Why Your Website is Important

E-commerce sites are digital storefronts. In the same way that brick and mortar stores invest in having good signage, attractive window displays, and clean store layouts, e-commerce stores must optimize their website design. You wouldn't go into a dusty, rundown store, so why would you shop on a clunky, disorganized website?

There are few aspects of e-commerce stores that are important to attract customers and drive sales:

• Clear, Cohesive Branding - When a customer lands on your site, they should know who you are and what you sell in the first 3 seconds. You don't want customers to be confused about what you offer.

• Simple Customer Journeys - What do you want customers to do on your site? Do you want them to buy a product? Do you want them to set up a consultation? Identify the goal and make it as easy as possible to accomplish it.

• Selling the Lifestyle - You're not just selling a pillow. Or a desk. Or accounting services. You're selling the benefits of your product - better sleep, improved posture, or a fat tax return. Make sure your customers know what they will gain when they spend money on your site!

The Competitive Landscape

While a brick and mortar store is only competing with other stores on the same street or in the same neighborhood, an online store must stand up against all other stores on the internet. This means that customers have many more options to choose from when purchasing something online. Moreover, there are a lot of large companies and brands selling goods online that set the standard for website design. Major e-commerce brands like Harry's and Warby Parker have full teams of engineers on staff to continuously update their websites. They track analytics to understand performance metrics and A/B Test different designs and layouts to optimize performance. Therefore, online shoppers are used to clean, well-designed websites that are easy to navigate. In order to compete, your website needs to accomplish the same goals. But you're probably just a small shop - so how can you start to improve your own site?

How to Start Improving your Site

1. Make a list of the key customer journeys you want visitors to take. Maybe it's buying your best-selling product. Maybe it's filling out the contact form on your About page.

2. Give the list to friends who have never used your site before and ask them to complete the tasks

3. Gather notes and feedback from your friends and see what was easy and what was difficult. Were they inspired to buy your product? Or could they not find the right link? You should have a short list of ways to immediately smooth out and improve your website!

With this method, you can prioritize what tasks customers should accomplish on your website and make sure you include convincing copy and frictionless paths to completing those tasks. Not all websites are created equal, and it's important to invest time and resources into your digital storefront to stand out from the crowd!