What will you find on the home page of a typical website hosting company? You will probably see a list of products, a form for ordering those products, and some kind of button to try out the product for free. While this might seem like a sufficient amount of content to display about a hosting company, there is a whole lot more that you can show to potential customers to make them feel confident that you are the best choice for their needs.
Product listing
When someone visits your site’s home page, they will probably see a list of your products and be able to click on one of those products to learn more about it. While there are many benefits to having your own product listing, not all product listings are made equal. If you want to up your game and convince potential customers that you are best in class, take a look at some of the best website home pages in existence and see how they attract and retain customers—even those that are much more expensive than you.
Live chat
Live chat is an essential tool for e-commerce websites as it allows you to directly engage with potential customers when they have questions or need help. While you could certainly add a live chat button to your website’s home page, you want to do more than that. When someone visits your site, they expect to be able to have a conversation with a real person. You can use live chat to communicate with potential customers in a manner that is both engaging and helpful. In addition to adding a live chat button to your website’s home page, you can use a tool like ChirpSDK to have a live chat widget appear anywhere on your site—including blog posts and product pages.
How to order
If someone visits your website and wants to make an order, you will want to provide them with the ability to do so smoothly and efficiently. Fortunately, implementing a guest checkout is easier than you might think and there are several plugins like checkout buttons that can be used to implement a quick and simple checkout process.
A smooth and intuitive checkout process is important for any website, but it is even more important for a website that is selling a product or service. When a customer has an easy and pleasant experience throughout the entire checkout process, they are more likely to be satisfied with their purchase and be retained as a customer. In the world of e-commerce, every second counts and ensuring that every click of a button leads to a successful and satisfying purchase experience is crucial.
In order to produce a satisfying customer experience, you will want to ensure that every step of the way they feel that they are in control and that their needs are being met. For instance, if you are using a plugin that requires the customer to enter a delivery address, it would be beneficial to provide them with the ability to choose a delivery option and schedule an appointment to have their package delivered. Giving customers the option to choose the best available delivery method for their needs is a great way to satisfy them while also ensuring that their needs are being met.
Try before you buy
Even those that are extremely happy with what they get in return for their money are often frustrated by the process of shopping online. Instead of going into a store and being able to touch and try out the product before purchasing it, most online shoppers have to rely on pictures and video tutorials to learn about the product. While this might seem like a bad thing, it actually gives the online shopper a leg up in the learning process and they are more prepared to make an informed purchase decision when compared to those that have to rely solely on out-of-context product descriptions and photographs.
As a potential customer, you are bombarded with information and it can be difficult to know where to begin. When you are shopping for a product or service that you have never purchased before, it is extremely beneficial to be able to try out the product or service first before committing to a purchase. If possible, having a customer service representative that can walk you through the entire process and answer any questions that you might have is the best way to gain confidence in a company. This is especially important if you are buying a product or service that you need to operate successfully.
A potential customer that feels confident enough to try out your product before buying is likely to be much more satisfied with their purchase than one who has to rely solely on out-of-context descriptions and product photos. In addition to trying out your product, you can also ask them about their experience and get useful feedback on how to make improvements. This type of customer is much more valuable in the long run and it will be much easier to retain them as a customer as you continue to grow your business.
Checkout flow
A successful e-commerce website will have a clean and smooth checkout flow. This is particularly important for those that sell luxury goods and services as they can be prone to glitches and errors that can arise from poor programming. Having a flawless and intuitive checkout process is crucial for customers and for your business’s future success.
A simple and elegant checkout flow takes time to design and test. If you are looking to up your game and want to put in the extra effort to create a smooth and delightful checkout experience, take a look at some of the best websites at the moment and see how they achieve such a high level of efficiency.
Payment process
Just because you have a working order system does not mean that your customers will not want to leave your site. Far from it, in fact. This is why you should try out as many payment methods as possible to gain the maximum revenue streams. While you might only profit from one or two sources at the moment, that is all you need to get by.
To ensure that your customers feel comfortable making purchases on your website, you will need to make sure that the entire payment process is as seamless and quick as possible. For those that prefer to use plastic to make a purchase, you can integrate one of the many popular and reputable payment processing systems like Shopify Payments or Stripe to offer an all-in-one option for accepting payments.
An element of flow that can be improved upon is the order confirmation email. While you want to ensure that your customers have everything they need in their confirmation email, there is no point in sending them a ton of information that they are not interested in. Tailor the email content to the customer’s needs and preferences and make sure that it is a pleasant experience for both of you.
Delivery process
Including a delivery process can be very valuable as a potential customer that is physically located in one place will appreciate having a local delivery option or service. If you are looking to up your game and want to gain the confidence of those that are more likely to leave your site, consider including a delivery option or service. If you are using a plugin that has a built-in delivery process, you will not need to worry about integrating with a third-party service as it will be handled automatically.
A seamless and trouble-free delivery process is much more likely to gain trust and loyalty from customers. If you want to retain those that are already your customer, you will want to make sure that the delivery process is as quick and convenient as possible. You can use a service like Hello Fresh to provide local delivery options as their fresh, healthy food is delivered every Wednesday night to all parts of the United Kingdom. All you need to do is order a few hours before hand and you can enjoy delicious home-cooked food that will satisfy even the most voracious gastronomes.
Including a delivery process can also be a great way to gain confidence in your customers as they can see that you are doing everything you can to ensure their experience is as easy and pleasant as possible. Even those that are relatively tech-savvy and have had experience shopping online will appreciate the convenience of having a delivery option available.
Customer login
To ensure that your customers can always find what they are looking for, you will need to create a login system where they can register and gain access to special deals and notifications. While a simple “membership” scheme where customers are asked to provide an email address can be easily adopted across your various platforms, making it easier for your customers to find what they are looking for and stay informed of your special offers, is a great way to win their hearts.
Including a customer login helps to create a more intimate connection with your customers as it gives them the ability to log in and see what is going on with their account. While a customer login is certainly valuable to have, it is even more beneficial to have those that are already your customer provide you with feedback and help to improve your site. By gaining insight into what they like and don’t like about your site, you can create a better experience for future customers.