Custom E-Commerce Solutions: Tailoring Web Apps for Online Retail Success

eCommerce is one of the fastest-growing markets worth billions of dollars. Every day, millions of users head to thousands of online stores willing to shop from the comfort of their homes. At the same time, the competition becomes more tense and retail businesses need to work really hard to get noticed.

Photo / Roberto Cortese

If you are willing to take your retail business online and become an e-commerce guru, this article is exactly what you need. In the article, you will delve into user experience, mobile optimisation, custom web app development services, and other features an e-commerce website should have.

1. Customer-first approach

When tailoring your web app for online retail success, always put the customer first. Ask yourself, what is your target audience? Is it going to be a specific customer group, another business, or the general public? Afterwards, identify the following key points:

• Features. If you specialize in B2B, the web app should contain business-oriented features and solutions. For example, corporate accounts for big companies or website maps for organizations with a diverse structure.
• Clear design. The website should have clear navigation, a simple user interface, and suit your target audience. You will probably agree that the website should look different for a World Trade Organization and knitting enthusiasts from Alabama.
• User journey. There are different website flows depending on the customer journey. They outline what steps customers make from the moment of opening a landing page and finding the information, product, or service they need.

2. Mobile optimization

45% of global customers shop with their phones on a daily basis. That is why your eCommerce website should run smoothly on all types of screens and operating systems. It’s crucial to focus on mobile-friendliness in the early stages of the development process. The solution that’s made for regular browsers should be equally functional on mobile screens. Creating a stand-alone iOS and Android app is a big plus as they have advanced security and design.

3. User Friendliness

You will probably agree that a user-friendly interface is one of the pillars of a great website. It should involve all elements and stages of the customer journey: from comparing products and adding them to the cart to reading reviews and finalizing the payment. Here are the main features to implement:

• Easy navigation. The user browsing the website should easily jump from one page to another. There must be a fast-entry menu, as well as a website map at the bottom of the page. Saving sessions and purchase history is a great advantage. 
• Simple homepage. Don’t stuff it with tons of unnecessary promotions or texts. Keep the homepage clean and appealing. Motivate users to explore your website further with good-looking images and catchy CTAs.
• Responsiveness. It refers to the speed and efficiency with which a mobile or web application responds to user interactions. It involves quick loading times, smooth navigation, and seamless functionality.

4. Detailed Descriptions

Many business owners neglect this step, but let us assure you that adding proper product descriptions is an important stage in the development process of an e-commerce store. They should be detailed but clear and readable. Provide visitors with concise descriptions and explain how they may benefit from a particular product. Don’t forget to add keywords organically to increase your SEO results.

5. Convenient search

To find a particular product or service, users need to insert their request in a search engine or the search bar of a website. Help your visitors find what they are looking for quickly and easily by attributing all pages with the right keywords and tags. Adding specific search filters is also a plus. For example, size, color, features, price, or location.

Photo by Markus Winkler

6. Personalized experiences

An experienced bespoke software development company knows that offering personalized solutions is the key to customers’ hearts and wallets. Here are some of the things to consider:

• Registration surveys. They can give business owners comprehensive information about the customer and allow offering personalized solutions. Make the questions more specific and don’t forget to reward customers with a discount or another goodie.
• Recommendations. These are tailored product suggestions provided to users based on their preferences, behavior, or historical data, which increases likelihood of the purchase.
• Targeted promotions. Improving algorithms to provide promotions based on user reviews and categories is something that goes a long way and motivates customers to make a purchase

7. Easy and Secure Checkouts

It’s important for the customer to feel secure on your website. This concerns not only data security but payments as well. At the same time, the checkout should be as simple as possible and involve only a few steps. We recommend e-commerce websites using third-party payment processors which utilize the latest encryption protocols and have one-click checkouts at the same time.

Offer users to save payment details for future purchases. Thus, they won’t need to enter payment and shipment information when returning to your website. 

8. Responsive Customer Support

It is difficult to imagine a great e-commerce website without a strong support team. There should always be managers ready to assist visitors with creating an account, finding the right product or service, making a payment, and solving other possible issues. The support team should be reached by live chat, email, social media, and phone. Using AI chatbots is a great option because they save human resources and provide instant replies even in the middle of the night.

Conclusion

To reach broader audiences, surpass competitors, and increase revenues, retailers need to employ well-optimized, secure websites with simple navigation and appealing design. And one of the best ways to achieve this is partnering with a professional software development company like Lightpoint Global, that helps businesses across domains to achieve a prominent online presence.