Want to build a successful eCommerce business? With more of us shopping online than ever before, now is the perfect time to sell online. By understanding exactly what online shoppers want, you can provide the best service possible and increase sales. Below are just some of things that eCommerce customers look for.

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Speedy loading

Website loading speed matters: 40% of us abandon a page if it doesn’t load within three seconds. By ensuring that your website loads fast, you can maximise the amount of potential customers that stick around.

There are lots of things that can affect website speed such as the number of ads, use of flash media and the hosting server you may be using. Unoptimised images are a particularly big cause of slow ecommerce websites – this guide to optimising images could be worth reading.

Easy navigation

If customers can’t get around your website easily, they may get irritated and abandon their search. An overcomplicated checkout process can also put off customers who may only have five or ten minutes to make a purchase.

Sorting products into categories and enabling a search function can help to make your website easier to navigate. Meanwhile, it’s worth having a checkout process no longer than three pages with the option to make an account or sign in as a guest (while getting customers to sign up can encourage loyal customers, not everyone will have the patience to fill out their personal details).

Detailed product info

Before buying a product on your site, most customers will want detailed information so that they can trust the product will meet their needs. Detailed product info could also have other advantages such as making your site more SEO-friendly.

Make sure to provide a thorough but easy-to-read description of each product (separating product information into sections and bullet points is one way to do this). Providing multiple photographs or a 3D photo could also help to give customers a detailed vision of what the product looks like.

Fast shipping

If your product takes too long to deliver, customers may be put off buying it. Fast shipping is therefore essential.

Nowadays, there are many flexible courier options that you can look into such as Shiply that can allow you to deliver products to customers fast without spending a lot of money. This could allow you to speed up your shipping without having to charge customers large fees for fast delivery.

Flexible payment options

Offering a range of payment options can also help encourage customers to make a purchase.
This could include accepting credit card as well as debit card or accepting multiple currencies if you’re selling internationally. Some companies have even started accepting cryptocurrencies. You could even set up your own payment installment system to help customers purchasing high-end products (it could be worth teaming up with a lender or finance company). This guide at Neil Patel offers more information about making the payment process easier.

About the Author: Garlak Theodorakis

My name is Garlak Theodorakis, I am graphic designer with almost 10 year experience in the field. Founded Tooft.com in january 2010 with idea to share my knowledge with the world.