Now we know that e-commerce is massive business and that so many companies are making a fortune from their online store on a daily basis and that is pretty cool. The Internet is the biggest market to have ever existed, but of course with that comes a problem in that it also means that it is home to the biggest amount of competition.
We could go on about strategy and sales techniques but that is not our business. Instead, what we are going to focus on is the layout of the product pages as the way in which they are designed and appear to the customers is going to have a profound effect on the chances of them going ahead and actually making that purchase.
1. Deal with the images.
You need to be able to catch the attention of the visitor to your page and the best way of doing this is by using large and clear images for the products. You do not want the visitor to have to strain their eyes to see what they will be buying and another tip is to make sure that they can zoom in on various aspects so they can see every tiny detail.
You will often find that a customer is going to make their decision as to whether or not they want to purchase something just by the image so if it is too small and grainy, then you are just making life harder for yourself.
2. Where possible give a 360 degree view.
This follows on to the point regarding the images but you should really look at providing a 360 degree view of the product wherever possible. This is going to really replicate the way in which they would view a product in real life and it gives them a better idea of what they are spending their money on.
3. Have a strong call to action button.
Any page needs to have a strong call to action element to it if you are serious about converting those visitors into buyers and in this instance we are talking about a strong button whereby they can purchase the item or add it to their basket.
This button has to really stand out so they are feeling drawn to clicking on it as that is often the most difficult part to get through from a sales perspective. You certainly do not want them to have to hunt for the section where they can add it to their basket as that is not going to help you in the slightest and that is why you will tend to see the button close to the image and near the top of the page so they feel drawn to it.
4. Make sure people can trust you.
This point fits in with the increased fear that people have regarding fraud via the Internet. We love to see logos of companies such as TrustE, Comodo, BBB and many others as it makes us feel safer and believe that we can go ahead and make that purchase without having to be concerned for our safety.
This is something that you really do need to work on by getting yourself verified and adding them to the product pages. By doing so, you will see a marked increase in the number of sales that you achieve simply because people feel that they can buy with confidence.
5. Show the discount price.
If you are selling something at a discount, then make sure that your product page is set up so that it shows the original price and what people are then saving. This is going to compel the individual into taking action when they see that they are getting an absolute bargain and they will also want to act fast as they will believe that they are going to miss out and have to pay the higher price if they are not fast enough.
6. Make sure the description makes sense.
Finally, when it comes to the product description then make sure that it is easy to find and, most importantly of all, that it actually makes sense. You want to have it written for the normal everyday person and have a short summary close to the image with a fuller description further down the page. Breaking it up into easy to digest sentences will avoid swamping the customer with information at the one time allowing them to better understand the product and then make a decision as to whether or not they want to make that purchase.
Now, we are not saying that these are all of the points that you need to take into consideration when you are going to be launching your e-commerce website but they are certainly things that you have to think about just to make the pages clearer than before. The design and layout is so important so think carefully about the placement of everything before you launch your website.
