There are so many reasons why paying attention to improving user experience (UX) is so vital to boosting the success of your online business. For example, the better the user experience you provide, the higher your organic SEO rankings will be.
If your customers are able to seamlessly navigate across your website and enjoy every moment doing so, there is also a much higher chance that they will not only take the next step and make a conversion but also that they will come back for more.
So, how exactly do you go about optimizing UX? Here is a quick round-up of some of the best practices that all eCommerce entrepreneurs should be aware of.
Ensure safe, simple payments
Convincing a customer to convert is a complex and challenging process. Hence, you will want to do everything in your power to make it as fast, safe, and easy as possible to keep them on the right track when they finally do make the decision to purchase from your store! The secret here is to invest in the right checkout and payment solution, such as Shopify Checkout. This solution should be responsive and versatile, working to accelerate conversions for your sake and that of your consumers’. It should also provide you with actionable insights to effectively build a solid customer base and maintain loyalty.
Improve page loading speeds
Fast loading web pages increase customer satisfaction. According to a study conducted by Optinmonster, 52% of online shoppers claimed that quick page loading times had a significant impact on their loyalty to a brand. Further to this, Google reported in 2018 that when it comes to page loading time, eCommerce sites only get three seconds before losing more than half of their customers.
Luckily, there are many ways to reduce page loading time, such as decreasing the size of your images, improving your cascading stylesheets (CSS), and using a cache, to name a few.
Invest in responsive website design
There are countless different devices that can be used to browse the internet. By only catering for one of these types of devices, you will be drastically limiting the number of conversions that you could have had. This is why a responsive website design is so imperative. Responsive design will allow for a seamless, uniform experience for consumers regardless of the device that they are using to browse your product offering.
Streamline navigation
Being able to quickly find what they are looking for is a massive contributor when it comes to the consumer experience. Make sure your navigation bar is prominent and consistent regardless of the web page that each consumer clicks through.
Also, do your best to organize your products into obvious categories and sub-categories so as to avoid confusion. It helps to have a search bar included in your website design so that customers can type in keywords and instantly find a specific product or piece of information.
By focusing on maximizing user experience, you will notice a massive improvement in so many aspects of your eCommerce business. Whether in-store or online, the customer is always king!
