Electronic commerce, or e-Commerce for short, has become an undeniably successful part of modern businesses – allowing internet users to directly purchase products from their website. In South Africa, Takealot is one of the most successful e-Commerce businesses. Today, we are doing a deep dive into e-Commerce to answer a couple of crucial questions for businesses that consider e-Commerce functionality for their websites.
Should My Business Consider an e-Commerce Website?
The answer to this question is relevant to the type of business that you run and the core functionality of your website. For example, if you run a brick-and-mortar store that sells shoes, you want people to have the option to buy your shoes online as well. Therefore, an e-Commerce website can only work in your favour!
However, if your business offers plumbing services, for example, it would be better to not have an e-Commerce website and rather focus on crucial information about your plumbing services to inform your potential customers, as well as contact information to ensure that people know where to reach you.
Choosing the Ideal e-Commerce Platform
An e-Commerce platform refers to a specific software application that allows businesses to create and manage a digital storefront. There are several e-Commerce platforms to choose from – with their own unique features and pricing structures.
Shopify and WooCommerce are some of the most popular choices in this category; both offering comprehensive solutions to e-Commerce setup and content management. Shopify delivers a software platform that allows you to build and manage an online storefront that can process payments and handle shipping and fulfilment. WooCommerce is built and designed to be used through WordPress – a popular content management system (CMS) – and offers similar features and functions as Shopify.
Crucial Features of an e-Commerce Website
Running an e-Commerce website requires the consideration of several useful features to give users on your website peace of mind that they can trust your website and the fulfilment of their purchases. This starts with offering a responsive website that adjusts to the specific device accessing the website, as most people tend to browse e-Commerce websites on their smartphones and tablets.
Another crucial element of an e-Commerce website brings us to the design of your website. Simplicity is always a good policy – giving users the best possible experience when browsing your e-Commerce site. High-quality content also comes into play here. You want precise and accurate product descriptions and prices, as well as relevant product options (size, colour, availability, etc.), to display on your product pages.
Reviews are pivotal to an e-Commerce website. People want to know what other people thought about the specific product that they bought from your website to make an informed decision before buying. Along with user reviews, you want product recommendations to pique a user’s interest in other relevant products as well.
Finally, an e-Commerce website always benefits from having a Wish List – where users can tag specific products that they want for future purchases. Users also want an easy-to-use checkout for when they decide to make a digital purchase on your website. An FAQ page is also a smart addition for users that want more information about your business, products, fulfilment, and payment options.
If your business considers e-Commerce, Laetus Life Consulting can assist you with a complete range of digital marketing solutions! Contact us today and reap the benefits of an e-Commerce website with us in your corner!