The top 12 things to include in your brand new e-commerce store - 24ONLINE
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17 Jun The top 12 things to include in your brand new e-commerce store

Posted at 18:41h in Article by

So, you’re ready to build a brand new e-commerce store? Congratulations! You’re starting a great adventure with lots of opportunities for reward. Let’s talk about the top 12 things to include in your brand new e-commerce store, to help your project be a success.

1. Prominent logo and branding

Let’s start with the big stuff. Your logo, tagline, brand colors, and company story are must-haves for your new e-commerce store. You want to set a mood and style that will inspire confidence and recognizability. 

Also important: when choosing a domain name, make sure it’s easy to remember, and if possible, use your exact brand name.

2. Easy navigation

The structure of your site is another important area. A simple structure with clear product categories will promote easy navigation. This will help customers find what they want, when they want it – without getting confused.

3. Clean and clear visual design

To keep things looking professional, your site design should be clean, clear, and uncluttered. Use high resolution images across your site, and photograph or embed your products against a white background for the best effect.

4. Responsive, mobile-friendly design

Did you know that the majority of consumers now navigate the web from mobile phones? Your e-commerce site should be designed with mobile users in mind. Check with your web team to confirm your site will be responsive and mobile-friendly.

The legs of a runner, poised to start a race.

5. Fast load times

To make sure your site gets found by search engines, ensure your site loads fast. Ask your website design team to build for fast load times. Later, you can check your load times easily using online tools.

6. Optimized product descriptions

Help shoppers find what they need and optimize your content for better search rankings by including clear, detailed information for every item. At minimum, you should include product name, brand, size, color, and price. If you’re optimizing for organic SEO, be sure to include your target keywords, too.

7. Special offers or promotions

Shoppers are looking for deals, and it’s in your interest to let them know how they can save. Add coupon codes in prominent places, or incentivize customers to sign up for your email list by offering them a discount on their first purchase. Also, showcase sale items on your main navigation menu or announce sales on your home page when possible.

8. Social proof / trust factors

One of your biggest challenges will be establishing trust with your prospective customers. If they don’t know your brand, they’re likely wondering whether you’re legitimate and their purchase is safe. 

Inspire confidence with product reviews, testimonials, and badges featuring security features like an SSL certificate. Feature press coverage, or mentions by bloggers and influencers to go the distance.

9. Easy checkout and payment process

Make it easy for shoppers to select items, check out, and pay. Feature prominent call-to-action buttons with words like “Buy Now” to help ease their journey. 

Streamline the checkout process by requiring only the most essential information to complete their transaction. Finally, automate follow-up with an emailed receipt and tracking information, so they can monitor delivery of their item.

10. Lots of shipping details

Don’t forget to provide shipping, delivery, or product pickup details! If you’re offering more than one shipping option, convey differences in price and delivery times, so your customers can make an informed choice. 

Also important: inform your web development team if you’re offering cash on delivery (COD), a popular choice in the Middle East and other regions where online payments are not embraced by everyone.

package being returned11. Clear return policy

Inspire confidence and avoid confusion later down the line, by clearly explaining your return policy. Link product descriptions to a page with detailed information, including and how customers should go about processing return requests.

12. Helpful FAQs and other support

The more questions you can answer on your website, the fewer customer service emails you’ll be answering later. Create a clear and prominent list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help shoppers easily get the answers they need.

Take customer support to another level by offering live access to customer service through WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. Take it a step further with artificial intelligence (AI) support through an embedded Chatbot on your home page.

Bonus item

If you’re targeting customers in a specific geographic region, you’ll want to decide whether to localize your content. For example, many e-commerce brands in the Middle East publish their sites in both English and Arabic.

Hopefully after you’ve read these top 12 things to include in your brand new e-commerce store, you have a better sense of how you can make your store a success. If you’re interested in learning more, reach out to the team at 24Online and we’re happy to have a conversation about your project.

24Online is an innovative app development and technology services company based in Amman, Jordan. Our goal is to apply the best aspects of the USA startup sector to help Middle East companies achieve success. Founded in 2008, we’ve served more than 600 business clients in seven countries. Check out our work or reach out to discuss your project.

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