Each new year is met with resolutions. Whether you’re resolving to lose a few pounds, eat healthier, spend more time with the family, or work on some long-term goal, it’s important to make a few resolutions for your business as well. One of them should be to take a look at how you can improve your eCommerce store in the new year.
2020 proved to be a year full of surprises. It also turned out to be a game-changer for eCommerce. Never before in the history of online shopping have online transactions soared like they have last year – with many consumers making their very first online purchase!
Experts are predicting that the growth eCommerce experienced in 2020 will continue into 2021 and beyond as consumer confidence in online shopping reaches record levels. Setting your business up for success in the new year is key to capturing new customers, increasing order values, and growing revenue.
The first step in achieving these goals is to make sure your online store is easy to use, mobile-friendly, fast-loading and designed to convert. If it’s been a while since you redesigned your store, or are considering moving to another platform, now is the time to start discussing what’s next.
One key thing to remember is that a redesign isn’t all about looks. Having a clean, well laid out site is one thing, but making sure it’s coded properly and not bogged down with unnecessary scripts is just as important, especially with today’s mobile-first design initiative. In many cases, putting a band-aid here and there on an existing site can actually clutter your site’s programming resulting in more harm than good. A complete redesign may be needed to give your e-commerce site a facelift inside and out.
Before embarking on a redesign, or discussions about switching eCommerce platforms, a professional site review is something we highly recommend as a first step. Our review looks at everything from code to usability to search engine optimization and overall design and is a sure-fire way to let an expert explain in detail what you are doing well, and most importantly, what you could be doing better.
So where to begin? Let’s start by asking a few simple questions:
When was your last redesign?
If it’s been two or more years, it’s time to consider a good back-end house cleaning, front-end freshening up, or a move to a new platform.
If it’s been less than two years ago, we recommend a site review to see where improvements can be made and whether or not code can be improved to speed up load time.
Is your site mobile friendly?
Simply put, if it’s not it’s time to adopt a responsive site design. In 2021 there’s no excuse for not having an eCommerce store that doesn’t provide mobile users with an optimal experience.
Is your site easy-to-navigate?
Design today is all about simplicity. A simple design with a well thought out navigation structure allows shoppers to quickly find what they’re looking for and checkout. If they encounter roadblocks along the way due to complex navigation or an endless loop of section pages to click through, you’re going to lose them.
Is your site living up to your expectations?
Perhaps this is the biggest question you can ask yourself. If you’ve been thinking that your current design or platform is limiting your ability to grow your business, it’s definitely the time to start thinking about making some changes. Those changes may be a new design and layout, or a more ambitious project like moving to a new platform.
How you answered the above questions will help you take the next step. If you’re looking for honest, professional advice on whether or not you need a redesign or a platform change, we encourage you to fill out the form below to schedule a time to talk.
Your Store Wizards has been your trusted developer partner for over 20 years and we’re still the one you can trust to help you grow your business on your current platform or a brand new one as we roll into what will be the biggest year ever for eCommerce.
Scott Sanfilippo began his eCommerce journey in 1994 by co-founding one of the Internet’s first online retailers, TheFerretStore.com, which was acquired by PetCo in 2006. In 2001, he co-founded the eCommerce design and marketing firm Solid Cactus, which was acquired by web.com in 2009. Today, Scott is the General Manager of Your Store Wizards and lives in Delray Beach, FL. Scott can be contacted at scott@yourstorewizards.com.