We all know what happened to the retail sector during the pandemic. People were scared to meet with each other, wary of in-person shopping, afraid to dine in restaurants, and they avoided movie theaters, concert halls and other entertainment venues. So, how did we get our groceries, clothing, chef-prepared dinners, and entertainment? We went online, of course!
Now, we can make online purchases for virtually anything and everything – clothing, groceries, food delivery, entertainment and so much more. However, we have seen the end of some brick-and-mortar stores, a reduction in the number of independent restaurants and the permanent closure of movie theaters.
Amid all this doom and gloom, though, there has a been one bright spot: e-commerce. In fact, Americans spent $1.7 trillion online during the last two years, which is $609 billion more than the two years pre-COVID. That amounts to a whopping 55% increase in online spending – and the trend continues to grow.
To take advantage of this trend, more businesses have begun developing online stores to better sell their products and services. Of course, that means your competitors are selling online as well. How can your e-commerce website successfully compete and even beat the competition? The best way is to make sure your website is up to speed, and that means creating a high-quality, informative, and attractive homepage.
11 E-Commerce Homepage Best Practices
- Tell visitors upfront who you are and what you do. You’d be surprised at the number of companies that fail to explain their business and its value proposition!
- Make sure your calls to action (CTAs) are direct, prominent and appear frequently throughout the page. Users want to get where they’re going easily and quickly.
- Create an easy-to-follow navigation using logical category tabs and a search bar. Each click on the website should lead the user a step closer to conversion.
- Don’t hide the shopping cart or create a “cute” but incomprehensible symbol. If potential customers can’t figure out how to buy, they will leave your site.
- Include a highly visible section for the latest featured products and current promotions. Images should be enticing, clear and load quickly.
- Create engaging content that makes potential buyers want to learn more about product features and benefits, and perhaps read about your brand.
- Incorporate relevant keywords into your content to attract the right visitors to your website. Keywords should appear in headers as well as in promotional and descriptive copy.
- Design a home page that is easy to follow, uncluttered, has a nice mix of photos and content, and guides the user naturally down the page.
- Develop account sign-in functionality that permits returning customers to review and track their orders. Ensure that the link or button is highly visible.
- Construct a footer that contains your logo, links to various pages and reviews, social media icons, and links to terms and conditions, etc.
- Don’t forget the contact information! You want to answer questions and reassure the customer or prospect that you are a reputable company that stands behind its products and/or services.
The accompanying resource provided by Chicago SEO and PPC company, Straight North, offers many helpful homepage features and interesting e-commerce facts. Keep reading to learn how to design a homepage that will grow organic traffic and boost conversions.
Provided by Straight North