E-commerce platforms, what do you need to know – Latin America is not an exception to the global trend of electronic commerce becoming the preferred method of consumption for consumers. On the contrary, the area saw the fastest rise in online retail sales in 2020. What, though, ought e-commerce to have? What ensures that you will succeed? We will look at the essential aspects of an eCommerce platform in this post.
What should e-commerce have?
For small and medium-sized businesses, the Internet has countless advantages. For example, it may be used to divide viewers into groups according to traits and interests or to implement digital marketing techniques to boost sales.
If you’re wondering how to have e-commerce and boost sales for your company, you should realize that knowing how to handle it properly is crucial to making the most of it. The platform that hosts your store has to have a number of certain features in order to do this. In order to fully understand the benefits of e-commerce, we advise you to take into account the series of prerequisites that we will discuss below.
Adaptability to mobile devices
The numbers speak for themselves: 66.6% of all people on the planet are unique Internet users, according to the Digital 2021 report, which Hootsuite and We Are Social produce annually. Put another way: 5.52 billion people use their phones and tablets to access the internet! Yes, it is now necessary for your website to be optimized for mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Next, we’ll see several essential phone characteristics for e-commerce. If these numbers weren’t already astounding enough, any trader would not be unaffected by this fact: In its search results, Google gives preference to mobile-friendly websites. However, how can a mobile-friendly virtual store be created?
optimized charging
The optimal load that internet commerce offers is one of its most significant features. Most likely, their connection is slower on a mobile device than what you would expect from a PC. For this reason, you need to make sure that your online store loads rapidly to avoid using up excessive amounts of user data. Excessively long sentences and hefty graphics can be avoided.
Simple navigation menu
For a website intended to be seen from a computer, a navigation menu with several pages and subpages may be acceptable in B2C (business to consumer) e-commerce. But, we need to take into account the fact that phone screens are significantly smaller if we want the best mobile navigability!
At this stage, think about making the menu simpler and smaller. Make it as easy as you can; most customers just require a few tabs to purchase goods or services. Of course, display the catalog prominently and with great visibility. One of the most important aspects of successful e-commerce is this!
A responsive design,E-commerce platforms what do you need to know
Although you’ve undoubtedly heard the term before, what precisely is responsive design? Building a website that is responsive means keeping its structure and order intact while adjusting it for every kind of device.
This implies that your website’s components will change depending on the device being used to view it. As a result, for instance, a person accessing your virtual shop from a computer will see four columns on the screen; however, a user accessing from a tablet would see three, and a user accessing from a mobile device will see only one. Encouraging clients and potential customers to navigate and read your website with ease on any device is the ultimate purpose of suggesting a responsive design.
SEO friendly
If you own an online store, you’ve probably heard a lot about SEO and how important it is for driving traffic and revenue. However, what precisely is SEO, and why is it important? Generally speaking, SEO (Search Engine Optimization, or “search engine optimization”) refers to a collection of techniques used to get a website to rank highly on internet search engines like Google.
When it comes to virtual stores, effectively implementing SEO tactics can boost website traffic, which will raise the likelihood of sales and, as a result, grow your clientele and revenue. Let’s look at a few steps that your SEO plan must include.
Use keywords, E-commerce platforms what do you need to know
Since users often type keywords into search engines, keywords—also known by their name in English—are the primary means by which users locate websites. This is the reason it’s so important to carefully consider your virtual store’s keywords.
You may utilize authorized tools like Google Trends or Google Analytics to determine which phrases are trending and, consequently, the ones that are most likely to direct users to your website. KW Finder, Ubersuggest, and Keywordtool are more platforms. By the way, Google could punish you if you overuse the same term on your page.
Use the ALT tag
Customers may physically view, handle, and even sample things in a real store. It makes no sense to do this in a virtual store. Nonetheless, since they enable consumers to thoroughly examine the unique characteristics of each product, images grow to be a crucial component of each online store.
But adding a good photo is not enough; you also need to enhance the photos using an SEO technique that involves stuffing the ALT field with relevant keywords. Search engines will find it easier to identify items as a result. Additionally, the words you write in the ALT area will substitute the picture if there is a problem with the programming or the content load, preventing it from being visible.
What is the ALT field’s formula? Very basic: the name, brand, and unique attributes of the product. For example, “Smartphone iPhone XR Blue” may be a useful ALT field if your online business is solely focused on selling electronics.
scalability
You face the possibility of a system breakdown if your online business is expanding quickly. The same thing might occur on occasions when a large number of individuals wish to purchase goods at once, such as during Hot Sales, CyberMonday, or Black Friday (in 2020, Black Friday expenditure on online purchases in the United States alone exceeded $9 billion).
The e-commerce platform where you host your virtual store has to be able to adjust to the large increase in customer base if you want to keep your virtual store from failing. Put differently, it asks to be scalable so that it can react to sudden increases in traffic. Not only will this keep the system from crashing, but it will also save your consumers from losing faith in your business or their sense of security.
content management
Similar to conventional establishments, e-commerce often has a high input/output flow. To put it briefly, the catalog is always changing and moving! Logs are subject to constant modification in response to the addition of new products, the unavailability of a certain item, special dates, specials, and promotions.
Any online business might become chaotic due to ineffective content management. It would cause miscommunications with clients and vendors, give the company a careless air, and ultimately result in lower income and fewer sales.
Your online store’s hosting platform should include tools for simple price administration as well as batch product import and export. It must also provide a rapid way to upload, amend, and remove goods from the catalog. The main goal of all of this is to produce a strict and well-organized record.
Security, E-commerce platforms what do you need to know
It’s time to talk about security, which is essential to any electronic commerce. Security in e-commerce is crucial, as evidenced by the fact that many people have used the increase in e-commerce to conduct crimes. Card theft, phishing, chargeback fraud, and other frauds are examples of these crimes. An exhaustive list of fraudulent tactics used in online retailers may be found in this page.
Scammers are not, however, the sole drawback with regard to security. The high percentage of order rejection is one of the major issues that electronic firms, especially those in Latin America, encounter globally. The statistics are concerning: in our region, only 6.8% of orders are returned due to possible fraud. This damages the reputation of the company, results in poor user experiences, and costs you some sales.
Your virtual store has to have a protection mechanism in place to prevent frauds and false positives from happening. For instance, Critical.net is an anti-fraud platform that uses strong automated procedures to identify illegitimate users and separate them from authorized ones.
We’ll look at a few of the things you can do to increase your online store’s security next.
Request an SSL protocol.
Although you may be familiar with this protocol, what exactly is SSL? The cryptographic system known as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer, sometimes referred to as “secure port layer”) ensures the confidentiality of any communication that occurs between a client and a seller. Stated differently, the SSL protocol ensures the confidentiality of all financial data.
Require strong passwords, E-commerce platforms what do you need to know
It’s true that consumers, not online business operators, are in charge of coming up with safe passwords. But you may take action by making demands of them! The fact that “123456” was the most used password globally in 2021 makes protecting user privacy even more crucial. While this is bad news for you and your clients, it is thankfully excellent news for fraudsters and other online criminals.
Encourage platform users to utilize symbols (such “!”, “%,” or “$”) and to construct lengthy passwords—ideally more than eight characters. You can also stipulate that the keys cannot connected to any personal information, like phone numbers, addresses, or dates of birth.
Use an HTTPS protocol.
When a customer makes a payment through your online business, the HTTPS protocol (which stands for “secure hypertext transfer protocol” in English) ensures that their financial information kept private. Using an HTTPS protocol will also guarantee that your website shows up among Google’s top results.
Ask for CCV codes and use the AVS system.
Potential fraudsters can be discouraged by using the AVS system and the CCV code. The CCV code, also known as the “credit card security code” or card verification value in English, is a string of three or four digits that, depending on the banking institution, are printed on the back of the credit card. However, AVS (also known as the “address verification system” in English) confirms that the billing address on the customer’s card and the registered address match.
filtered search, E-commerce platforms what do you need to know
Give customers using your online business the option to search for goods and services based on certain attributes. This is especially helpful if you have a large catalog or have varied your offerings to include items from several categories.
For instance, it’s advisable to divide your items into categories if your market limited (dairy, sausages, meat, seafood, etc.). If you own a clothes store, you may organize your inventory by color or category (underwear, shirts, jeans, etc.).
Payment options
Experts say that one of the most important aspects of internet shopping is making payments. Unfortunately, when buyers realize they can’t afford the price right away or find out their preferred payment method isn’t accessible, they frequently give up on the purchase. In actuality, more than 70% of carts frequently abandoned.
You should be able to pay using debit and credit cards at your online business. Another option you have is to allow customers to pay with cash on delivery, which means they pay when the goods delivered. Lastly, you have to offer payment channels like PayPal, Stripe, or Mercado Pago that safeguard consumer credit card information.
Shipping options, E-commerce platforms what do you need to know
In addition to payment options, one of the most essential e-commerce features is that they must make multiple shipping options available. For example, you can include a direct dispatch service to the customer’s home among the possibilities. Alternatively, you can manage shipments with public or private mail companies so that users can pick up the product at an intermediate point.
On the other hand, good e-commerce software should be very clear about shipping costs. The information must be clear and precise and appear on the page before the execution of the purchase.
Translation and localization
Are you focused on a local audience and want to broaden your horizons? Perhaps it is time to consider offering the e-commerce platform and the catalog in other languages. Even though your base of operations is in a country in Latin America, it is not a bad option to offer the possibility of translating the texts into English, French, or other languages.
Customer Management
In general terms, customer management the set of efforts carried out by a company to provide good service and ensure optimal customer experience. To do this, you can allow them access to features such as order tracking, purchase history, or a list of items saved as favorites.
Customer Support, E-commerce platforms what do you need to know
A virtual store must offer several customer service channels to resolve their doubts and attend to their queries and, if there are any, complaints. In addition, you must have contact forms, an email address, and attention on social networks. You can also make use of artificial intelligence tools such as conversational marketing.
feedback possibility
In the context of customer service, feedback—that is, the opinions and reactions of customers toward the brand’s actions—must taken into consideration. This is crucial since every review you write will encourage someone else to either buy from your company or avoid it altogether.
By providing an option for consumers to leave reviews and comments on your online business, you are creating an avenue for open communication. If you receive any unfavorable comments, kindly address them and keep trying to give the greatest service possible.
Ability to produce reports
To enhance business administration, an e-commerce platform has to be able to create reports both automatically and on a regular basis. This enables you to keep an eye on the key indicators and metrics (KPI) that gauge every aspect of your virtual stores, including sales volume, the percentage of customers who leave their carts empty, and the amount of money that is contributed to the business.
Why are e-commerce platforms growing?
Knowing the most important aspects of e-commerce, we now need to consider the reason behind the expansion of e-commerce platforms. What accounts for this trade’s extraordinary growth?
Even though consumer preferences have been shifting for a while, the COVID-19 epidemic was the catalyst for a significant shift in the game’s rules. In 2020, Internet retail sales grew globally by 27.6%, and in Latin America by an even greater 36.7%, per a report published by the research firm eMarketer. Some Latin American nations stood out more than others. Argentina, for instance, quadrupled the worldwide average with a gain of 79%, the greatest percentage in the world. Brazil came in second position in the area, a long way behind at 33.5%.
The availability of confinements in several nations, which promoted consumption through ordering applications and virtual wallets, was the reason for this rapid growth in online commerce. With this scenario in front of retailers, starting a virtual store becomes a calculated move to make money by entering a cutthroat industry.