Recent trends and events have forced the world to go digital. E-commerce websites like Amazon and eBay had been growing insanely fast over the last couple of years, prompting big brands and retailers to either sell their products on these platforms or create their own e-commerce website to be able to compete.
What Is an E-commerce Website?
E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods or services through the internet and the transfer of money and data associated with these transactions. To do this, you need an e-commerce website that will serve as your retail store on the internet. All transactions are done via your e-commerce website, which is also where you can find all product specifications and order details.
Think about putting up a physical retail or service shop. How does it look? It’s very likely that you plan to make your store visually appealing to the customer’s eyes. You also want it clean and neat. The same should be your mindset when building your own e-commerce website. Your e-commerce web design features, like a physical shop, should be both visually appealing and clean to look at.
Below are some of the latest e-commerce website trends in 2020 that most brands have started to adopt:
1. Streamlined Navigation
Visiting and buying from an e-commerce website with poor navigation is like entering a cluttered store, where all the items are mixed together with no rhyme or reason, making it hard for you because you have to go through all the items just to find the one you like.
A good e-commerce website has an organized template, starting with key categories as the main sub-headers, which can then expand to drop-down menus that reveal more options and products to the consumer. This way, the customer can easily search for what they want, as they are grouped into certain categories that make products easier to find. It removes the hassle for the customer and gives them a pleasant experience with your website, increasing the chance of them revisiting your e-commerce website and buying from you again.
2. Posts or Reviews from Social Media
Social media has easily become one of the biggest platforms for e-commerce. The most trending and successful social media content is done by means of personal reviews by ordinary users or influencer advertisements. These types of content and advertisements are more trusted by customers because they come either from real persons who would not have a biased opinion about the brand or from influencers who are trusted by thousands of followers.
To boost the trust in your brand and get people to view your website, most e-commerce websites now incorporate reviews and ads from influencers that would make the brand look more authentic and trustworthy.
3. Live Chat or Customer Support
Have you ever visited a store and found clothing that you like? Isn’t it frustrating when you want to ask or know what fabric the item made of, but there was no salesperson you could approach? The same thing happens on e-commerce websites. While your products are readily listed and you might have included some details already, those viewing your websites might have some questions that they want answered before they buy your product.
This could either be a person answering through a live chat or a phone number, or this could be an AI chatbot. The AI chatbot is more cost-efficient, and you could mix this with the option to have a customer service representative available for more complex inquiries. Some customers like the convenience of a bot for simple inquiries. Others want to talk to a person.
4. Motion in Product Images
It pays off when the customer can see how the product works or how it fits. This is why many physical stores have salespersons doing a demonstration. For e-commerce websites, this could be done through motion in pictures. Not only will the customer get an idea of how the product works, but it is also a good way to catch someone’s attention. It gives the customer a better sense of what they are getting.
A well-curated e-commerce website could spell the difference between having a successful or struggling business. At Advanced Digital Media Services, our team has some of the best e-commerce website builders to make your website clean, organized, and visually appealing to the customer. Get in touch with us now to learn how we can improve your e-commerce website!
