Your website is your store. But for your customers, it should feel like home. Because just like a physical store, if you can create a beautiful, cozy experience that also wows your visitors then you can be assured that they will be converted to loyal customers. 

Yes, the ultimate aim of the website is to generate sales. But the journey towards sustained profitability must begin with the customer in mind. Sometimes, in the eagerness to ‘convert’ the customer, e-commerce organizations forget to consider if their actions can feel ‘annoying’ and ‘fake’ to their customers.  

A feel-good website is one that helps the customer take the most ‘organic’ way toward a favorable action on the website. Through immersive visuals and clean design, a ‘feel good’ website will steer your customer towards trusting you, becoming your advocate, and giving you repeated business.

Here are some sure ways to make a feel-good e-commerce website that converts-

1. Make Visitors feel at Home – 

Visitors instinctively sense the ‘vibe’ of a website within a few seconds on it. How can you make the vibe welcoming and warm? The simple and short answer to that is by designing for your user first. Designing for your user means –

1. Giving them all the relevant information needed to make a purchase decision 
2. Highlighting all the reasons why visitors should trust you. This includes shipping/return policy information, social proof, etc
3. Ensuring that the customer feels in charge of their actions on your website instead of feeling helpless and trapped. 

A clean website with colors and messaging that is relatable to your audience goes a long way in creating a memorable experience on the website. Use the principle of consistency in visual design and transparency and trustworthiness in messaging to build trust. Use language that feels trustworthy for an e-commerce website like ‘easy returns’, ‘secure payment’, and ‘we are available in case of any questions’. 

Informational hierarchy also plays a big part in creating trust and making it easy for your customer to navigate your website. Simply having all the information is not enough. Placing it at the correct point in the customer journey is what makes it truly valuable. For example, shipping information on the home page might not be as relevant for the customer as on the product description page. 

The simple question to answer is,’ How does this visual or piece of information help my customer? ’ To sum it up, making visitors feel at home involves taking action to make your website visually appealing, informative, and trustworthy.

2. Focus on What’s Important 

If you’re saying too many things, chances are that you are not saying anything at all. Picking the most impactful things to say that would help your visitor take favorable action on your website is the key to designing a conversion-optimized e-commerce store. Keep all the important things that would help the customer above the fold. The content should be placed in a way that answers important questions but also generates enough intrigue for the visitor to desire to explore more. 

Also, remember that customers need to be guided on what to do on your website. That is why Calls to Action are so important. They communicate clearly what the next part of the customer journey should be. Like ‘Explore More’ is an invitation to the visitor to dig deep into a product or service, ‘Buy Now’ is the indication that all the information needed before the purchase has been presented and the visitor can now go ahead with their purchase. ‘Sign Up’ is an invitation to begin a long-term relationship with the customer. These CTAs need to be strategically placed on your website.

 Especially when it comes to the product page, keep the CTAs visually big and distinct. The eye needs to be able to identify them clearly. At this stage, it is important to understand that the visitor is seriously considering buying your product. All buying (price, quantity), shipping (delivery information), and payment-related ( ways to pay) information should be placed at a priority spot. Any other information can go below the first fold. 

To find out what messaging works the best for your product and its customer, testing should be an embedded part of your design and iteration process. Test different headlines, visuals, and even CTA texts. Go with the one that has the most impact on your visitors.

3. Include Visuals that are Memorable –

Human beings are an imaginative species. We love to visualize as we read and imagine as we visualize. Images are some of the most important stimuli in your e-commerce website. Invest in high-quality, beautiful imagery that helps your visitors imagine how your product is going to look in real life. Include all the angles, setups, and views that will help your visitor understand how your product looks and feels in real life. Your visuals become memorable when they are well aligned with your brand personality. Extend your photography to adhere to your brand guidelines so that your messaging, colors, and visuals can say a unified story.

Think about product photography at three levels : 

1. Pure product with plain background – This will help keep the focus on the product, and its features and can cover all the angles of the product to give your visitor an idea of how your product looks.
2. Product in relatable surroundings – The idea behind these kinds of shots is to help your visitor imagine the product in their own surrounding. For example, cookware placed on the kitchen counter or a bag placed in a wardrobe. 
3. Stylized product photography – This kind of photography does the job of elevating the image of the product in the eyes of a customer. This shows the kind of people that are using the product, how they’re using it, and has an aspirational angle to it.

All three kinds of shots are important and are irreplaceable if you want to create an e-commerce website that converts. In fact, a study showed that gifs convert higher than static images. Be creative with formats and styles of photography and go with the one that suits your brand personality the best.

Don’t forget these important visual guides on the product page-

a). Size comparison – How big is your product compared to everyday objects? This kind of imagery gives relatable information when it comes to the size of your product.

b). Dimensions – Product Dimensions can help you save precious money spent on returns. They give an idea of the size of the product, making it easier for potential customers to decide if it is the right fit for them.

c). Features in play – Showcase your features – if your bag is waterproof, actually show it holding up underwater. This is the best proof of the quality of your products.

4. Understand the Psychology of Choice –

Too many choices can lead to inaction on your store. When you present your visitor with too many choices, you could be risking analysis paralysis in them. It is a state of overwhelm brought about by being over-stimulated or by overthinking. When you offer too many choices to your visitors, here’s what they go through –

i. Confusion about which is the best-suited option for them

ii. A feeling of disorientation because of perceived complications in the options

iii. The urge to end the experience and find a place where it is more easier and seamless to buy.

To make an e-commerce site that converts, it is best to put efforts into simplifying your visitor’s experience. It is worth taking a hard and ruthless look at your options and eliminating the ones that might not be the best suited to the problem that you’re trying to solve for your audience. For example, can I cookware website reduce the size options to the most common sizes used by households?

Another way to simplify is to categorize your site smartly. For example, if you’re a toy website, categorize the website by age, price, and developmental stage. Place the options in a clutter-free manner and guide your customers to the right way to choose. For example, food servings are often categorized as ‘serves 2’ or ‘serves 4’ to give an indicative yet relatable measure to customers. Even when it comes to offers or discounts, limit the number to encourage visitors to use them and make a purchase.

There’s research that shows that a normal brain cannot process more than 5 options at a time. Try and keep your options under that number so that you don’t end up overwhelming your customers. Understanding that less is more when it comes to website design will help you create an infrastructure that feels safe and welcoming to your visitor.

5. Make the Visit to your Website Rewarding

Scientific experiments have proved that when we are rewarded for a particular action, we end up doing it more. Use this principle while designing your website. Incentivize favorable actions by rewarding your visitors with things that they value – more information, rewards, or offers. Believe it or not, there is satisfaction in clicking a button and being gratified by something that you were looking for – like an exclusive discount, product or information. 

Websites that have reward points set up for actions like sales, leaving a review, or recommending your store to someone else often see more success in their retention efforts. 

‘Read More’ buttons can also be an effective way to reward your visitors with more of what they are looking for while engaging with your content. 

Remember to consider if your design is encouraging exploration when taking any decision on your website. If you provide all the information in one place, that could very well be the end of the visitor’s experience on your website. So try and strike a balance between giving the customer the information and eliciting desire/or rewarding them for exploration on your website. 

Backlinking your website is not just good for SEO but it also plays a big part in encouraging your visitors to dig deeper into your website. 

Design reward programs that are customized, giving and covering a gamut of favorable actions on your website. Create personalized offers that can be targeted according to the intent of the audience visiting your website. For example, if someone is visiting for the content, give them a reward for subscribing to your newsletter. This is what we call a ‘win-win’. The visitor is rewarded with more content and you are rewarded with the information that can be used to nurture them toward conversions. 

To conclude, any e-commerce website that is optimized for conversions is one that puts its customer first. Think about your visitor’s expectations and try to align your design around them. Create trust with customer-centric policies and a clean, visually brilliant, and transparent website.

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