Must Have Features on Your Ecommerce Site

If you have thought that your product quality is all that matters in your e-commerce business, then you have got something to worry about. While it’s true that the quality of your product matters, and it is in a sense kind of essential, your consumers will have to find their way through the product, and without easy navigation, intuitive website design, it is somewhat impossible.

It takes very little time for consumers to decide whether they will stay on your website or not, and that little time is usually no longer than 0.05 seconds. So you’d always want to make better use of a second.

In this article, we have tried to compile a must-have list that you should display on your e-com:

Feature 1: Breadcrumbs -> show them what you have got to offer

Categorize your products effectively and tell your audience in the very first place what other exciting things they can get out of your website besides the thing they are searching for. Moreover, breadcrumbs also help google drive traffic to your site.

Feature 2: Provide your user with a homely menu

While designing the menu, always keep the concept of vertical and horizontal menu making process. Users want to see the menu in a horizontal layout, but it is almost always impossible to list all the menus horizontally, so only put the generic category horizontally and implement a vertical dropdown menu which will allow users to narrow down their search.

Feature 3: Implement advanced search function and filters

In the ocean of choices, it is almost always satisfying to be able to locate the product that a customer desires. Other times, being swayed by uncertainty, customers might be inclined to filter out some of the options. Make sure your e-commerce website is bringing that level of comfort to the customers.

Feature 4: Show off!! What you have got

It feels nice to have special products which are on discounts. Customers do not always buy things they need; sometimes, they buy things they feel they might need in the future. These types of decisions are instant, and you should always be prepared to show your customers some of the exclusive offers you have got in your arsenal.

Feature 5: Implement product review

This step is very crucial in building long-term bonds with your consumers. Sometimes customers are confused about whether they should invest their money in a particular product. The review comes in handy in these types of circumstances. Besides, it gives you a clear idea about the products which need improvements.

Feature 6: Make the product page informative

The term “informative” is not limited to textual description only; a product should feature enough visual context. Both graphically and textually, your product page should convey enough information to help customers decide on the product. Images should be in high resolution, and specifications should come with bullet points and in a concise manner. Your catalogue can be in grid format or tabular format, but it is always better to implement another click-for-more-info page.

Feature 7: Fast and Quick Checkout

Checkout is the place where most of the customers abandon the cart, and this process can significantly impact business. Make your customers fill out only the information that is required, and the best practice is to implement the checkout process within one page so that customers do not have to browse through a lot that might result in cart abandonment.

Feature 8: Payment and security

In order to enhance the credibility of your business, a secure payment option is a must. Implementing and incorporating several secure payment options such as Paypal, Stripe, Square can play a significant role in enhancing the credibility of your e-commerce business.

The best e-commerce features are not limited to the abovementioned list; you can add to them based on your business budget and scope. But these are some of the key features that your e-commerce website must display, and in no way you should compromise with any of those.

Always keep that in mind: whatever design solution and idea that you will come up with, your website should always be easy to navigate and user-friendly. It should provide value to a user — be it in the form of informative product descriptions or a one-step checkout. Only then you’ll see occasional passers-by converting into loyal customers and clicks — into sales.