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Online shopping continues to be very popular among many Americans. In fact, a recent survey found that the average consumer spends up to 54 hours yearly, or 62 minutes weekly, shopping online. Furthermore, 52% of respondents say that their ecommerce habits have increased in the last year alone.
In light of this continued public interest, many brands, big and small, have started to dedicate more resources to creating better-serving websites. As we discussed in a previous blog post about making websites for small businesses, even these more modest entities are investing in their digital platforms. This includes everything from choosing a web hosting provider, optimizing SEO, and even promoting the said site via methods like local directories such as Yelp.
That said, given the competitive nature of the ecommerce landscape today, sites have to put extra effort into standing out. In particular, optimizing next-level site features can enhance the customer experience, creating loyalty, satisfaction, and better profits in the long run. If you’re interested in what these features are, keep reading.
Product advisor technology
A study by nShift found that up to two in five online shoppers intend to “try before they buy.” This means that they’re likely to buy multiple items, try them out in person, and then return those that they don’t agree with. While this practice helps consumers find items they do actually like, processing returns is a costly effort for businesses. In 2023, returns cost US businesses almost $750 billion.
To prevent these unnecessary returns and enhance your customers’ shopping experience, try adopting product advisor technology. These come in various forms, each designed to help shoppers make better purchase decisions.
A perfect illustration of this is the virtual glasses for face shape tool on eyewear retailer Sunglass Hut. Created to work with the user’s camera on whatever device they are using, the technology scans the face. In a matter of seconds, it can then recognize face shape, size, and features before offering a personalized list of eyewear suggestions best suited for that individual. It helps shoppers streamline their customer journey by knowing that the products offered to them are going to be flattering and ultimately leave them satisfied with their purchase.
Item comparison solution
One of the biggest reasons people love shopping online is the relatively lower prices. Because online stores are not beholden to many of the usual overhead bills that brick-and-mortar establishments are, prices can often be lower. Additionally, many sites regularly offer exclusive deals online to draw in more traffic. That said, it’s thus important for websites to properly highlight these attractive prices.
One increasingly popular way to do this is via item comparison solutions. After all, a OnePoll survey by Citi notes that 71% of online shoppers consider prices as the most important. On ecommerce giant Amazon, this is addressed with their AI shopping chatbot. Called Rufus, this technology can be used to pull up an item’s previous price listings. This can then give shoppers a better understanding of their potential savings. It can also be used to compare prices between similar items on the same platform, further helping consumers appreciate the benefits they’ll receive by patronizing a specific site.
User-friendly content carousels
Content plays a big role in influencing consumer behavior. A Forbes article even relays that an online shopping site’s content is a make-or-break consideration for up to 70% of shoppers. This is understandable, considering that the right content isn’t just meant to entice with flowery words but also provides crucial product information that shoppers need. As a matter of fact, not having enough content is another common reason for site abandonment.
Convenience is a key advantage of ecommerce, so it’s important that your site content is similarly easy to access and understand. One of the best ways to do this is via a content carousel. For instance, we can take a look at Eyebuydirect. Although it recently announced that it just opened its first physical store, it’s mainly known for its well-constructed online presence. On its site, visitors can immediately see essential information points about things like sales, promotions, and new releases through a page carousel that they can flick through on their own. This is preferable to having content spread across multiple pages, since this limits the likelihood it being seen and holding consumer attention.
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