E-commerce Homepage Features to Boost Conversions
Tips, tricks and best practices abound when it comes to converting your e-commerce store visitors into customers. In addition to numerous must-have features, your homepage design and content are essential factors. Only high-quality layout, design and copy will help you get the sales you want. This article covers some of the most important homepage features that have been shown to boost conversions.
THE IMPORTANCE OF a WELL-DESIGNED HOMEPAGE
Your homepage is generally the first thing visitors see when they land on your website, and therefore, it carries a lot of weight. A well-designed homepage attracts and keeps a user’s attention while sending traffic to the correct product pages, increasing conversions and sales.
TURN YOUR HOMEPAGE INTO A SELLING MACHINE
Top-of-the-Page Features
- Unique URL with HTTPS domain
- Returning customer login
- Physical store locator, if applicable
- Brand logo and tagline
- Shopping cart link
- Search box
- Phone number
- Contact Us link
- Main navigation menu with links to product category pages
Top Content Section
- Compelling header
- Inspirational content
- High-quality photos/videos
- Clear call-to-action (CTA)
- Current deals and promotions
Featured Products Section
- Photos of best-selling or new items
- Relevant but short text
- Links to the page on which they are sold
Additional Content Section(s)
- Personalized recommendations
- About the company
- Customer testimonials
- CTAs to relevant pages
- Credibility/association logos
- Links to latest blog posts/news
- Live chat feature
Footer
- Social media icons/links
- Corporate address and phone number
- Email/newsletter sign-up
- Links to customer service information
- Links to terms/conditions/policies
- Accepted payment type icons
DESIGN ELEMENTS CAN HELP CONVERT
In addition to providing the features listed above in an orderly manner, you need to think about the actual design of your home page. Is your homepage attractive? Do the colors go well together? Is the information presently in an uncluttered way with sufficient white space? Are the images and other graphic elements sufficiently powerful?
A poorly designed homepage can turn off users before they even begin to look at your products. You want to engage users so that they spend more time on your site. A well-designed and visually appealing homepage that tells your story goes a long way toward attracting and retaining shoppers and converting them into customers.
WRITING HOMEPAGE CONTENT THAT SELLS
Every block of content on an e-commerce website is important. Instead of overwhelming a visitor with too much content, make sure that every word you write has a purpose and that your content is compelling. Headlines that grab attention in a short time, clear and useful CTAs, and concise, inspirational copy help to keep users’ attention, direct them to the relevant pages and convince them to make a purchase.
Is your content optimized for SEO? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of incorporating relevant keywords and key phrases to increase traffic to your website. It works by making your site more visible when people search for products on Google, Bing or other search engines. If you are not sure how to use SEO properly, be sure to hire a consultant who has experience in website content optimization.
Source: Straight North
A LAST WORD ABOUT FIRST IMPRESSIONS
We’ve all heard the expression that you get only one chance to make a first impression. That’s true when you meet someone socially for the first time and when you interview for a new job, and it’s also true of websites. Your homepage is typically the first thing people see when they visit your site, so be sure it makes a good impression. Your site must look good, work properly and guide users to the right place. Getting this right takes time, but when sales increase, you’ll know it was time well spent!
Author Bio:
Laura Merkin is a Senior Copywriter at Straight North, a Chicago-based Internet marketing company that specializes in SEO. With decades of copywriting and marketing experience, Ms. Merkin devotes most of her time at work to writing website content for Straight North clients. She has written and helped plan the layouts for numerous homepages.
