Internet is the cornerstone of today’s businesses. Most companies have reaped the benefits from this means of communication, like Amazon and eBay. According to statistics, in 2020, 70 billion digital transactions occurred every day in the world. With this figure in mind, many businesses are thinking about ways to encourage people to buy from them. But what are buying decision factors? Is it necessary to have a website or an app? What is the method to make a successful website? If you have these questions in mind or want to establish a successful eCommerce brand, keep reading this post at Twelfthdream.
What is eCommerce?
The term eCommerce or electronic commerce refers to the ways of buying and selling products and services online through the internet. Alike what is happening in brick-and-mortar shops, financial transactions are carried out to feed the needs of B2B, B2C, C2C, and C2B niches. For example, think of the last time you booked a car from Uber, the most famous taxi app. As a consumer, you have done a transactional process to purchase a service from the business (C2B).
Websites and mobile apps are two undeniable pillars of selling online, since they illustrate the feel of face-to-face shopping. That is why having a well-developed platform is very important. Particularly for smartphones, because they are always with us, even more than computers and laptops.
Opting for a platform, or building from scratch?
Throughout the lifetime of the humankind, it has never been either more accessible or faster to establish a business. Even with a minimum budget, it is possible to start and grow. Thanks to eCommerce platforms like Shopify, newbie businesses can seize the opportunity to compete among others. On the other hand, if cost is not a major concern, why not build a bespoke platform? Let us review the nuts and bolts of the two choices.
Many eCommerce platforms like Shopify, Elementor, PixPa, BigCommerce and 3DCart (shipforshop), exist. The abundance of options may confuse people. Which one should I pick? The answer is simple. The one that meets your needs. Many people prefer Shopify, for example, because of its various tools and features. Regardless of the business size, Shopify suits essentials, from setting up an online store to shipping and marketing strategies. Easy to use, fast loading time, scalability, customizable themes, and being user-friendly are other facets of Shopify and platforms like Shopify.
Custom software development stands as the second option. As the term custom implies, the product is primarily designed for you, whether it is a website or an app. When it comes to tailor-made solutions, not only do they demand a team of professionals to proceed, but also time and money—a team to conduct all the tasks, the coding, and the design to deliver a unique product. Development takes time, since everything is done in significant detail. Moreover, a group of experts will focus on a project, which costs a fortune. Catering a custom platform for a business has several advantages, such as:
- The integrity of all data is a specific place and avoids data distribution.
- The efficiency of work flows for the business itself and the customers
- Flexibility with regard to business growth and procedure
- Supported by a team of savvy professionals
- Eminent UI and UX design
Making the most out of a platform
UX design
User Experience (UX for short) refers to all the arrangements that improve customer satisfaction. Converting target audiences to customers and retaining existing customers to the brand advocate is a goal for almost all types of businesses. Whether it is a website, an app, a product, or a service, the ease of use, accessibility, utility, and direct interaction with users should be accomplished in a determining way. Not only is it about beauty and function, but also evoking emotions. Most design experts encompass research first to figure out how they can fill all the gaps for users in an advantageous way. Apart from user research, there are three main principles as well: Experience strategy (bringing value to the business itself), Interaction strategy (focus on how users would interact with a system using buttons, animations, transitions, etc.), and information architecture (placing information in a meaningful way).
Branding
The goal of branding is to leave a lasting impression of your company, its services, and its products in the minds of consumers. A brick-and-mortar store’s and ecommerce site’s competitive advantage are both considerably increased by branding. In a website, building stories, visual assets, and marketing messages strategically and tactfully that resonate with customers is an ideal approach. External factors such as reviews and comments are the positive outcomes impacted by solid branding. Think about these questions:
- What’s your vision?
- What principles do you uphold?
- Do you understand your brand?
- What’s your personality like?
Product description
Writing an epic and persuasive product description is the optimal stage that convinces customers to click. Share the qualities, technical information, and features and how users will benefit from them is vital. Do not overuse technical terms. Instead, tell a story with a natural tone in a way that people can relate to. In addition, highlight words so readers can scan the text.
Using visuals
63% of people are visual buyers, which means they reckon product images are essential. Here are some tips:
- Avoid grainy, low-pixel, dark, or shadowy photos
- The picture must be clear in high quality
- Pay great attention to size and proportion
- Provide 3D viewing angels
- Optimize images for search engines
- Include image zoom to the site’s images
Encourage users to write comments
Online reviews are influential in potential customers journey. Most people prefer to read the actual experience of the product consumption than what is written in the catalogue. On the other hand, some buyers evaluate a business accountability by eying how it responds to complaints. Therefore, we can say word-of-mouth is the key to estimate credibility. One way to get more comments is offering discounts or special loyalty programs.
The call-to-action button is a graphic element of a website, email, ad, etc. The most well-known example of a call to action on a web interface is a button that perform an action (e.x. “Buy this now!”).
Tips
- Use action oriented text
- Ensure that the button’s text is big and clear
- Make it breif
- Make things urgent
Conclusion
Now you can understand platform types, eCommerce, and buying decision factors. Following all the recommendations in this post will improve conversion in your business. If you have any questions, leave a comment below. We will get back to you A.S.A.P.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SEO? Search Engine Optimization ( for short SEO) refers to all the techniques, methods, and strategies which contribute a website to rank top in search engines result pages.
What is the best quality for images on the site? The ideal image file size for a website is 200 KB or less, and for full-screen background graphics, 1500–2500 pixels wide.
Is it free to sell on Shopify? You can deploy Shopify free for two weeks. But to continue, users need to purchase a subscription plan.
