E-commerce is the most happening thing in the business world. Online shoppers multiply at an exponential rate every year. The statistics continue to amaze. They testify the bright future for the industry.
Business big or small, own a shopping cart or an e-commerce portal. Many, more are in the fray. The competition is fierce.
But having an e-commerce website is not enough. You live in competitive times, where customization is key to your success. To what degree you are able to customize, decides your success rate.
E-commerce customization is neither everybody' ball game, nor a compulsion for every business. Some may not need it; some cannot afford it and some can reach their objectives without it.
But if you want to make a mark for your business and stand amongst the leaders you have to customize. Excellent user experience and high conversion rates are the by-products of e-commerce customization.
Let us understand how customization helps and in what areas of your e-commerce business.
- Custom front end-design connects your business better with customers
An interactive front-end and customer on-demand features cast a good impression of your store.
You know the saying “First impression is the last impression". That is true for online visitors. Captivate, engage and convince them with an impressive customized design. Do not let them bounce off to your competitor’s website.
Shopping preferences change over time. Customization helps easily align with customer needs, as and when required. You can change the front-end of your e-commerce store according to seasons, festivals and events.
For example, if gift selling website is not able to pass on the Christmas effect to its visitors before or during the season then how you can expect it to garner the season’s profit.
If the effects like Santa waving from a sleigh, snowfall, Christmas tree, and irresistible Christmas discount banner are missing then you cannot complain about, the poor traffic during that season.
With a static website that a problem but not at all for a customizable e-commerce website.
- Customization helps users take informed decisions. It positively influences the buying decision
There is a sales representative who explains a product in the brick-and-mortar store. Customers can themselves see, touch and feel the product. In the virtual store, that is missing.
To compensate that loss, you have to customize your e-commerce store. You can load product videos, images and comparisons of different models of one product.
Through videos, images, description and catalog, potential buyers arrive at a conclusion. They are better-informed about the product and how it can solve their problem. Buyers can take an informed decision about a particular product on the website.
If you cannot convince the customers about your product then you cannot expect them to buy it.
Customization helps you in that direction. It helps you influence their decision with your presentation.
See in above screenshot the video and images of the sewing machine. The user clicks on the video and sees how the machine works. He or she can click to expand images and explore the machine from different angles.
- Customization enhances personalization. Personalization positively influences buying decision
Personalization is the buzzword in the e-commerce world. E-commerce giant like Amazon excels at it. Look at the screenshot and see how Amazon store corresponds on an individual basis.
Without a customized e-commerce cart could it be possible?
Not at all.
If you are not able to personalize then how can you influence a positive outcome?
With a custom e-commerce platform, you can do it easily.
- Customization speeds up content lifecycle. Makes it efficient and on-target.
Content (video, text, image, infographics) is the voice of your e-commerce business. If you fail to align with your audience then all the exercise goes in vain.
You keep adding new, useful content to drive more traffic to your store.
Over the time products change and so the product descriptions. You can do it through CMS. That is possible if your e-store is on a custom e-commerce platform.
Automate your content management system. Shoot weekly, bi-monthly or monthly newsletter, blog posts and other online marketing content. Keep in touch with your audience all times. Mould their decisions your favor.
A custom Content Management System (CMS) helps you do that.
- Customization fine-tunes localization. You connect stronger and faster with local buyers.
See below the screenshot of the Nescafe website for the Chinese audience. The content is in Chinese. Nestle has dedicated a website in Chinese for its customer in China.
Nestle connects better with its Chinese consumers because it speaks in their language.
Any Chinese visitor can go the Nestle Chinese website from country selection page. Similarly, visitors from other countries can go to the websites in their own language.
Customization is a boon for you if you wish to go global with your business. Your business speaks in local languages. It connects well on the cultural and emotional plane with the global audience.
- Customization Improves user experience. Better User experience leads to high conversion rate
Customization adds your personal touch to your virtual store like in your physical store. In your brick-and-mortar store, you have the sales representative who guides your customers.
Use Live Chat feature for a one-to-one live session with buyers on your e-store. Intervene with human help whenever a potential buyer needs it.
A detailed analytics gives you the insight about visitor behavior on the website.
Customize according to the needs of your customers at a short notice.
Improve user experience and increase credibility. Your conversion rate multiplies.
- Customization keep your e-commerce business in your fist. It is always in your control.
You e-commerce empire is right in your fist because you can customize it whenever you want. No doubt about it. You call the shots whenever you want, in the best interest of your business. Your hands are not tied down as in the case of a static template.
- Customization leverages branding. Branding drives home loyal traffic
Your brand reflects your business. Custom website design helps you take your e-store towards your brand.
Customization empowers you to align your store with your online branding campaign. You create loyal brand followers.
They become your brand ambassadors. Remember the viral effect of word-of -mouth phenomena.
The traffic to your e-commerce goes viral.
Thank customization; not your stars!
- Customization helps improve scalability and speed. It all boils down to great user experience
Host your e-store in the cloud and enjoy the twin benefits of scalability and speed there.
But if you have static template based website can get those benefits?
No.
Take advantage of cloud feature, pay-as-use. Use customization to scale-up when required without paying more.
Speed up distribution of visual content (images and video). They occupy the greater part of your content.
It is like killing two birds with one stone. Improve user experience and reduce hosting charge.
You owe it to customization.
- Easy integration to Mobile devices. Multiply traffic to store
Customization allows you to create a web responsive design for your e-commerce store. That performs well on mobile devices too and you get traffic from mobile users too.
Remember mobile traffic will soon overtake desktop traffic. Check that in above graph.
If your store is not web responsive then you lose a huge chunk of useful traffic. Can you afford it this age of stiff competition? Definitely not.
Excellent user experience and high conversion rates are the end products of e-commerce customization. They dwarf the initial high cost that goes into customizing your e-store.