When you are trying to create a site that converts traffic into customers, you need to do some deep research into what pain points these clients are facing and how you can help them. The best way to do this is by testing the different components of your website, including how users interact with a page, how they flow from one part of the buying process to the next, and more.
Here are some things you should keep in mind when you are performing your first tests for your online store.
Know your customers
One of the best ways to design an e-commerce store that converts is knowing what your customers are going through when they land on your site. If you have an e-commerce store set up already, you’re going to want to see where your customers come from, which pages they spend time on, and where they tend to drop off. This can help you when it comes to redesigning your site, as well as determining how you want to direct user flow.
Do some research
You might want to read up on some of the challenges other e-commerce stores in your niche are facing and see whether or not you can avoid some of them. You can do this by visiting websites devoted to e-commerce, as well as conducting your own tests to see how users work through the buying process. If you can, you’ll want to find a reasonable sample size that can give you a good idea of what features you will need, what might stop customers from purchasing your product, and more.
Check out the competition
Other sites within your industry can be great indicators of what is working within your space and what can be changed. You will want to check out sites that are much more successful, as well as ones that are just getting started in order to get a full idea of what might work for you. However, make sure to keep your users in mind. While there might be some overlap, it’s likely that you might attract a different kind of user based on your branding and what messaging you use.
Have a few design options
Whether you choose to use a template or employ headless commerce, your site is going to need to look trustworthy and professional. Depending on how much startup capital you have, you might want to hire someone who has developed quality e-commerce stores in the past and who can add any features that your users will need. You’ll also want to come up with several mockups to choose from and test your audience to see what they like best.
In summary
Without testing your e-commerce store, you can end up making decisions that can affect it negatively. Testing can take some pressure off of you to have to come up with the perfect design and branding for your customers and can increase sales, as well.