Our ideas and tips are easy to do and implement, especially for WordPress websites using Woo Commerce. Help your clients browse your e-shop faster and more effectively, providing quick answers that will, eventually, help them add more of your products to their shopping basket. Here are the 9 most important tips that will help you boost your e-shop ranking and your sales in no-time:
Create a fast website
Nobody likes a slow website. People get frustrated when information takes too long to load. Various tools have measured this with great accuracy and, sadly, their results favour very few websites.
The general rule is as follows. Websites that take more than 4 seconds to load are abandoned by the vast majority of users. In other words:
NO SPEED, NO SALES!
Website speed can be achieved with various methods, all of which must be used simultaneously. You will need to compress data, minify CSS and JavaScript, use fewer plugins, optimise all images (even your logo), use caching effectively and, finally, use a CDN (content delivery network) close to your clients.
Apart from losing clients, slow speed will rank your website lower, resulting to even further loss of income. Search engines, and especially Google, prefer fast loading sites, and clearly point out the importance of speed for achieving higher ranking positions. It is one of the most important factors that will help you keep your visitors on your website for longer and, steadily, lead to more sales.
Install SSL Certificate
When it comes to online shopping, trust is a major issue. An SSL certificate is what will make your website secure and keep your clients safe to continue their online shopping experience.
Data encryption, provided by a validated SSL certificate is an absolute must, not only for e-shops and other commercial sites but for every website on the World Wide Web. The padlock is the main indicator that your website is indeed secure. It also states to potential clients or readers that you value data security and that their personal or financial data will be safe with you.
What if you have an SSL installed but no padlock? There is a solution for this too. Check out the website https://www.whynopadlock.com/ and it will tell you what is wrong and how to fix it.
Your hosting company will, most probably, provide you with an SSL for every hosting package. Use it now and keep in mind that it will also improve your ranking.
Add adequate details and photos to each product category
A major SEO factor, largely ignored by e-Commerce web designers, is the detailed description of each product category of the e-shop. Usually, product category pages are a list of products that can be arranged by date of entry, name, price and popularity. This is all the user needs.
But what about the search engine? This can easily be fixed with a description text that will summarise what this category is all about. A careful and to the point selection of keywords will sky-rocket your website in all search engines and place your e-shop ahead of its competition.
Describe each product properly and adequately
Providing accurate information on each product will certainly establish a relationship of trust between you and the customer. Not all searches lead to a purchase and that is a fact. However, a well-structured website that respects its clients’ wishes will always do better than its competition and, eventually, lead to more sales.
So. If your goal is to have satisfied customers, then make sure you give them what they ask for: detailed information on each product so that they know what they are buying. Besides, know that the more details you add to each product, the more keywords you will use. So, the proper product description does not only show consideration for the client but also reveals a successful plan for website promotion.
Use accurate meta tags for each product and page
Meta tags are the information that appears in each search results page. First of all, the title describes in just a few words what this page, post or product is all about. The description is there to provide even more detailed information and, of course, a few related keywords, for those who know how to promote their website properly. No need to emphasise the SEO importance of properly written titles and descriptions.
Diving deeper into the world of meta tags, they seem to be a great method to increase sales, as they can be both SEO compliant and, at the same time, serve as great marketing tools. Use them carefully and use a strategic plan for each product and page, taking your time to think like a potential buyer who has taken an interest in your own website.
Following these steps properly might be the most difficult thing you will have to do for each page and, simultaneously, the most rewarding.
Use plenty of photos for your products
Showcase your product in full. Use plenty of photos and help people understand what it is they are buying. There is a limit to how many photos you can use for each product; make sure you do not overdo it with photos or you will slow down your website. A few, well taken and selected photos is all that you need to provide all the information needed.
Large and easy to read letters throughout the website
We have all come across beautiful websites and e-shops with hard to read text. No matter how much we like the services or products offered, we are not able to go through the details without significant effort.
Needless to say, this is a bad practice for both SEO and UX reasons. Show respect to your clients and your business and always be clear enough about the services and the products you provide. If not, potential clients will think you have something to hide and will soon leave your e-shop in search of another. The last thing you want for your e-shop is a small conversion rate.
Easy to access shopping cart from every page
You will be surprised how hard it is to locate the shopping cart in many e-shops. It is either too small to see or, even worse, not always there. Showing your shopping cart everywhere and with clarity is also an absolute must for every descent e-Commerce website in our days. Otherwise, it is as if you own a shop but the till or the cashier is nowhere to be found!
Short cookie policy
Coming across complicated cookie policies, where you need to choose between several hundred advertisers and read 2 or 3 pages of text is infuriating. This practice can be seen much too often. Keep your cookie policy short and compliant with GDPR practices. Your readers will appreciate it.
Our conclusion
The bottom line is to create a fast and efficient website. For this to be achieved, certain rules must be followed. The results will amaze you. Not only will you increase your clientele but your sales as well. This can be seen as part of an effective SEO marketing strategy that will save you a lot of effort and money in the long run.
