Online shopping is the new normal for most people and there are no chances to see a decrease in the daily numbers of online orders placed around the world. Shopping from the comfort of home, using a smartphone or laptop is the most convenient option for anyone, from busy professionals to stay at home moms. This being the case, your online shop needs to keep up with the customers’ increasingly strict demands. For this reason, today we will tell you everything you need to know about the most important features for ecommerce website in 2022.
The Basic Prerequisite: Security, Security and More Security!
We will not start the list of features without saying it again: the first feature for an online store is security. Your customers will share the most sensitive information on your site: their name, where they live and their credit card details. Before they even consider browsing your site, they will look for the main sign of a secure version: HTTPS.
This is a secure protocol for browsing a website and it is a must-have from several points of view. First, it is your clients’ assurance that their data is safe from unauthorised access. Secondly, Google will no longer rank unsecured sites. You may invest in the best SEO strategy, yet you will never see an increase in your organic traffic from search if you do not have a secure website.
The Must-Have Features for Ecommerce Website in 2022
Now, without further delay, let us focus on the most important elements that will make your online store a success among clients and Google-friendly as well:
1. Simple and Intuitive Navigation
The menu structure and the hierarchy of the web pages in your online store are essential if you want to keep your clients happy and find new ones. No one wants to waste time trying to figure out how to find a specific product or how to go back to the previous category they browsed.
Simple navigation is also good for SEO. The Google bots will be able to crawl your site completely and without errors. For these reasons, a clean navigation is one of the must-have features for ecommerce website in 2022.
2. Navigation Links and Contact Details in the Footer
The footer of any website is valuable digital real estate. Everyone eventually reaches the bottom of your web page. What should they see there? Here are our recommendations:
- Links to your top products
- Links to the delivery and return policy
- Links to the privacy policy
- Contact details – at least the email and a phone numbers.
You will be surprised to find, if you use a heatmap tool, how many people end up on a product page starting from the links in the footer. Once they reached there, it is clear that they have not found what they wanted on the current page. It is your last chance to keep them on your site and even get a sale, so don’t waste it!
3. Wishlist Feature
The wishlist is one of the most effective remarketing features for ecommerce website in 2022. Why? Because many people save their favourite products there until they decide to make a purchase. Also, customers check their wishlist from time to time to see whether the product they are interested in is now discounted.
You can also be proactive and encourage people who created wishlists to subscribe to your newsletter and receive notifications as soon as you have a sale on the products they added there.
4. Search Bar
The search function is one of the basic features for ecommerce website in 2022. It should be on any complex site, in our opinion. Sometimes, people do not get exactly what they were looking for directly from the Google search. However, if they see the search bar at the top of your web page, they will not go back and try another site. Instead, they will repeat the search.
For this reason, it is very important to have a solid keyword strategy. You must include in product pages the terms your customers use when they search for the respective products. This will give them a nearly perfect match to what they are looking for.
5. Product Videos
Here is the deal – detailed product photos are great, but they are no longer enough. The customer wants to see your product as a 3-D object and appreciate its true size and shape. They want to see it in use. They want the next best thing to actually having the product next to them and testing it. And you can give them this sensation with product videos.
You do not have to hire a filmmaker – you need your smartphone, some creativity and one of the many video editing apps available.
6. Product Reviews
Positive reviews and high ratings left by other customers do more for selling your products than any descriptions and ads. People will trust another person who bought the product more than they would trust your own claims.
Thus, product reviews on each product page represent one of the most important features for ecommerce website in 2022.
7. Order Tracking
When people place an order and pay for it, they are understandably excited to receive the products as soon as possible. Here is something interesting: when they can track their order and know exactly where the products are and when they are expected to arrive, the waiting time feels shorter.
They have a sense of security that they are in control and in the know. After all, they work hard for their money and want to know exactly how well they spent it.
8. Chatbots
Trained AI to carry conversations with customers is now a reality, not stuff from science-fiction films. Most websites have a chat feature. But you won’t find a real person at the other end in most cases. And – guess what? You won’t even realise it.
Chatbots are great features for ecommerce website in 2022. They can answer simple questions directly, help customers find a specific product and deliver more complex issue to the competent employee, who will later contact the client by email or phone.
9. Filtering Products by Availability
One of the biggest disappointments is finding the product you need in an online search, only to realise that it is out of stock. Or, to browse products on a site, and try adding one to cart, only to get the message: Product unavailable.
You can avoid creating such disappointment among your clients by adding availability to your search filters. Most people who reach your site need the product now, not later. Thus, by allowing them to search only for products in stock, you make their shopping experience better.
10. Multiple Payment Options
The financial world has evolved beyond banks and credit cards. Many people use fintech providers such as PayPal, Revolut or Venmo. Others use cryptocurrencies on a daily basis.
Of course, you have to consider the most advantageous options for your store, but try to add as many payment options as you can. This is one of the features for ecommerce website in 2022 and for the future, as the younger, tech-savvy generations reach the point when they will start buying your products.