So, you’ve decided to sell online. In order to effectively sell your products online, you need more than just a website. You need a plan. You need to understand how web design and form will impact your eCommerce sales. Which is why there is an entire sub-category of website design called eCommerce web development. Whether you hire a web design agency or take on that digital marketing on your own, here are some things you need to know about the form and function of your site.

• Remember, your customers “eat with their eyes”Psychologically, humans base a lot of their opinions on their initial perception. A French psychological experiment involving wine had people tasting two glasses of wine and describing the flavor. The kicker, both glasses were the same wine the only difference being — one was dyed red. The subjects described the wine’s flavor based on the color of the wine, lending some credence to the belief that taste has just as much to do with how something looks than just the flavor alone. This concept applies to web design too. If your website doesn’t look modern and isn’t easy to navigate it could have a negative effect on the customer’s perception of the product. Choosing design layouts that look modern and are easy to navigate will improve your overall online sales.

• Know the value of “search”This may kind of feel like a no-brainer, but if you don’t have a functioning and effective search bar on your eCommerce website it will be difficult to sell anything. Customers like efficiency. Most of the time if they can’t find what they are looking for on the first page they will search for it on the site rather than spend more time looking.

• SEO. Search Engine OptimizationWhen it comes to online marketing, you need more than just a good eCommerce website. You need to include search engine optimization. The more you promote your website within search engines, the better your site traffic, and the more sales-leads you will get. Effective eCommerce web development means creating an eCommerce site that utilizes search engine optimization.

Approximately $1,800 is spent by the average American customer, every year, in eCommerce transactions. eCommerce websites are becoming increasingly more necessary for businesses to promote their product. Often, hiring a digital marketing agency can help boost sales as they have more experience dealing with the process of eCommerce web development. By being aware of these factors, though, you should be able to hit the ground running on promoting your online sales.