The key to a great online buying experience is knowing your target audience and providing tools that enable:
- Users to browse and buy easily
- Sales to cross channels with online ordering and in-store pick-up
- Easy, fast online chat
- Reduced number of ‘abandoned sales’
- Mobile tools and responsive interface that are easy and fast to use
- Applications that work on all device screens and sizes, without diminishing the experience
All of these parameters depend on the type of customer and level of experience and user sophistication. So if the business is going to successful create and sustain an online store or eCommerce presence, it must first know its customers and their buying behaviors, technology expertise and sophistication and the types of devices the consumer uses. For example, a business that caters to a customer demographic in the age range of 75 to 85, would definitely want to provide a very simple user interface, and probably online chat and help, as well as careful attention to accessibility standards. But, you might not be as concerned about whether the online store or site was suitable for all mobile devices. Design your eCommerce site to satisfy the needs of your users not the needs of a generic market.
Some businesses must satisfy their customer need to touch and feel or to consult with an expert before buying a product. Other businesses might need to provide catalogues of images, custom orders, a myriad of colors, international shipping options, weekly or monthly discounts or coupons to ensure customer interest – the possibilities are endless. It is therefore critical that the business design and build an eCommerce presence that provides consistent branding and image and satisfies the demands, desires and needs of their particular customer demographics and geographies.
eCommerce solution frameworks like Volusion, Bigcommerce, Magento, Shopify and custom sites built with Bespoke development are a good way to begin the process of planning for eCommerce. But, no matter which framework or solution you choose, you will need to carefully plan the online store or shopping cart, using comprehensive information about your customers and prospects and their needs and demands. Carefully consider the features you will need to establish a suitable buying environment for your customers, e.g., dimensions, 3 D view, best fit calculators, etc.
Choose an expert eCommerce team that has experience in cross-platform design, system integration, mobile application design, multi-layered security to protect sensitive customer information, and skills in all popular eCommerce solutions.
eCommerce experts can help you to plan requirements, choose the right solution and manage the project so you can create an online sales store or shopping cart that will satisfy your customer needs and attract and retain new customers.
