Ecommerce Website Optimization: How to Improve Your Pages

When it comes to ecommerce website optimization, it's essential to understand how it can improve the performance of your pages. This directly affects the user experience and increases the chances of turning them into customers.

Website optimization isn't only about technical details, it has to do with the page design and content. Another advantage is that optimizing your pages increases the chances of appearing on Google's first search result pages.

Why Optimize Your Ecommerce Website

There are many reasons why ecommerce website optimization matters. In a competitive market such as the one on the Internet, customers look not only for great products but also for great experience. If you have a poorly constructed website, the chances you are losing sales because of that are high.

Improve User Experience

When you optimize your website, a set of changes is implemented to offer the best experience to the people who access your pages. From the home page to the checkout, the layout is designed to make it easier to find the main information and browse through the ecommerce sections.

Increase Conversion Rate

As your potential customers are more satisfied with the experience on your website, the conversion rates increase as a consequence. Ecommerce website optimization is also about building pages that will guide the customer through the buying journey.

Conquer more Visibility

Ecommerce website optimization is strongly connected with SEO optimization. Google's algorithm analyzes multiple aspects of a page to rank it. If your pages have good content, load fast, and use keywords strategically, you may gain visibility by appearing on the first search result page of Google and other search engines.

Increase Sales

The main goal of an ecommerce website is to sell and profit, isn't it? Ecommerce website optimization focuses exactly on that. With the improvements implemented, your chances of selling more can grow significantly.

9 Ecommerce Website Optimization Tips

1 - Make Keyword Research

When you are building the content for a page, whether it's a product page or an article for a blog, it's interesting to search for relevant keywords related to what you are approaching. For example, analyze what terms people use to search for the product you are selling, and use it in the product description.

You can use search engine marketing software for that, such as SemRush, and Ahrefs.

2 - Apply On-Page SEO

On-page SEO refers to changes you can make to a page to make it rank better on search engines. It includes:

• Use the main keyword in the URL
• Write meta description
• Insert high-quality images
• Write alt text
• Deliver valuable content

3 - Optimize the Product Page Layouts

A product page layout must be made to highlight the product's qualities. When someone accesses this type of page, they must be able to quickly identify the main information they are looking for.

The product price has to be easy to find, and the product description too, which should include details like the size, color, brand, and functions. A well-built layout is fundamental to displaying all this information in an organized way.

4 - Include Customer Reviews

To make the product page even more appealing to customers, include social proof of the quality of the item you are selling. You can insert a customer review section on the side of the page or at the end. Encourage your customers to always send reviews, this adds credibility to your brand and products.

5 - Make A/B Tests

Another useful way to know how to make your ecommerce website perform the best as possible is to make A/B tests. You will create two different pages for the same product, and change, for example, the call to action (CTA).

You will publish one version and then change to the other. After that, analyze which page offered the best results. If you used different CTAs, the call to action that had more clicks is the one you should maintain. You can test images, design options, and much more.

6 - Enhance the Mobile Shopping Experience

According to Statista, more than 60% of the internet population worldwide uses a mobile device to go online. This also means people are making more purchases through these devices.

To avoid losing sales, you need to have a mobile-friendly website. Make sure that your pages work properly when opened on smartphones and tablets. Accessing a page that doesn't have a responsive design through a mobile device is a bad experience, and most people will likely close the page in the first few seconds.

7 - Simplify the Checkout Process

A complicated and slow checkout process makes many customers give up on finishing a purchase. You may lose a sale in the final step just because of a poorly designed or too slow page, for instance.

Analyze how your checkout process currently works, and identify how you can enhance it and make it simpler. Remember to always reassure the customer that the whole process is secure and their data is safe.

8 - Align Your Message With Your Target Audience

When designing and writing the content of each page, don't forget to keep your target audience in mind. What demands you can help them solve? What types of websites do they like to visit? How can you create pages that draw their attention?

Those are important questions, whose answers will guide you through optimizing your website to achieve great results. Knowing your target audience is fundamental not only to making our website but to creating effective marketing and sales strategies.

9 - Improve Page Load Time

What is the average load time of your website pages? If the pages take too long to load, your website traffic can decrease, which affects how your pages rank on search engines, and even worse you will probably lose sales.

There are speed test tools that you can use to check that. Some page elements can slow down the loading time, such as heavy images or videos, try to reduce the file size before uploading them to your page.

12 Ecommerce Website Builders

If you haven't built your ecommerce website yet, don't worry, it may be easier than you think. You can use an ecommerce website builder that doesn't require professional knowledge in coding or design.

1. Wix

Wix is an easy-to-use ecommerce platform, which provides web hosting services and enables you to easily customize all of your website pages using its editor, and also choosing pre-built templates. If you are starting to build your brand's identity, you can enjoy the Wix Logo Maker, and brand name generator.

You can have more than 50.000 products in your online store, and manage your inventory and the sources from your suppliers using Wix tools. To set payments, you have the option to choose from multiple methods, including major credit card companies, PayPal, and Stripe. 

Are you thinking of selling on marketplaces and social media platforms? With Wix, you have the possibility to sell on multiple sales channels and manage everything from a unique dashboard, having a synchronized inventory. 

Wix also has SEO tools to help you rank better on search engines like Google, and sell more. Besides, it also counts on Marketing solutions, the platform creates optimized ad campaigns on Facebook and Instagram for you. 

Highlighted features:

• Ecommerce website builder
• More than 500 pre-built templates
• Logo maker
• Business name generator
• Wix Payments 
• Automate your taxes
• Sell in multiple channels
• SEO and marketing tools

2. Bluehost

If you want to use WooCommerce to build your online store, Bluehost enables you to do exactly that. You can choose a pre-built template and customize it according to your brand's identity, select the color palette, add images and other graphic elements, insert texts, choose the font types, and much more. 

You also have the option to install different types of plugins to include ads in the website, forms,  and links to social media, for example. Explore the built-in SEO tools to optimize all the pages so you can rank better on search engines, which helps to increase website traffic. 

Highlighted features:

• Free domain
• Free SSL
• Free CDN
• Pre-built templates
• Insightful analytics
• Automated security updates
• Backup data protection
• 24/7 support
• SEO tools
• Powerful plugins

3. Shopify

One of the most famous ecommerce platforms in the world, Shopify focuses on offering you simple solutions from building your store to managing it. You can choose among more than 70 themes to start customizing your ecommerce and develop each page as you wish. 

Use the drag-and-drop store builder to change the color palette, and add your logo, images, videos, text, and other elements. You also have the option to create a new domain or use one you already have. Another important feature is that your website is going to be mobile-friendly, all of the Shopify themes have a fully responsive design. 

When it comes to setting payments and shipping, Shopify also offers unique solutions. With Shopify Payments, you can accept credit cards immediately without the need for third-party accounts. To make the shipping process simpler, you will get calculated shipping rates. Enjoy the built-in SEO features and automated marketing too. 

Highlighted features:

• Drag-and-drop store builder
• Designed for mobile
• Shopify payments
• Comprehensive dashboard
• Built-in SEO features
• Automated marketing
• Synced inventory
• Shopify apps

4. SITE123

With SITE123, you can have your online store running with just a few steps. Use its intuitive website editor to create and customize the pages, including the home page, product categories, and each product page.

Remember to add high-quality pictures of your products and to write complete descriptions. SITE123 will help you to have a mobile-friendly website, so customers can have a great experience buying on your ecommerce site regardless of the device they are using. Besides, the platform also offers free hosting, free domain registration, and SEO tools.

Highlighted features:

• Website editor
• Mobile Friendly
• Free hosting
• SEO tools
• Custom Domains
• 24/7 customer support

5. Webnode

Webnode is perfect for companies that are looking for an ecommerce platform that will not only host your website but also take care of the coding part for you. You will find multiple store templates, which were developed to help you sell and make your products stand out. They have a responsive design, which means the images will be adjusted according to the screen size.

You can offer a variety of payment options to your customers, credit cards, PayPal, Stripe, and wire transfer, for example. You also have the flexibility to set shipping options as you prefer and allow customers to track their orders. 

To analyze your website performance, Webnode provides store statistics, so you can check what needs to be improved, and identify the most profitable products, and loyal customers. 

Highlighted features:

• Website builder
• Reliable hosting
• Unlimited number of pages
• SEO tools
• Responsive store templates
• Store statistics
• Simple checkout
• Import products in bulk

6. Shoplazza

Are you looking for an easy-to-use ecommerce platform that enables you to quickly have your online store? Shoplazza offers you multiple features, starting with pre-built templates that can be completely customized using the drag-and-drop editor. 

With the inventory management system, you can use the platform to keep control of the stocks. You can offer as many products as you wish on your online store, and accept multiple currencies and different payment methods.

Shoplazza even counts on more than 150 shipping partners to help you organize the delivery process. 

Highlighted features: 

• Pre-built templates
• Drag-and-drop online store button
• Inventory management system
• Marketing tools
• SEO tools
• Staff accounts
• Multiple payment options
• Shipping partners

7. BigCommerce

BigCommerce offers multiple solutions for you, depending on what your company needs. When accessing its Website, you are going to find two options: Enterprise and Essentials.

BigCommerce Enterprise offers you an open SaaS ecommerce platform. It allows you to design your online store with freedom, and create a unique experience for your customers. Besides, you have the opportunity to use headless ecommerce and count on powerful analytics. 

BigCommerce Essentials is focused on companies that want an ecommerce platform that doesn't require design or coding skills. You will be able to use professional pre-built templates and customize the storefront to add your brand's visual identity. 

Then, you are going to find multiple features such as search engine optimization, sales channels integrations, and management tools.

Highlighted features:

• BigCommerce Essentials
• BigCommerce Enterprise
• Page builder
• Pre-built templates
• Check out customization
• SEO tools
• Management tools
• Headless commerce

8. Ecwid

Ecwid enables you to create a website within a few minutes and then set up your online store without requiring any coding or software installation. If you already have a website, you can also use the platform to just add an ecommerce section to it. 

Another benefit is that you can use Ecwid to sell in multiple sales channels, like Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Instagram, and have a centralized inventory. It will make the order management processes much easier and help to avoid errors such as selling sold-out items. 

Highlighted features:

• Website builder
• Sell on social media and marketplaces
• Centralized inventory
• More than 50 payment options

9. WooCommerce

Are you looking for an ecommerce builder that works perfectly for WordPress websites? No doubt, WooCommerce is the best solution for that, because it was built on WordPress, which means considering all the necessary features to perfectly sync with it.

If you already have a website WordPress, what you are going to do is to add the WooCommerce plugin and customize your store with pre-built templates. But, if you don't have it, you can start by creating your account and setting up the site along with your online store. 

One of the greatest advantages of WooCommerce is that you can add several extensions such as TaxJar, Google Ads, Mailchimp, ShipStation, Jetpack, and Facebook. They are going to help you manage your strategies in a more centralized way, and also improve the customer experience. 

Built with a REST API, Woo Commerce was thought to be a scalable tool, which means it is able to adapt according to your business needs, as you grow. To enhance your performance and learn from others, you will count on a  huge global community and be able to participate in several meetups. 

Highlighted features:

• Built on WordPress
• Customizable, open-source ecommerce platform
• 140 specific payment gateways
• Live shipping rates
• Marketing integrations
• Support forum
• Set prices in multiple currencies
• Create multilingual content
• Scalable platform 
• Hundreds of extensions
• Manage the store from your mobile device
• Track your stats
• 30-day money-back guarantee

10. Jumpseller

When you create your online store it must have your brand’s visual identity. To do that, having customizable mobile-friendly templates will make that task much easier, and JumpSeller offers it. You can edit all the pages the way you wish, including the checkout, and have your store set up in different languages. 

Jumpseller is partnered with shipping companies, allowing you to save money by using the discounts offered, and other facilities like print labels. Besides, you can expand your business by accepting payments from different currencies and using local payment methods. 

The ecommerce builder has an all-in-one platform where you can manage different sales channels on the same dashboard, and create marketing strategies too.

Highlighted features:

• Customizable theme
• Mobile-friendly
• Translate your store into several languages
• Create your domain
• Discounts with partnered shipping carriers
• Accept various currencies
• Connect to social media
• Sell in several channels

11. Strikingly

Strikingly isn't only a website builder, but also enables you to easily create your online store. You will find a big amount of customizable templates, which are easy to edit and all of them have a responsive design. 

The platform offers 4 different plans, Free, Limited, Pro, and VIP, all of which have the possibility to include an online store. You should pay attention, though, to the number of products each plan allows you to add. For example, in the free plan, you can sell only one product.

On the ecommerce management dashboard, you can connect to PayPal or Stripe, easily set shipping methods, and add coupons. Besides, Strikingly has tools to help you create membership logins, and forms, set up email marketing, and direct your customers to your social media pages. 

Highlighted features: 

• Register a new domain or use one you already have
• Analytics built-in
• HTTPS built-in
• Easily customizable templates
• Add links to your social media pages
• 24/7 support
• Create and manage forms
• Register memberships

12. Weebly

Enabling entrepreneurs for developing professional ecommerce websites has become much simpler through Weebly features. With customizable themes, you can edit the one you choose and easily create a unique store by using the drag-and-drop builder. 

Weebly also offers several marketing tools, for example, you can send a welcome email to new customers or a special discount when you see an abandoned cart. You can also analyze your ecommerce performance through SEO tools and install a huge variety of apps to make the customer experience even better. 

You can launch and manage your store from anywhere, using the mobile app on your smartphone or tablet. The inventory is easily tracked, and, in case of needing to add a big number of products at the same time, you can bulk import.

Highlighted features:

• Customizable themes
• Marketing tools
• SEO tools
• Several apps to install
• Real-time shipping rates
• Bulk import
• Coupon builder
• Product search
• Automatic tax calculator

Keep Your Ecommerce Website Always Updated

After implementing the best practices for ecommerce website optimization, the work isn't finished. The internet is in constant evolution, so it's essential to pay attention to new trends, and technology changes, so your website won't fall behind.

Keep track of the metrics, analyze the competition, and look for ways to improve constantly. These will certainly help your online store to stand out from the others.