Good e-commerce practices

Let's start with an inventory of the weight of the e-commerce in France in 2014. It concerns more than half of the French population, i.e. 34 million buyers and generated 57 billion euros (source: Zdnet).
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Despite a large market, e-merchants have to deal with increasingly demanding consumers.

Indeed, several statistics converge in this direction: 

  • 70% of customers abandon their purchases due to poor user experience (source: Red Signal, Fireclick / Digital River, 2012).
  • 86% buyers are even willing to pay more for a better customer experience (source: Forbes).
  • 89% of consumers become customers of a competing brand following a bad customer experience (source: Forbes).

But who are these consumers?

Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg, identified 4 types of consumers (source: Call to action – Nelson Books).

Buying behaviors

Their behavior varies according to 2 criteria: lpurchase speed and the emotion they feel towards the product.

The consumer spontaneous is impulsive and quick in its purchases. It is sensitive to promotions, special offers, reviews and opinions of Internet users.

Le competitor, meanwhile, is impulsive and very quick. He likes to be the first to have a product. He prefers to do a specific search rather than browse the site. It is sensitive to the USP (main promise of a product). Above all, he seeks quality, novelties and the best sellers.

Then comes thehumanist. He tends to be thoughtful and slow in his purchases. He is sensitive to the opinions of others (opinions, testimonials) and everything that relates to humans.

Finally, the methodical is rational and slow. He takes the time to examine the product in detail and compare it. He is sensitive to superior evidence and recommendations.

These 4 consumer profiles therefore have very different expectations and behaviors. E-merchants must ensure that their needs are met, while respecting good e-commerce practices.

So here are the 10 commandments of e-commerce to be respected according to the types of consumers.

1. You will highlight your product

E-commerce consumers

This command affects the 4 types of consumers. The objective is to give more visibility to the product so that users can project themselves more easily.

It is therefore necessary to give as much detail as possible about the product:

  • High quality and large visuals
  • Multiple views (single article, worn, overview, details, scenario, etc.)
  • A short video
  • A zoom function

The proof : Tests have shown that great visuals have an impact of 10% on conversion rate (Source: Vvisual website optimizer).

2. You will be short, clear and concise

E-commerce consumers

This command has an impact on consumers spontaneous et competitors.

To do this, you must:

  • A user-oriented formulation
    Example: use the first person "my account" rather than "your account"

  • that inspires action
    Examples: highlighting the scarcity of the offer, use action verbs and impactful terms

  • Supported by concise formatting

The proof : Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have just edited the description delivery costs for an e-commerce site of "a $ 5 fee" To "a small $ 5 fee" and that improved conversion rate by 20% (Source: Helpscout).

3. You will reassure the user

E-commerce consumers

This command has an impact on the consumer humanist et methodical.

To reassure the user, it is necessary use reassurance key points who are accessible at any time on the site. Examples: delivery information, the terms of return and exchange, payment security, customer service, trustmarks, etc.

The proof : 63% of Internet users trust to a site that displays a trust mark (source: Trust Marks Report, 2013) .

4. You will highlight research

E-commerce consumers

This command will affect the consumer spontaneous and the competitor.

For this, it is necessary that the search engine is visible and that results of it be relevant.

The proof : E-commerce site FootSmart increased its conversion rate by 82% by improving their search engine and the relevance of the results (source: Kiss metrics).

5. You will push to buy

E-commerce consumers

This command has an impact on the consumer spontaneous.

To do this, it is important to animate and update the e-commerce site regularly, prioritize the offer and encourage purchase with key messages.

6. You will give importance to the social

E-commerce consumers

This commandment will act particularly on the humanist.

The social helps to reassure this consumer. LConsumer opinions, ratings or even the number of likes on a product are elements that will help achieve this objective.

The proof : Consumer reviews allow to increase the sales of a commerce site by 18% (source: econsultancy).

7. You will optimize the purchase funnel

E-commerce consumers

All types of consumers will be responsive to this command.

The tunnel is the biggest source of wastage within an e-commerce site. To reduce shopping cart abandonment, it is essential to simplify the purchase funnel as much as possible and to clarify each request with the user.

Here are three ways to simplify it:

  • Allow users to purchase without creating an account
  • Use SSO (single sign-on) to simplify registration (via Facebook connect, Google connect, etc.)
  • Offer one-click payment like Amazon

The proof : 30% of users abandon their cart when they are asked to register before paying (source: Smashing Magazine).

8. You will ensure cross-device consistency

E-commerce consumers

This command is crucial with the multiplication of supports and has an impact on all types of consumers.

Cross-device e-commerce

Indeed, it is essential to have identical content on all devices so as not to harm a possible cross-channel purchase journey. It is then imperative to optimize the display according to the supports.

The proof : Fallen Hero increased its turnover by 143% on tablets alone by creating the responsive version of its site (source: ecosultancy).

9. You will work on branded content

E-commerce consumers

THEhumanist and methodical will be responsive to this command.

Today, it is essential to differentiate your brand with a less commercial discourse. One of the methods used in this sense is branded content. It is about offering a informative, useful, playful or entertaining content alongside the product/brand, which provides value to consumers without directly pushing the product or brand forward.

For example, Mixa has created a platform called the "moms' corner" which aims to give advice on the daily life of mothers. This allows the brand to closer to its consumers and make more human while communicating regularly to its target.

10. You will test, you will test, you will test

E-commerce consumers

This command will be essential for all types of consumers.

A / B test

It is essential to regularly test the pages of an e-commerce site in order to detect areas that could be improved. It exists different methods to test :

  • Dmultivariate tests, when you have identified the elements of the page that are underperforming
  • tis A/B, when you haven't identified the underperforming elements and want to test the entire page
  • Other tests such as shadowing, individual interview, when you have the option of calling on users one-to-one or in small groups.

Finally, once these tests have been carried out, it is essential to analyze them in order to improve the conversion rate.

To conclude on this subject, whatever the techniques used to optimize your e-commerce site, it is essential to know your target to adapt your e-commerce site accordingly.

Remi TAIEB