps shoppers accomplish a specific task with as little effort as possible. In this case, you want your UX to make it easy for customers to make a purchase.
One of the best ways to accomplish this is by adding plugins and extensions that can enhance the customer experience. Some of the most useful for increasing sales are store locator software to help them locate local vendors, customer service portals that give them immediate answers to their questions, and payment integration features to reduce time at checkout.
5. Leverage the Power of Social Proof
A business is only as good as its online reputation in 2023. Dwindling are the days when customers placed their trust in paid celebrity spokespeople, replaced by an era in which they look to their peers for product reviews, rankings, and recommendations.
Therefore, it is critical that your online store prominently features customer reviews and make your business’s social media accounts accessible to shoppers. And while negative customer reviews can definitely hurt a business, a whopping 79.9% of online shoppers said their trust in a business would increase if it responded to a negative review, so it is important that your business cultivate as many reviews as possible and publicly reach out to those that are not 100% satisfied.
6. Help Sellers and Distributors With a Marketing Asset Management Tool
One of the alluring features of selling online is that you are not bound by physical constrictions. You can theoretically reach a worldwide audience by using online partners, affiliates, and contracted sellers. However, the increased reach can come at a price if it begins to create a confused or watered-down brand.
As a result, it is a great idea for online businesses to invest in a digital asset management tool to help online distributors spread the correct message to new markets. There are countless ways that a marketing asset management tool can benefit an online business. Its most significant draw is that it streamlines marketing materials and makes tools such as infographics, landing pages, and email content available to all online vendors who work beneath you. This guarantees consistency in branding that can improve company performance.
Use These 6 Website Design Ideas and Watch Online Sales Soar
Although all businesses have websites in 2023, few of these websites reach their potential and help maximize profits for the business. By considering any of the 6 website design tips listed above, business owners can create intuitive, helpful, and easy-to-use websites that will allow online sales to soar.
