Businesses all over the world are reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The primary preventative measures – sheltering in place and observing social distancing – have led to businesses’ mass closure. However, it has also created more opportunities for e-commerce businesses.
A Monumental & Necessary Shift
The restrictions imposed on businesses have primarily affected brick-and-mortar stores. The government has locked down all non-essential businesses, and any reprieves that have emerged have not lasted for long. As things stand, the government is considering shutting the country down for longer than a month.
These restrictions and lockdowns have shifted shoppers to online shopping for the safety and convenience that comes with it. Shoppers can order whatever they want – both essential and non-essential goods – online from the safety of their homes.
E-commerce revenues have been growing by more than 10% month-by-month since the COVID-19 pandemic struck. To put this into perspective, online shoppers spent more than $21 billion in the first 10 days of the 2020 holidays only. Meanwhile, department store revenues are expected to register declines as much as 60% by the end of the year. Where does that leave you?
Time to Shift to E-Commerce
You cannot afford to wait until the COVID-19 pandemic passes to get back to business. Now is the time to get in on e-commerce. There are no barriers to entry, but the competition online is cut-throat. Fortunately, you can still get ahead of the competition by making the best use of web design.
The secret to being successful in e-commerce is ranking high on search engines and making your presence felt on platforms where shoppers flock. Google determines where your e-commerce site ranks and web design is the measuring standard. Proper website design entails fulfilling all of Google’s guidelines, which are essentially meant to safeguard your customers’ best interests.
So, what does good web design entail? Here are several important factors that every e-commerce website should fulfill:
- Fast Accessibility
Google reports that the average web user will leave your website if it takes longer than three seconds to load. This means that slow loading will result in lost and wasted leads. As such, good website design should optimize your e-commerce site’s loading speeds to an average of two seconds.
- Neat User Interface
Your customers don’t want to spend valuable time browsing through multiple pages to find whatever they are looking for. As such, your website should be presentable and easy to navigate. Your customers should be able to locate anything using a quick search.
- Helpful Content
One of Google’s primary requirements is that websites should provide their visitors with the help they need. This is what makes the phrase “content is king” so popular. As such, it is important to provide insightful content that answers your visitors’ questions, in addition to the products/services they need.
- Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) entails tweaking virtually every aspect of your website’s design to meet search engines’ standards. It is an extensive field covering a wide range of factors, including content creation and online marketing.
Final Thoughts
The pandemic has devastated brick-and-mortar stores, but it has also created new opportunities for the e-commerce sector. Now is the time to take advantage of these opportunities — your business will survive the pandemic, and it will set you up for a future dominated by online shopping. So, get yourself a good website designer and take advantage of the e-commerce windfall.
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