First impressions count. You have between 10 -15 seconds to grab someone’s attention and  make a good first impression. During this first impression, website viewers generally look for  the following features, consciously or unconsciously. 

1. Clarity

Make it clear to what you are selling. A new customer needs to see quickly what you are  selling when they land on your website. Limiting the time it takes for a customer to find  the product they are looking for can often lead to a faster conversion. A home page is like  your shopfront. Displaying your products early and cleanly can help encourage a  customer to purchase. In some cases, improving elements such as search can help  improve this experience further.  

A clear homepage helps improve a user’s experience. For many sites, it can take a while  to find out what their key products are. There is a tendency to hide products way down  the bottom of the home page. By lifting products higher, you increase the chances of a  customer converting to a purchase. 

2. Social proof – Can I trust this site/brand?

Ensure you have some trust features on your site. These can include showing that you  have secure payments, trust badges and even adding customer reviews. Often, customers  trust the voice of their peer group far more than an authority figure. By including trust  elements like customer reviews, you can increase the likelihood that a site visitor will  convert. By giving users a reason to trust your brand or website, you can increase  conversion rates and increase leads.  

3. Quality photos, video and content

Photos and Video are one the many ways in which you can improve a user’s experience.  Through product photos and videos, users can quickly see the quality of the product and  brand. Highlighting the features of your products, through video and photography helps  build a sense of trust within users.  

Collection images should be consistent and timeless. Studio photography can be a helpful  tool here. It provides consistent lighting and is seasonally interchangeable.  

On product pages use a mix of studio shots and lifestyle images to show users how your  products can be used in a real life settings.

4. Descriptions

Add details of the products including dimensions and if possible include a video.  Remember that people can’t pick up the product to look at its features. Users rely on descriptions and images to tell them why they need that product. 

Descriptions should be detailed and clear. Write too much detail and you risk over  burdening the reader, too little and you risk them not converting. Descriptions should give  readers all the information they need in a clear and precise way. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it. Our suggestion is to test it with your audience, ask them what they  liked and work from there.

5. About Us

A 2015 study revealed that 52% of people tend to visit a company’s About page when  they first land on the website. This is generally to see if they can trust you. Users want to  know about you and know that you understand their needs. The about us page is a great  way to show your passion and the quality of the products you are selling. 

The About page is generally a space where you can build trust with your customers.  Through clear storytelling, videos and with photography, you can demonstrate to your  customers who you are and why they should trust you and your product. Choosing  content that clearly tells your story and outlines what you stand for typically works well.  We typically see that when users come through an About page they convert better than  users who don’t visit this page. So when you get this page right, you can see higher  conversion rates and an increase in return visits.  

Have a read of our about us here.

6. Remarketing

Do you have the ability to capture your customer’s details so you can remarket to them  again? Remarketing is one of the most effective ways brands can build audience and  increase conversions. Creating a dedicated audience of email subscribers helps to build brand loyalty, fosters brand activism and helps drive return purchases. There are a  number of ways in we can achieve this. 

This could include a pop up box to capture emails initially, followed by a great welcome  email series or even have an abandoned cart follow up series. You need to give your  customers a reason to give you their email address. 

7. Shipping Costs

What are your shipping costs? So many sites don’t display their shipping until the  checkout and then it can be a nasty surprise. To reduce high cart abandonments, display  shipping costs on a banner on the home page if possible.

8. Page Speed

Often one of the most overlooked features of a website is the speed it runs at. Making sure  content loads quickly and users can scroll easily is fundamental to a positive user experience. To  reduce loading speed, there are a number of steps you can take.  Here are a few: 

• Choose a hosting platform that is optimised for performance.  
• Optimise and compress your images and videos. 
• Use only the Plugins and Apps you need. 

To make things easy for our customers, we like to use Shopify.  

If you would like to find out how you can integrate some of these tips on your website, please  contact us.