Must-Have Features for Every E-commerce Website

In 2019, global retail e-commerce was pegged to be a $25 trillion industry. And we don’t have to tell you the pace at which it is expected to grow even further not only in 2020 but for the foreseeable future. Suffice it to say that there’s plenty of focus on not just e-commerce, but how to get it right. Of course, there are a variety of factors that contribute to the success of a digital retail store. However, in this context, some elements are absolutely fundamental, i.e., can’t afford to be ignored. The first and foremost being the e-commerce website.

Building a standard website is generally a relatively straightforward process, but things get slightly tricky when it comes to ones meant to facilitate e-commerce. Why? Because they are the platform where not only buyers and sellers to come together, but also the medium that enables the inherent transactions involved in online retail. So, if a website for e-commerce, say, has a bad overall design, it is bound to struggle even to attract customers — and if it fails at this primary step, engaging and retaining them is already a lost cause. While each e-commerce business website is unique in what it offers and how certain aspects are common to all great e-commerce websites, to help make sure that your website doesn’t suffer from the lack of such provisions, we put together a list of some of the most critical features that you can’t afford to miss.

1. Relevant content: A customer is unlikely to give you their business if what they see on your website isn’t connected to them. Thus, it is essential to undertake endeavors to gain a better understanding of their requirements, expectations, and more and then use those insights to not only deliver relevant content and recommendations but also adapt the website design following it.
2. Chatbot: The world has plenty of highly advanced technology to offer, including chatbots. And in this context, they are vital, because they can prove to be quite handy when a customer is struggling to find more information about a product or is perhaps faced with a technical challenge at an odd hour in the night. So, instead of making them wait and risk losing a potential customer because of it, a chatbot can help make sure that their issues are immediately addressed. It increases with the chance of a conversion.
3. Secure check out: Though this one seems obvious, you’d be horrified to realize just how much this aspect gets ignored. Since customers share highly sensitive details while paying for their purchases online, it is the e-commerce company’s responsibility to make sure that the payment system it offers is as secure as it can be. So, it is recommended to use a hosted check out and provide assurances via badges, and more.

There’s not a single e-commerce website in the world that can’t be further optimized. There’s always scope for improvement, and if you need help doing that, you can still get in touch with a trusted ecommerce website design company to take your store to the next level.