4 ideas for improving your e-commerce ​website

2019 is here, and the new year provides an excellent opportunity to refresh your e-commerce website, by adding new features and updating content.

Adding web banners

Web banners are a great way to keep your e-commerce website homepage looking fresh, and making viewers aware of the latest news about products and offers. They can be easily modified to serve a range of purposes, are potentially eye-catching if they are placed in the appropriate area and are a good way of promoting a specific product or offer on a homepage while also retaining the core brand visuals elsewhere.

The image below is an example of a web banner in development. We’ve put together a handy guide for creating your banners – click here.

Adding new features

New features on your e-commerce website can add value through improved functionality, which in turn enhances the usability for customers and users. Features that allow for easy modification to products that they wish to purchase, such as different colours or quantities, or a social login function that enables users to create an account through their Facebook credentials.

Such responsive features make the e-commerce process as painless and easy-to-use as possible, limiting the barriers between browsing and purchase, in turn improving conversion rates and the chances of customers returning for more in the future.

A positive experience can often leave the customer wanting more, and it’s the websites job to ensure that their features and functionality are kept updated and fit for purpose, in response to the ever-changing demands of the modern e-commerce customer.

For example, one of the new features we’ve recently added from Amasty is the Social Login, which allows users to set up their account using login credentials from Facebook. To find out more about this feature, click here.

Improve optimisation

While you’re reading this, grab a smartphone or tablet and have a browse around your website.

How does it look?

Are the images stacked or overlapping, or is there text missing?

These issues mean your website has not been optimised for mobile devices, making it unusable for a large percentage of potential customers browsing with their iPhones or Samsungs. Users are extremely unlikely to want to fight through images and texts to find the products they want, and will quickly become frustrated and depart for a different site.

Don’t neglect these customers! Get your site optimised for different devices to reach as wide an audience as possible.

Data from 2018, shown below in the graph, from Statista.com, shows that 52.2% of all browsing online was done on a mobile device, a trend which has grown exponentially year-upon-year. This graph underlines the importance of ensuring that your website is fit for use for all potential users. You’re potentially missing out on reaching these customers if your site doesn’t meet their demands, and, with the trend of mobile browsing only set to rise, optimising your website to ensure it’s fit for use is quickly become a necessity for online retailers.

Our Liquidshop e-commerce platform is designed to provide the best user experience for your customers, though responsive e-commerce. Optimisation on devices of all sizes allows your website to be user-friendly for as many potential visitors as possible, expanding your reach and enhancing the user experience, leading to increased sales as part of the smooth and responsive overall e-commerce experience.

Keeping branding updated and consistent

There are few things more off-putting when navigating onto an e-commerce website that a poorly designed logo at the top of the page, or old, pixilated imagery taking up the homepage. A consistent brand image across the pages improves brand recognition for customers and gives the impression of a modern, well designed and cared for website and business as a whole.

You can also create special themed logos for holiday times such as Christmas or winter, like we did with our logo below.

What’s most important is too put time and effort into keeping your website updated. Whether that’s imagery, information or branding, putting the time into maintaining an attractive and cohesive e-commerce site means you keep your customers, and new visitors engaged and ensure that there as few barriers as possible between browsing and purchase.

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