Must-have features for an e-comm site in 2019

Evening guy’s,

Thought this would be an interesting debate.. what features do you think are essential in 2019 for a sucesfulk e-commerce site? I’ll start;

1. Mobile responsive
2. Social links / Instagram shop

 

Modern, easy to use, working e-commerce website.

The rest of your success is down to marketing. No customers = no e-commerce.

 

I would add:

3. Fast loading
4. Mobile checkout options for "not ready to buy just yet"

 

For me just adding on:
5) User friendly checkout.
6) Next day delivery option (for UK to UK sales).
Alex

 

What do you mean by this sorry?

What are peoples thoughts about 'Guest Checkout'

Would you be more inclined to convert if you didn't have to sign up?

 

Depends on what you're selling and to who.

Clothing v industrial machinery - completely different requirements.

 

For the sake of the thread, let's say soft goods..

 

Usually textiles, I think, clothes, towels, etc.

 

Guest checkout for most ecomm sites is very important unless you really need someone to register. In most cases registration is not necessary.

In terms of my comment "not ready to buy yet"...this is a very obvious mobile trend. People use their phones to do a lot of research and create wishlists but ultimately won't always take an action there and then. It's important to give users other options instead of checking out such as "Email me my basket", "Send this to a friend", "Add to wishlist", etc.

 

Gotcha - I like that idea.

Target audience.. Shopping by Instagram for example has seen a big increase in the last 12 months - I would class it as fairly essential for the market I want to sell in.

 

The majority of ecomm sites I am pretty sure will be general consumer shopping. There will always be niche sites such as yours but the majority can definitely benefit from the basic essentials and latest techniques to create a good user experience and conversion rates.

 

What I mean by general consumer commerce is that they are selling a product to an end user. This could be clothing, electrical goods, furniture, beds, etc.

Over 50% of ecomm sites use standard platforms and, from experience, the majority are used in their default format. We work with clients to adapt them for increased conversions.

So the majority of sites function based on standard ecomm principles. However, they aren't maximising conversions and especially with the increase in mobile use, nearly all ecomm sites can benefit from an improvement in the user experience on mobile devices.

By not applying the latest best practices and mobile CRO, businesses are just leaving money on the table.

ANY website can benefit from improved usability and contact options.

 

All of this is correct, put produces very similar websites.

Some options to consider.

Invite only website
Paywall to store
Time limited product availability - minutes or hours, not weeks/months
Severely limited availability - 100 pieces or less
Time limit checkout, if you dont buy with 5/10 minutes, its deleted from your basket and you need to add again

 

Some good suggestions there guys.

Here are my thoughts:

Cleaner, more professional design
The larger ecommerce players are upping their game on the design stakes (using A/B testing to optimise. Better design with premium product/lifestyle photography promotes trust because the company appears more legit. Large gains can be made from design tweaks backed by A/B testing data.


Content Personalisation
Customers who are returning for content reasons and not necessarily to buy are looking for a fresh experience every time. That's where personalisation apps like Nosto come into their own. Customers are presented with content and products based on purchase or browsing history which keeps them on the site longer because they haven't got to go searching for stuff.


Payment Types
I would also add that retailers should be looking at options like Apple Pay, Android Pay, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay. Checkouts might be a bit hectic with all of these but you need to cater for your customers.

Filling out card details and billing address will soon be a thing of the past. Make it easy for them to part with their money. They want to spend it so don't make it an obstacle course.


Advanced Customer Detail Collection
Brands are now looking at building a more detailed profile of their customers when they sign up to marketing. Instead of just collecting an email or a name, you should be asking customers what they are interested in and what their preferences are for marketing.

I know many people on here will say they would never do that but brands with 'engaged' customers, who really want to know more, don't mind spending time to do this to get a better experience. This also results in a more targeted approach with marketing and will return better results.

Matches Fashion, for example, ask people about preferred designers as well as content. They want the experience to be as personalised as possible. That is how they create fans!


Email 'Relationship' Funnels
When people sign up, start with an email 'welcome series' with 6-10 emails that engage, educate and build a relationship with them. These emails are not intended to sell but to add value (unlike many high street brands who bombard you with constant discount offers, like Banana Republic).

Build trust first, get them to buy into your brand and then customers are more likely to buy.

Next, set up time-based email sequences based on products purchased. When a customer buys a product, that is just the beginning. It's now your job to help them use it in the right way and get the most out of it. Like a SaaS or app company, you want the customer to adopt the product, use it and find continuous value in it.

For example:

• Clothing - Show them how the item was made, how to the care for it, ways in which to wear it and what complimentary products go with it.
• Power Tools - How to use it, safety advice, care and servicing guidelines and accessories.
• Mountain Bikes - Explain key features, care tips, best biking trails, accessories, etc.
• Electronics - Best functionality guide, care advice, charging care, new games, accessories, etc.

Just my thoughts. I hope this helps.

Matt

 

Yeah but for ecommerce it's very important to keep an format that is consistent with what users expect. Really important.

Websites in general can try more experimental set ups but for people to part with cash immediately online, it's got to be kept as easy and familiar as possible.

And yes, the trend to mobile has been growing over the past couple of years but the mobile buyer today is different to even just a year ago. Businesses aren't adapting to current mobile buying habits and they are losing money every day as a result.

 

My biggest bug bear is "Next page". Why? Social sites can scroll down and down and down through content, why can't most major e-comm sites do this?