How Website Development Can Make or Break an Online Sale?

Do you purchase everything you see when out shopping?

Then why do you expect this from your online customers?

You can’t afford to be arrogant when planning your website’s online impact. Online customers won’t simply purchase goods because you placed it on your ecommerce site. They will simply scroll by if you didn’t do your homework.

Much of your homework is about the development of your website.

What does Website Development Entail?

Your website development usually consists of two aspects:

• Front end: This is the look of your website and all the areas your customers can interact with.
• Back end: This is how your website works. It incorporates a server with an application and database.

These require coding in HTML or CSS. Your customers won’t see the coding. It does determine the quality of their experiences.

Make sure these two work together for optimum online sales.

1. Layout

Think of your website’s layout as your store’s shopfront.

When you’re shopping you probably only enter the shops that look organized, clean and rich in product variety. This can be determined from a shopfront window.

What does your website’s layout say about your business?

A website isn’t about showcasing as much information as possible. You need:

• Calls to action
• Payment information
• Price details
• Images

These have to be strategically and neatly-placed to help your customers enter & use your site.

If a customer thinks he or she won’t find what they’re looking for they will simply exit.

2. Wrong Information

One way of losing your clients is by giving them the wrong information.

I don’t mean inaccurate detail about your products. After all you know your merchandise right?

What you may not know is your clients’ information requirements.

[notice type=”info”]The Answer to Why
When someone has to commit to a purchase they need to know your business offers them something your competitor can’t. Otherwise they’ll keep on browsing until they find something unique. Is your website telling them why you’re different?[/notice]

3. Falling Behind with Technological Developments

We saw more development since Armstrong walked on the moon than at any other time in history. And it’s not stopping.

Are you keeping up? You can’t afford to fall behind.

Make sure your ecommerce has the right tools that can close the deal. Don’t think your customers will be content placing an order via email or making a call to your office.

Online customers use the internet because they want instant results.

New widgets and features constantly enter the market. Your customers love trying them out and may prefer using websites that have them if you don’t.

4. Faulty Linking

How do you feel when a website you’re browsing gives an error or navigates to the wrong page? I bet you navigate to another site immediately. Most of the time you won’t even try reloading the page.

Now imagine someone experiencing this on your website. You can’t let it happen! That’s one sale lost.

These errors creep in when the back end of your website isn’t perfected.

This is why website testing is vital.

The good news is it’s easy to do. Get your whole team excited about your website by asking them to test it out.

They’ll probably look for information that relates to them. They’ll notify you the moment a link or page is faulty.

That’s one less grumpy customer for you.

5. Neglecting SEO and Algorithms

Your perfect customer may search for your specific products right now. Will he or she even find your website?

During website development you must include SEO features in your content and layout. Search engines quickly pick up which websites are user friendly and filled with quality information. That’s what their algorithms are designed to do.

If you don’t rank high in SEO terms you’ll never reach the first page of a search engine list.

How will that customer know about you then?

6. Faulty Process Design

Don’t underestimate the online options your customers have. You’re competing with a modern and dynamic force.

There are many ways to reach a goal but you may want to have a look at how the experts do it. Don’t try reinventing the wheel.

One reason certain websites rank higher than others is because of their processes. Does your website incorporate the easiest processes on the market?

Here are a few processes your ecommerce site must be on par with:

• How lengthy is your payment procedure? Widgets and plugins are available to make this quick. Don’t expect customers to stay throughout time consuming processes.
• What does your call to action entail? Not even your loyal customers will fill out lengthy questionnaires as part of a sale. If you want feedback simply ask for a quick star rating. Your information won’t be as detailed but you’ll have more to work with.
• Do you only allow registered customers to purchase from you? Big mistake! I know you want all customers’ information but you’ll lose sales if you enforce this. If they already have accounts with other sites they’ll complete the sales there. Give them the option to become registered members after their first sales. Sometimes compromise is necessary.

7. Lack of Options

As stated in #2 your clients are in search of instant results. Does your ecommerce website offer customers product options in terms of:

• Sizes
• Versions of the item
• Colors available

I promise you there’s a competing website that does.

Be the most competitive by placing as many options possible on your website.

The same goes for payment options. If your customers’ preferred payment options aren’t listed – or require lengthy processes – they’ll simply discontinue the sale.

Don’t let that happen.

[notice type=”alert”]Yes this is a list of warnings. When you enter the online sales world you can’t risk making huge mistakes. You’ll fall behind or veer off the road. You need a mind set that continually searches for ways to do it better. See the danger signs and make immediate adjustments. Your increased sales figures will be worth it.[/notice]