Have you been experiencing a drop in your ecommerce sales in recent months?
We invite you to learn the reasons and, even better, to put into practice certain actions and tools to reverse the situation and steadily increase sales on your website. Keep reading to find out.
Before going on, it is important to ask yourself: when was the last time I devoted time and effort to analyzing my website and implementing improvements based on that analysis?
The most successful companies worldwide have understood what the central axis of a website is, what they must do, how to do it and how often they must do it to achieve growth in visits and transactions on their website. These companies are not necessarily well-known companies, but companies that have paused along the way to reconsider their strategy and what they offer their customers through ecommerce.
In this article we will analyze in detail all the factors that must be considered by every company that has a website and wants to succeed in today's highly competitive market, in which small but key steps can give you an advantage. As part of this content, we will also explore success stories of companies worldwide, whose impact will undoubtedly surprise us more than we think.
>>Learn more about digital transformation through UX
here<<
Below are the topics that will be part of this article:
We can define it in simple words as the virtual space where a company distributes, sells, buys, markets and supplies information about products or services to its customers, and where they make selections to finally carry out one or more actions (get informed, buy, sell). The website plays the role of the product and/or service shelf, the sales staff and the cash register of the commercial channel on the Internet.
To fully understand the concept, it is important to know about the types of ecommerce that exist:
You may now be wondering why ecommerce is important for companies. The answer is very simple but fundamental for the business, and we can explain it through five reasons: because it expands the customer base by entering a broader market, it extends selling hours to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, it makes it possible to create a competitive advantage through it, it provides a reduction in production, capital and administration costs, among others, and not only that, but one of the most important factors that boost sales is that ecommerce improves communication with customers and the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
With this last factor mentioned, and since we already know that communication is fundamental in any area of life, the experience the user receives (UX) when interacting with the website comes into play. Some people might think it is something extra and less important, but on the contrary, UX is the fundamental piece of the success of any ecommerce site, and that is why we address it in this article and why we will now define it to understand why it is so crucial.
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The definition of user experience is certainly complex because of the large number of variables and approaches it includes, but we will define it in the simplest way possible. It consists of a series of perceptions and responses that a human being has as a result of interacting with a product, system or service. As part of the experience, factors such as emotions, beliefs, preferences, perceptions, physical and physiological responses, behaviors and users' achievements all have an influence, and all of this can occur before, during and after the interaction.
The primary objective of user experience (UX) design is to create products, systems and services that are intuitive, efficient and satisfying for users. To achieve this, fundamental aspects such as usability, accessibility and aesthetics, among others, must be taken into account. Next we will explain three essential pillars of User Experience (UX):
With the above explained, there is no doubt that an ecommerce site that does not have the user as its central axis is destined to fail, hence the importance of uncovering the series of secrets behind the success of companies through their ecommerce. We have already met the first and central one, which is User Experience (UX), or customer experience (UX).
At the beginning we talked about how some companies have achieved success through their ecommerce, and in this section we will delve into the series of secrets to achieving it.
The first component, already seen, is UX design, for which it is important to add that it is not a static component but an active one, and by this we mean that for it to work it must be constantly measured and improved, since it is the center of success for this type of business. However, the next question now arises: how do you measure or analyze UX within a website? We will see how to do it and the recommended frequency to achieve the objective.
Before learning the right way to do it, we must be clear about the term analysis and the depth it entails for this area of action. UX analysis for a website consists of a series of approximately 9 steps that we will detail below:
1. Set clear objectives: First, you must define what you want to achieve with the ecommerce website. For example: increase conversions, reduce cart abandonment rates, improve customer retention, among others.
2. Collect data: Next, analytics tools, which we will detail later, must be used to collect data on user behavior on the website, observing some key metrics such as conversion rates, bounce rates and time on site.
3. Conduct user testing: Together with the data collected, it is also essential to conduct user testing to obtain direct information on how users interact with your website. This can include usability tests, navigation tests and feedback through the website.
4. Analyze the conversion funnel: In this step, the conversion funnel must be examined because it makes it possible to identify friction points in the purchase process. Where do users abandon the purchase process? Are there steps that could be simplified or eliminated?
5. Evaluate navigation: Analyze the navigation structure of the website. Is it easy for users to find what they are looking for? Consider implementing a clear navigation bar and logical categorization of products and/or services.
6. Optimize loading speed: Website loading speed is crucial for User Experience (UX) because you only have 10 seconds to capture attention. For this reason, make sure the website loads quickly on all devices and internet connections.
7. Improve design and aesthetics: The visual design of the website considerably influences User Experience (UX). Using a clean and attractive design that facilitates navigation and highlights products therefore considerably improves the conversion rate.
8. Personalize the experience: Use the data collected from users to personalize their experience on the website. This includes personalized product recommendations, special offers based on purchase history, among others.
9. Iterate and improve continuously: The last step, but not the least, and in fact one of the most crucial, is UX optimization, which must be a continuous process. To do so, data and user feedback must be used to make constant improvements to the website and keep meeting customers' needs and expectations.
In point 2 of this section, we talked about data collection, which is the key to analysis and continuous improvement, because what is not measured cannot be improved. But the question arises: what are the best tools with which I can measure and analyze my ecommerce? We will detail the answer in the next block.
<<Why define the processes that affect the customer experience?<<
A free tool that provides detailed information about website traffic. It makes it possible to track the number of visitors, traffic sources, conversion rates, user behavior and other important data. It is also possible to set up goals and conversion funnels to analyze ecommerce performance.
A user behavior analysis tool that makes it possible to visualize how visitors interact with the website. It offers heatmaps to show where users click, session recordings to see how they navigate the site, surveys to collect direct feedback and more. This helps identify areas for improvement in User Experience (UX).
A User Experience (UX) optimization platform that makes it possible to run A/B tests and multivariate tests on the website. It lets you experiment with different variations of pages and elements to determine which design or content works best to increase conversions and improve User Experience (UX).
4. Ubersuggest
A keyword research and website analysis tool created by Neil Patel, a renowned digital marketing expert. This tool provides a wide range of data and metrics useful for improving online visibility and the performance of a website. With this tool it is also possible to generate reports to communicate results to whoever needs them.
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At this point, it is clear that the secret of ecommerce lies in users. Without them it would not exist, and therefore everything done to benefit them will directly or indirectly impact the company's conversion and sales. That is why, if you are looking to increase sales, you must put the user or customer at the center, listen to them and work to always give them the best, and this will deliver positive results, as we have already seen in the success stories.
And finally, remember that what is not measured is not improved, and that this must be an active, iterative process that is constantly updated according to the results of the analysis, which are what will indicate how often adjustments should be made to the ecommerce site. At this moment you may be thinking that perhaps you are not ready to take this step or that you require advice and support in development and implementation. That is why at ICX Consulting we are at your disposal to guide you, accompany you and help ensure the success of your company's ecommerce.
If you would like to learn more strategies to achieve success in your business, we invite you to explore our articles. At ICX Consulting we are here to help you reach your business goals.