Over the last few years, there has been a major shift in shopping trends, with many people switching to online shopping. This boom has been supplemented by electronic commerce or e-commerce platforms, which are online spaces that enable the buying and selling of goods and services; they work as digital stores. These platforms have transformed the selling process, allowing even the smallest vendors to manage products and process orders efficiently.

Must-have features of an e-commerce platform
When building or choosing an e-commerce platform for business, it is crucial to understand and analyze its essential features.

1. Intuitive interface
One of the first things businesses must look for is an e-commerce platform with a user-friendly interface (UI). If the customers cannot easily and quickly navigate the platform, they are likely to move on to another online store. This experience may also discourage them from returning to one’s website, impacting future sales in the process.

So, look for an e-commerce platform with an interactive UI to create an engaging user experience (UX). Focus on the website’s design to create a personalized and easy-to-navigate brand experience for customers. Consider some features that play a significant role in the website’s UI.

– Search and filtering options
Most customers use the search and filtering options to narrow down the results and find exactly what they are looking for. Any e-commerce platform a business chooses or builds must offer robust navigation to and through these tools so customers can easily find the product/service they want. Many leading e-commerce platforms today also equip the search bar with predictive AI, which may help upsell customers and simplify their search journeys.

– Footer navigation
Although less visible, footer navigation is also an important feature to consider. It helps users find the information they need in a single glimpse. It works wonders, as users can navigate through multiple pages with the click of a button instead of having to scroll through multiple pages.

– Product pages
Unlike a brick-and-mortar shop, customers cannot interact with the products when purchasing online. As a result, they rely on the listed product information and customer reviews to understand the product better and determine how well it fulfills their needs. To help customers make an informed decision, sellers should provide all the necessary information, including descriptions, photos, and videos of the product. These must be situated on unique product pages, along with space for user-generated content (UGC) like product reviews, photos, and ratings, as evidence to other shoppers regarding the genuineness of the product.

2. Return policies
Companies should also offer a good return policy, as it helps boost the customer’s confidence in their products. If customers end up having a negative post-purchase experience, they are less likely to come back and purchase from the brand again, affecting one’s business.

3. Order tracking and shipping facilities
Delivery time is a high priority for many customers. Not only do they want to know when their order will arrive, but they also want to keep track of where it’s going. This can be facilitated through order tracking features. Businesses must be upfront and honest about the shipping cost, insurance, and delivery time. Displaying these details on the product page rather than on the order confirmation page can help reduce the risk of abandoned carts.

4. Chatbots
One of the biggest selling points of e-commerce is that, unlike physical stores, it is not restricted to certain business hours. This allows customers to browse, interact, and make purchases around the clock. Since having a customer service representative at all hours may not be possible, companies have deployed AI-powered chatbots to automate customer interactions. This helps customers interact with the business in a professional manner and find answers to any queries or doubts they may have until an agent is available to assist them.

5. E-mail/phone/app notifications
All e-commerce websites have one common goal—to sell as much as possible. Since it isn’t always possible to convert visitors to paying customers on one’s website, businesses often turn to e-mail newsletters, push app notifications, and sales messages to attract and engage potential customers. As an e-commerce company, one must invest in these avenues to maximize sales and profits.

6. Mobile optimization
Most customers use their mobile devices rather than PCs or laptops to make purchases and place orders. So, it is extremely important to cater to such customers by optimizing the website/online store for mobile viewing and scrolling. In addition to this, companies must consider investing in branded mobile applications to help customers engage directly with the business.