The ultimate E-commerce website checklist
As more people go online, the e-commerce business in Kenya is growing with more people trusting online products mostly when offered an option of paying on delivery.
When you start an e-commerce site you realize that there are loads of items that need to be checked, cross-checked and tested to ensure that your customers have a nice experience.
Customer experience remains paramount with an e-commerce business, then, before launching, make sure your platform fully provide the customer with values.
If you are having your e-commerce website developed or if you are in the process of getting one, here are some of the things that an e-commerce website should have to help you grow your business in Kenya.
Make a good first impression
It takes about 50 milliseconds for a user to decide if they will stay on your website or not and you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Your website design is the first point of contact between your store and your customers.
You need to invest in a great and reliable web design with the right structure that is visually comfortable for your users. If your homepage interface and navigation are not appealing to your users they will definitely leave.
Ensure your website is responsive
Most people are on their mobile devices these days so it is crucial that you ensure that your e-commerce website is responsive on both a personal computer and on a smartphone/tablet. Responsive means that your website appearance changes depending on the screen size and orientation of the device being used to view it. Most web design companies in Kenya can develop a responsive website but be sure to ask.
A prominent search bar on every page
An e-commerce website will definitely have tons and tons of products therefore having a search bar on top of every page will enable users to find products in your catalogues easily. If you are able to provide alternatives search terms while your customer types, that’s even better.
Cart icon must be on every page
In most e-commerce websites you will find the cart icon on the top right corner of every page. If your customer adds an item to the basket, it shows how many items are in the basket. This is very convenient for your customers while navigating through different pages. Give customers an option of adding or removing items from the basket.
Clear checkout button
E-commerce checkout button is normally found next to the basket icon. Make it easy for people to check out after they are done shopping otherwise you will have so many abandoned carts.
Clear navigation menus
Navigation menus help your customers identify the different types of products that you sell on the website. If you sell electronics you can identify your products range by ‘mobile phones’ ‘tablets’ ‘accessories’ etc
Contact information
Most people in Kenya still have doubts and anxieties while buying products online. Therefore having contact information and mostly on every page can help reduce their anxiety as they are assured they can contact you.
Include a Live chat
Having a live chat on your website is very important. It means that people can ask questions if they experience any challenge while shopping in real-time and this can help you sell more.
Indicate stock availability
Indicate stock availability on the product listing page instead of having a customer click through to the product page and finding out the product is out of stock.
Make the ‘Add to basket’ or ‘Buy’ button prominent
Incorporate the 3-second rule whenever a customer visits a product page. Therefore make the ‘Add to basket’ or ‘Buy’ button visible on the website and if possible use bold and bright colours to make them stand out.
Add ‘wishlist’ button
The wishlist button should not be as prominent as the ‘buy’ button but it should be there to help a customer put aside items that they would like to buy later.
Use products images and videos
Show a variety of clear images showing different angles of the products and if possible add a zoom-in feature for customers to get a closer look. Use videos as well to demonstrate how to use products.
Show estimated delivery time and cost
Give your customers an accurate or estimated time when they can expect to receive their items as well as the delivery costs. You can as well include a premium for the customers who would want same-day delivery.
Return policy
Don’t forget to include a return policy on your website, it gives customers confidence that in case of anything they can return the product.
Showcase customer reviews or testimonials
Customer testimonials are usually found at the bottom of the products page. Reviews give potential customers confidence and affirmation before buying a product. Using customer reviews on products can help you sell more.
Payment options
Add more than one payment option such as a credit card or debit, PayPal or Mpesa.
Order process
To ensure the order process is smooth for your customers, you can break the process into the cart interface, customer’s details and delivery address, payment information then the confirmation page. You can as well automate emails such that after their order is confirmed on the website they also get an email for the confirmation of their order.
We hope this checklist will help you optimize your e-commerce website for conversions. We also develop e-commerce websites that can help you generate sales. Give us a call today for a free consultation.
10 reasons why you need an E-commerce website
E-commerce is any commercial transaction that involves the transfer of information across the internet.
The good news is that worldwide online sales are expected to grow to $4 trillion by 2020. Many businesses are shifting to E-commerce, the question is what is motivating them and what are the supposed benefits that are attracting many businesses to create e-commerce websites?
Currently, we have so many e-commerce websites in Kenya with many companies and individuals going the e-commerce way.
Check out some of the advantages of having an e-commerce website
1. Low Financial cost
One of the major benefits of an e-commerce website is that it has a low startup cost. You don’t have to a physical store, employees, you will save on rent among other expenses. You can have a chatbot to help you with your customer service, that way you cannot have so much work on your hands.
2. A Larger Market
With E-commerce you are not limited to a specific area or country, you can sell your products to as many people as you can. This will help you grow faster and boost your business.
The proliferation of mobile devices gives people the power to purchase on the go — right in the palm of their hand. There’s never been a time when the impulse to buy has been easier to indulge.
3. Shoppers Start Online
87% of shoppers start product searches on the digital platforms, they can either search on Google, Facebook, Instagram among other channels. Thus the only way to ensure that potential customers find your product is to have an online presence.
4. Always Open
With e-commerce you are not limited to time, your business is on 24/7. People can shop at any time and in case they need assistance a Chabot can help in answering their queries.
An e-commerce store allows you to attract those who may have odd work schedules or who don’t have time to shop in-person or generally any person.
All you need is to customize your ordering systems for your customers to receive a confirmation message when they place an order to give them peace of mind.
5. More Opportunities To “Sell”
With a physical shop, you can only provide a limited amount of information on a product. But with an e-commerce website you have a wide range of options to help you sell your products such as showing demo videos of products, you can also include reviews and customer testimonials to help you increase conversion.
Reviews and testimonials are a great source of building a strong customer base with trust. They simply increase the confidence in doing business with you and builds trust with your current and potential customers.
6. Ecommerce allows for a customized user experience
Customer’s data about their previous purchases, wish list and online activity can be a gold mine to your business such that you can deliver a personalized experience.
Wishlist
You can use products according to a shopper’s interest or their wishlist which will trigger them into action because it is things that they are interested in.
You can also show related products to what they are looking for, which might even make them buy other products.
7. Retargeting and remarketing
Retargeting uses cookies from previous visits to display ads. Even if someone comes to your website and they do not buy, retargeting is a marketing tactic that can help get your brand in front of potential customers.
For instance, you visit Jumia and look for a fridge, you don’t buy it and leave the website when you visit another website, you will see a Jumia ad with different types of fridge and other electronics, this is called retargeting. It can act as a reminder to your potential customers and trigger purchases.
Remarketing uses a person’s information on past purchases and site interactions to send emails about sales and promotions for related products.
8. Easier to Encourage Impulse Buy
Another e-commerce benefit is that you can capitalize on is impulse buying. If you have attractive products with eye-catching photos and vibrant colour or human emotion, you can encourage impulse buying. People can easily end up buying products that they didn’t need simply because it was eye-catching.
9. Gain Access to Customer Data Easily
One of the best e-commerce advantages is that you can easily gain access to data for analysis on your customer.
With e-commerce, you can get a customer’s name, phone number or email address meaning you have three different ways of communicating and building a relationship with them.
10. Grow Your Business Organically with Content
You can grow your organic traffic and sales with e-commerce blogging to drive more traffic to your website without having to spend more money. You can make videos and writing content( blogging) to get organic traffic then you can monetize those customers with retargeting ads.
E-commerce websites in Kenya are really growing with putting starting to trust online products, therefore do not shy away from it, it could really help your business grow and what more, you don’t need to pay rent and other expenses that you would have if you had a physical shop. E-commerce in Kenya is set to grow exponentially this year.
