For business owners with an online shop, it’s important to understand how to optimise your website for eCommerce using specialist platforms like WooCommerce. As WooCommerce developer experts in Bristol, we know how the platform can benefit you and your business.
Here, we take a look at the Do’s and Don’ts of eCommerce sites, and how WooCommerce, in conjunction with Nebula Design, can make your website stand out from the competition.
Three benefits of WooCommerce
While there are numerous eCommerce platforms, we favour WooCommerce, due to the many benefits it provides, including:
- Data control – WooCommerce keeps your information safe on a back-up platform, for all of your sensitive data such as order history and customer details.
- Free WordPress plugin – WooCommerce is built on WordPress, allowing for seamless management of your broader website, all on the same CMS.
- Security – WooCommerce works with large security providers like sucuri.net to keep your site protected, with regular updates to the site and its plugins.
Nebula Design – You WooCommerce and WordPress experts in Bristol
At Nebula Design, we are a perfect fit for growing SMEs in the Bristol area needing a new website:
- Simple and transparent – We avoid jargon and speak to clients like people, to focus on the best user experience possible for your website.
- Suite of services – We offer a multitude of ways to optimise your website, from design and branding, through to photography and video production, and of course eCommerce expertise.
So let’s get on to our Do’s and Don’ts of eCommerce websites.
DO study competitors
Look at other websites from the perspective of a consumer – what does or doesn’t work along the journey from home page to purchase? See how you can integrate the parts you like and avoid the parts you don’t. Viewing the design in this way can help you to see your own site with greater objectivity, and allow you to make clearer choices on what works.
DO use great quality images
Images are a huge part of an eCommerce website, especially when selling physical products. Customers expect a realistic representation of what they’re buying, but also a level of sheen and polish to demonstrate professionalism. High resolution, appropriate lighting, multiple angles, and a keen eye in post production are all part of making your images, and products, stand out on the page.
DO ensure it is responsive
Make sure your site is adaptable to mobile, tablet, and desktop screens. Consider altering the layout and navigation tools for each one. WooCommerce has a huge selection of responsive themes, which automatically shift the layout depending on the device, while keeping a consistent colour scheme and design.
DON’T over complicate your website and the user journey
If you’ve studied the competition, you’ll know that simplicity makes for an attractive design philosophy. Keeping the focus on the products and services demonstrates to the customer that you have faith in what you’re selling, and know it deserves to be centre stage. The journey itself should be simple too, with clear purchase options, and easy navigation.
DON’T forget to use social proof like reviews and testimonials
Customer reviews and quotes are a great way to build trust for new visitors to your business. In order to accrue the reviews for you to show off, the process of submitting a review should be kept simple in the first place. A star-rating and sentence or two of text is a tried-and-true review format that customers will recognise, with the option of a profile photo with the review to build trust even further. Find a suitable place to put the quotes and smiles of satisfied customers on the site and visitors will know they can trust your product.
DON’T allow site speed and performance to be slow
A single-second delay in page load time can cause a drop of 16% in customer satisfaction. To keep your site smooth and fast, choose the right hosting service. Many are optimised for WooCommerce and WordPress, with features like built-in caching to keep load times to a minimum. Keep your plugins up to date, and remember to optimise your product images by using Photoshop, or an image compression plugin for WordPress.
Your new eCommerce website
Keep the above in mind, and you’ll be on your way to designing a dynamic and inviting online store. If you want to get in touch with our eCommerce experts to design a site that’s right for your business, contact us.