It is not always clear for online businesses when it is time to rethink their website. Of course, issues like technical problems or outdated information may be obvious enough, but what about the more subtle signs?
\r\nAsk yourself the following questions:
\r\nIf you can answer yes to any of these questions, it could be a sign that your e-commerce website needs work.
\r\nIt's nearly impossible, though, to come up with a solution if you don't know what is causing the problem in the first place. Below are four of the most common conversion killers in e-commerce website design (and how to fix them).
\r\nEditor's Note: Looking for information on e-commerce web design services? Use the questionnaire below and our vendor partners will contact you to provide you with the information you need:
\r\nAn SEO strategy is a pillar to a strong and successful online company. After all, if your customers can't find your business, then they are obviously not going to buy your product or service. And while most ecommerce sites understand the importance of strong keywords in product descriptions, it does not necessarily mean that their site is truly optimized for strong SEO.
\r\nAccording to Woorank's recent report, 18 percent of ecommerce sites had broken backlinks that led customers to 404 error pages or poor redirections. Backlinks that come from high domain authority sites can be extremely beneficial for your own website's ranking, but if these links are not formatted correctly or lead to irrelevant pages (such as a generic homepage), it could lead to higher bounce rates.
\r\nAccording to SEMRush, in addition to backlinks, other SEO factors on your website affect its ranking, including your website's security and the quality of your keywords throughout the content. This is why using an e-commerce platform optimized for better SEO practices is a smart choice. Look for features that make it easy to include customized navigation links, page titles, URLs, tags, and meta descriptions so your site's content is highly visible for search engines to pick up on.
\r\nThe experience your customers have with your website and brand makes all the difference. Study after study has proven that tweaks to the UX can impact your business's bottom line. It affects how much customers are willing to pay, how loyal they are to your brand and how likely they are to recommend you to other consumers.
\r\nA great UX can be a clear advantage in a highly competitive market. In fact, next to price, the usability of a website and other UX factors are the most important considerations for online shoppers. If your website is not offering an up-to-date UX that provides what your visitors want, chances are that they will look elsewhere.
\r\nTake a look at design flaws that could be standing in the way of a smooth UX.
\r\nKeep an eye on your analytical datasets and see where your customers begin to disengage. If customers are frequently abandoning their carts, it could signal an issue with the UX of the purchasing process. Or if users commonly exit after viewing product pages, perhaps the layout or description could use some rework.
\r\nEcommerce businesses rely more on customer data than ever before to stay relevant to audiences and provide them with better experiences. Brands that are heavily data-driven are more profitable and grow faster than companies that do not extensively use customer data in their strategies.
\r\nDue to the high expectations set for personalized brand experiences, e-commerce brands must have a system in place to not only collect necessary datasets but also to apply them for a better customer experience.
\r\nRather than trying to build a large database of information, a better approach is data minimization. The important thing for online brands to do when it comes to figuring out data-collection strategies is to narrow it down to the why, what and how.
\r\nDefine your strategy first and determine the exact ways that your team can apply customer data, whether it be with personalized shopping recommendations, custom offers or better marketing messaging. From there, it will be easier to determine which data points are necessary, and your team can figure out how to collect this through website data analyzation methods.
\r\nAs more shoppers use mobile devices for research and checkout, it is important that e-commerce brands offer the same or similar shopping experiences on the small screen. Twenty-four percent of retail ecommerce sales are now technically m-commerce, so online brands must be prepared to make their sites optimized for customers browsing through their smartphones and tablets.
\r\nThough the number of m-commerce sales continues to rise, it seems that brands are still not offering the type of experience that customers expect or deserve. According to a report by Salesforce and Demandware, customers are less likely to purchase from an e-commerce brand if their mobile site seems less secure or has UX barriers, such as difficulty seeing product information or issues with checkout.
\r\nBe sure that the mobile version of your website is just as well designed and UX optimized as your desktop version. In order to avoid common customer frustrations, it needs to be adaptive to various screen sizes so customers do not constantly have to zoom in and out manually to browse your site. Adjust text sizes for easy reading and make sure that navigational tabs are simplified for easy searching.
\r\nA total overhaul of your website can be expensive and time-consuming, and in some cases, not completely necessary. A few little tweaks and changes can have a strong effect on your customers. Take a look at your own analytical data to see what could be causing visitors to vanish without a trace and without a purchase.
\r\nYour website should never truly be complete. There are always adjustments and changes to be made for a better shopping experience. Pay attention to what your customers want and design accordingly.
\n","docType":"article","guid":"articles_db8c840ae2f91d34cd3271bbdf9e830d","lastModified":"2018-08-29T07:00:00.000Z","published":"2018-08-29T07:00:00.000Z","structuredData":null,"subtitle":"These are the most common conversion killers in e-commerce web design.","template":"legacy","title":"4 Reasons Why You Should Revamp Your E-Commerce Site","type":"article","author":{"avatar":null,"bio":"My name is Manish Dudharejia and I am the President and Founder of E2M Solutions Inc.\r\n\r\nBesides regularly publishing insightful content on my company's blog, I have been sharing my insights on top publications like Entrepreneur, VentureBeat, Search Engine Land, Search Engine Watch, The Next Web, and Search Engine Journal.\r\n\r\nHaving been in the Technology and Digital Marketing industry for over a decade, I am eager to share my insights with your readers. I am confident that my insights will provide value to all the readers of Business.com.","name":"Manish Dudharejia","image":null,"slug":null,"social":{"facebook":"","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/manishdudharejia","twitter":"https://twitter.com/manish_analyst","website":"https://www.e2msolutions.com/"},"status":"enabled","title":null,"type":"New BDC Member","user":{"imagePath":"https://staging.business.com/images/uploads/user/profile/fd21541545d779a2519a14014b5394d56818d.jpg","profile":{"company":"E2M Solutions Inc.","jobTitle":"Founder and President","website":"https://www.e2msolutions.com/"}}},"breadcrumbs":null,"channels":{"primary":{"name":"Marketing","slug":"marketing"},"sub":{"name":"Marketing Strategy","slug":"marketing-strategy"}},"meta":{"robots":"index, follow","description":"Does your e-commerce website have one of these conversion faux pas?","title":"Why You Should Revamp Your E-Commerce Site - business.com"},"parsedContent":{"toc":[{"id":"1-your-platform-is-not-seo-optimized","title":"1. Your platform is not SEO-optimized."},{"id":"2-your-ux-is-out-of-date","title":"2. Your UX is out of date."},{"id":"3-your-data-collection-strategy-is-unclear","title":"3. Your data collection strategy is unclear."},{"id":"4-mobile-optimization-is-limited","title":"4. Mobile optimization is limited."},{"id":"conclusion","title":"Conclusion"}],"json":[{"component":"p","children":["It is not always clear for online businesses when it is time to rethink their website. Of course, issues like technical problems or outdated information may be obvious enough, but what about the more subtle signs?"]},{"component":"p","children":["Ask yourself the following questions:"]},{"component":"ul","children":[{"component":"li","children":["Have your online sales dwindled? "]},{"component":"li","children":["Is your web traffic declining? "]},{"component":"li","children":["Are bounce rates increasing?"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["If you can answer yes to any of these questions, it could be a sign that your e-commerce website needs work. "]},{"component":"p","children":["It's nearly impossible, though, to come up with a solution if you don't know what is causing the problem in the first place. Below are four of the most common conversion killers in e-commerce website design (and how to fix them)."]},{"component":"p","children":[{"component":"i","children":[{"component":"strong","children":[" Editor's Note: Looking for information on e-commerce web design services? Use the questionnaire below and our vendor partners will contact you to provide you with the information you need:"]}]}]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"1-your-platform-is-not-seo-optimized","data-bz-category-id":"10119"},"children":["1. Your platform is not SEO-optimized."]},{"component":"p","children":["An SEO strategy is a pillar to a strong and successful online company. After all, if your customers can't find your business, then they are obviously not going to buy your product or service. And while most ecommerce sites understand the importance of strong keywords in product descriptions, it does not necessarily mean that their site is truly optimized for strong SEO. "]},{"component":"p","children":["According to ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.woorank.com/en/blog/ecommerce-backlinks-404","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["Woorank's recent report"]},", 18 percent of ecommerce sites had broken backlinks that led customers to 404 error pages or poor redirections. Backlinks that come from high domain authority sites can be extremely beneficial for your own website's ranking, but if these links are not formatted correctly or lead to irrelevant pages (such as a generic homepage), it could lead to higher bounce rates. "]},{"component":"p","children":["According to SEMRush, in addition to backlinks, other SEO factors on your website affect its ranking, including your website's security and the quality of your keywords throughout the content. This is why using an e-commerce platform ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.e2msolutions.com/resources/seo-for-ecommerce-website","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["optimized for better SEO"]}," practices is a smart choice. Look for features that make it easy to include customized navigation links, page titles, URLs, tags, and meta descriptions so your site's content is highly visible for search engines to pick up on."]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"2-your-ux-is-out-of-date"},"children":["2. Your UX is out of date."]},{"component":"p","children":["The experience your customers have with your website and brand makes all the difference. Study after study has proven that tweaks to the UX can impact your business's bottom line. It affects how much customers are willing to pay, how loyal they are to your brand and how likely they are to recommend you to other consumers. "]},{"component":"p","children":["A great UX can be a clear advantage in a highly competitive market. In fact, next to price, the usability of a website and other UX factors are the most important considerations for online shoppers. If your website is not offering an up-to-date UX that provides what your visitors want, chances are that they will look elsewhere. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Take a look at design flaws that could be standing in the way of a smooth UX. "]},{"component":"ul","children":[{"component":"li","children":["Are customers able to navigate through your platform clearly or does your site offer too few (or too many) categories? "]},{"component":"li","children":["How complex is it to make a purchase?"]},{"component":"li","children":["Does your design truly reflect your brand or could it use a modern update? "]}]},{"component":"p","children":["Keep an eye on your analytical datasets and see where your customers begin to disengage. If customers are frequently abandoning their carts, it could signal an issue with the UX of the purchasing process. Or if users commonly exit after viewing product pages, perhaps the layout or description could use some rework."]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"3-your-data-collection-strategy-is-unclear"},"children":["3. Your data collection strategy is unclear."]},{"component":"p","children":["Ecommerce businesses rely more on customer data than ever before to stay relevant to audiences and provide them with better experiences. Brands that are heavily data-driven are more profitable and grow faster than companies that do not extensively use customer data in their strategies. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Due to the high expectations set for personalized brand experiences, e-commerce brands must have a system in place to not only collect necessary datasets but also to apply them for a better customer experience. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Rather than trying to build a large database of information, a better approach is data minimization. The important thing for online brands to do when it comes to figuring out data-collection strategies is to narrow it down to the why, what and how. "]},{"component":"ul","children":[{"component":"li","children":[{"component":"em","children":["Why "]},"are you collecting this information?"]},{"component":"li","children":[{"component":"em","children":["What "]},"is it going to be used for?"]},{"component":"li","children":[{"component":"em","children":["How "]},"will it be organized and applied?"]}]},{"component":"p","children":["Define your strategy first and determine the exact ways that your team can apply customer data, whether it be with personalized shopping recommendations, custom offers or better marketing messaging. From there, it will be easier to determine which data points are necessary, and your team can figure out how to collect this through website data analyzation methods. "]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"4-mobile-optimization-is-limited"},"children":["4. Mobile optimization is limited."]},{"component":"p","children":["As more shoppers use mobile devices for research and checkout, it is important that e-commerce brands offer the same or similar shopping experiences on the small screen. ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.statista.com/statistics/252621/share-of-us-retail-e-commerce-dollars-spent-via-mobile-device/","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["Twenty-four percent of retail ecommerce sales"]}," are now technically m-commerce, so online brands must be prepared to make their sites optimized for customers browsing through their smartphones and tablets."]},{"component":"p","children":["Though the number of m-commerce sales continues to rise, it seems that brands are still not offering the type of experience that customers expect or deserve. According to ",{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.demandware.com/uploads/resources/REP_Mobile_Shopping_Focus_Report_EN_04MAY18_Final.pdf","target":"_blank","rel":"nofollow"},"children":["a report by Salesforce and Demandware"]},{"component":"a","props":{"href":"https://www.demandware.com/uploads/resources/REP_Mobile_Shopping_Focus_Report_EN_04MAY18_Final.pdf","rel":"nofollow"},"children":[", "]},"customers are less likely to purchase from an e-commerce brand if their mobile site seems less secure or has UX barriers, such as difficulty seeing product information or issues with checkout. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Be sure that the mobile version of your website is just as well designed and UX optimized as your desktop version. In order to avoid common customer frustrations, it needs to be adaptive to various screen sizes so customers do not constantly have to zoom in and out manually to browse your site. Adjust text sizes for easy reading and make sure that navigational tabs are simplified for easy searching."]},{"component":"h2","props":{"id":"conclusion"},"children":["Conclusion"]},{"component":"p","children":["A total overhaul of your website can be expensive and time-consuming, and in some cases, not completely necessary. A few little tweaks and changes can have a strong effect on your customers. Take a look at your own analytical data to see what could be causing visitors to vanish without a trace and without a purchase. "]},{"component":"p","children":["Your website should never truly be complete. There are always adjustments and changes to be made for a better shopping experience. Pay attention to what your customers want and design accordingly."]}]},"resource":null,"sponsorship":null,"thumbnail":{"path":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/5b8/6c6561039ebc4758b45a2/1500-0-","caption":"sdecoret/Shutterstock","isBlurred":true},"bestPicks":null},"related":{"relatedArticles":[{"title":"Using Lean Strategies to Achieve Team Synergy and Efficiency","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/lean-strategies-team-efficiency/","slug":"lean-strategies-team-efficiency","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5be/480e49c658a51108b458c/1500-0-","dek":"Learn more about lean manufacturing strategies and how to implement them in your business.","lastModified":"2018-11-08T08:00:00Z","published":"2018-11-08T08:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Have a WordPress Site? Optimize It.","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/have-a-wordpress-site-optimize-it/","slug":"have-a-wordpress-site-optimize-it","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5db/f1c7b5a215ed94f8b4574/1500-0-","dek":"Here's how to get the most out of your WordPress site and compete with large retailers.","lastModified":"2018-10-24T07:00:00Z","published":"2018-10-24T07:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Mobile Wallet Guide: Google Pay vs. Apple Pay vs. Samsung Pay - 08-05","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/google-pay-vs-apple-pay-vs-samsung-pay/","slug":"google-pay-vs-apple-pay-vs-samsung-pay","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/content/5c5/afd7f54d26d67178b458d/1500-0-","dek":"Edit 07-24 - subtitle","lastModified":"2019-08-05T20:58:00Z","published":"2018-06-21T16:05:00Z","sponsored":null},{"title":"Mobile Wallet Guide: Google Pay vs. Apple Pay vs. Samsung Pay","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/google-pay-vs-apple-pay-vs-samsung-pay/","slug":"google-pay-vs-apple-pay-vs-samsung-pay","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5c5/e0a269c658a457c8b4591/1500-0-","dek":"You no longer need to carry a bulky wallet filled with numerous credit cards or cash.","lastModified":"2018-06-21T16:06:00Z","published":"2018-06-21T16:05:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"PowerShell: Everything You Need to Know","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/powershell-everything-you-need-to-know/","slug":"powershell-everything-you-need-to-know","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5b8/998581039eb8f738b457b/1500-0-","dek":"What you need to know to unlock Microsoft PowerShell's full capabilities.","lastModified":"2018-09-05T17:00:00Z","published":"2018-09-05T17:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"How to Hire for Your Business","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/how-to-staff-business/","slug":"how-to-staff-business","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5ea/9c8bb9c658aee018b456c/1500-0-","dek":"Sterling Staffing Solutions CEO Stephen Carter shares his tips on staffing your business.","lastModified":"2020-07-31T15:00:00Z","published":"2018-08-16T12:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Content Creation Will Kill Your Business. Here's How Content Promotion Can Save It","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/content-promotion-how-to/","slug":"content-promotion-how-to","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5c0/b0d015a215e3c0d8b459a/1500-0-","dek":"Use this three-step method to guide your content creation and marketing efforts.","lastModified":"2018-12-08T08:00:00Z","published":"2018-12-08T08:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Four Ways to Grow Your Business in 2018 with Online Video","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/grow-your-business-in-2018-with-video-content/","slug":"grow-your-business-in-2018-with-video-content","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5a1/c86b71039ebcd708b4575/1500-0-","dek":"You don't need a big budget or video editing skills to create captivating content.","lastModified":"2017-11-27T08:00:00Z","published":"2017-11-27T08:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"7 Reasons to Hire Marketing Experts Rather Than Doing It Yourself","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/7-reasons-to-hire-marketing-experts/","slug":"7-reasons-to-hire-marketing-experts","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5a6/6603951ee4704458b4595/1500-0-","dek":"You may think DIY marketing is cheaper, but it could cost you far more in the long run.","lastModified":"2018-01-22T08:00:00Z","published":"2018-01-22T08:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"The Ultimate Small Business Guide to Credit Card Processing Fees","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/credit-card-processing-fees/","slug":"credit-card-processing-fees","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5d2/346547b437454698b4577/1500-0-","dek":"Learn about credit card processing fees and how to negotiate for lower costs.","lastModified":"2020-06-16T10:08:00Z","published":"2017-12-07T08:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"Marketing Demystified: How to Find Your Profitable Channel","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/how-to-find-a-profitable-marketing-channel/","slug":"how-to-find-a-profitable-marketing-channel","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5b4/65a801039eb74498b457a/1500-0-","dek":"Learn about different marketing methods and how to identify the best one for you.","lastModified":"2018-07-11T07:00:00Z","published":"2018-07-11T07:00:00Z","sponsored":false},{"title":"How to Boost Your Podcast's Traffic","canonical":"https://www.business.com/articles/boosting-your-podcast-traffic/","slug":"boosting-your-podcast-traffic","thumbnail":"https://www.business.com/images/content/5bd/b15759c658aac498b456d/1500-0-","dek":"These four tips will help you attract more listeners to your podcast.","lastModified":"2018-11-01T07:00:00Z","published":"2018-11-01T07:00:00Z","sponsored":false}],"relatedReviews":[{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5b99633151ee47a8528b4582/Call_center_bbernard.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/call-center-services/","title":"The Best Call Center Services for 2021","dek":"Our team has compared the best call center services for 2021. See up-to-date reviews for the top-rated answering services.","slug":"call-center-services","lastModified":"2021-02-26T14:22:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5df7b1b69c658a61728b4567/Answering_Service_scyther5_Getty.jpg","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/best-answering-services/","title":"The Best Answering Services of 2021","dek":"Our teams have compared the best answering services for 2020. See up-to-date reviews and prices for these top-rated services.","slug":"best-answering-services","lastModified":"2021-02-26T14:18:00Z"},{"doc_type":"category","thumbnail":"https://staging.business.com/images/rz/5d4c65367b43741a258b4572/Laptop_Sfio_Cracho.png","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/categories/crm-software/","title":"The Best CRM Software of 2021","dek":"Looking for the best CRM software? We have easy-to-read, expert unbiased reviews and feature comparisons of the best and cheapest programs.","slug":"crm-software","lastModified":"2021-02-24T14:09:00Z"}],"relatedSponsoredArticles":null}},"pageContext":{"displayModified":"2018-08-29T07:00:00.000Z","template":"legacy","title":"4 Reasons Why You Should Revamp Your E-Commerce Site","meta":{"robots":"index, follow"},"docType":"articles","slug":"revamp-ecommerce-site","canonical":"https://staging.business.com/articles/revamp-ecommerce-site/","skipTOC":false}},"staticQueryHashes":[]}