The world of e-commerce has had rapid growth in the past few years and is expected to continue growing significantly in the future. Thanks to huge e-commerce platforms, like Amazon, and the ease of online shopping, today's consumers are very comfortable with e-commerce websites. In fact, 80% of the online population have purchased something off the internet at some point.

However, with this rise in e-commerce shops comes a rise in customer expectations. Most people gravitate towards online shopping today due to its convenience and practicality. Because of this, it's important to focus on delivering an easy-to-navigate website with as few hurdles in the checkout process as possible. Most consumers will abandon their online shopping cards quickly if they're presented with too many hurdles during the buying process. Simplicity and convenience are key.

The e-commerce experience starts with a website. Just as brick-and-mortar stores strive to be organized and customer-friendly, an online store should have those same qualities, allowing customers to make purchases easily and securely. Choosing an online platform that is user-friendly and will support your sale process is important. When making this choice you'll want to consider a few things first:

1. Is it easy to import your products and information?
 Products are the center of any online store. As a busy business owner, you need a platform that is easy to maintain when it comes to regularly updating product photos and information. 

2. Is it easy to track orders?
The most successful e-commerce online stores keep a close eye on their metrics. Setting your store up on a platform that will help you easily track metrics, such as orders, revenue, returns, etc., will not only help you manage things on your end, but it can also help you provide a much better customer service experience. After all, the more streamlined things are for you, the more hassle-free they'll be for your customers.

3. Does it offer you a template or customization that matches your brand?
As an e-commerce business owner, it is easy to focus on the ins and outs of running a business and overlook aspects like design. But failure to recognize the importance of good design can greatly impact the success of your online business. The design and template of your e-commerce website set the first impression that people have of your shop. It also dictates the navigation and usability of the site — either making it easier or more difficult for customers to find what they're looking for. As with all online presences, you'll want to be sure that the design is mobile-friendly since 55% of all time spent on retail websites takes place on a mobile device. 

Selling online can be a major task. Make sure your online e-commerce platform is helping instead of hindering you. 

For more information on building an effective e-commerce site, give the team at Addison Clark a call today! We specialize in e-commerce solutions designed to deliver results and accelerate sales growth.