What Makes a Good E-Commerce Website?
Not sure if it’s time to take your food and beverage business online? Perhaps you have an existing ecommerce website and your looking to take to it the next level?
Research shows that ecommerce revenue from food and beverage sales could reach as much as $15.25 billion in 2021. You will miss this huge opportunity if you don’t get started on building an e-commerce site or optimize your existing one ASAP.
Competition is just as tight online as offline when it comes to the food and beverage industry. Ordering food online is a mega-trend in its infancy, so it’s important to make the most of it now and then ride the trend into the future for even greater profits.
That being said, you just need to pay special attention to some factors for maximum profit potential. To get started, it’s important to know what makes a good e-commerce website for a food and beverage business.
Website Design
Your website is the first point of contact your customers will have of your brand. It’s also the foundation of your e-commerce business. Therefore, it’s important to make a good first impression as people could easily leave your site when they don’t find it appealing or when they have a hard time exploring it. When they do, you won’t just have zero customers but you also won’t have an effective platform to sell your products.
Here’s what you need to look into when developing your e-commerce website for your food and beverage business:
Images and colors – When it comes to an e-commerce food business, imagery is everything. Great food photography is essential as it could effectively wet your customer’s appetite. Only use high-quality images for your website and colors that are easy on the eyes.
User Interface – User experience encourages customers to stay longer on your website. If your site is difficult to navigate, they’re more likely to leave instead of trying to figure out how to get to the pages they want to see. Make sure all links are working properly. Add a search field to make it easier for people to find what they need.
Mobile-Ready – Keep in mind that your website could be accessed in a range of different devices and browsers. Their experience across these devices and browsers should be seamless. Furthermore, a mobile-ready website is often prioritized by search engines, so you’ll have higher chances of being seen by potential customers.
Relevant and Interesting Content
Storytelling helps create connection with potential buyers and nurtures your relationship with your current customers. It also gives you the opportunity to build trust and authority as a brand. Try to resonate with your customers by knowing what they want. Share your brand story and show them that your values aren’t too different from theirs. When people trust you, they are more likely to buy from you. Creating regular content also improves your ranking on search results.
Reviews and Testimonials
Trust and social proof are key factors to a successful e-commerce food business. Feedback builds your reputation. It’s also one of the major influences in a customer’s decision to buy your products. When people see that their peers trust you, they’ll be more open to engaging with you and purchasing your items.
Free Shipping
One of the reasons people are hesitant to buy food online is shipping cost and the safety of their order during delivery. Alleviate their fears by providing free and fast shipping.
Free shipping is the most popular and effective incentive that affects a buyer’s decision. In a recent survey, 9 out of 10 shoppers say free shipping is the number one reason they’d buy online. Quick shipping is also another incentive that encourages people to check out e-commerce food websites.
Secure Payment Gateway
Don’t lose customers on checkout just because you don’t have a safe payment gateway. You don’t have to spend a fortune to secure your website. If you’re wary about handling customer credit card information, consider using trusted third-party services like PayPal.
Starting an e-commerce food business doesn’t have to be difficult. Get your foot in the door by understanding what your customers need and are looking for when they visit your website. You don’t have to do it alone! Contact us and let’s help you create a successful e-commerce food business.