E Commerce SEO All

Essential Features Of An E-Commerce Website

Shanu Qurashi

08/02/2025

Have you ever observed the transition from offline shopping to online shopping after covid - 19?
In this digital era, we have experienced a transition where we started looking for products and things online, from our groceries to day-to-day life essentials, we tend to buy things from an E-commerce website, that’s why this becomes a compulsion for any company to make their e-commerce website useful for their consumers!

Let’s explore the essential features of an e-commerce website

Responsiveness: 

This means that your website works well on different devices. It should look good on large screens like desktop computers and tablets, as well as on smaller screens like mobile phones. Why is this important? Well, about 58% of website visitors come from mobile devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you might lose potential customers.

Good Design:

Imagine your website as a shop. Even if you have great products, if the shop looks messy or unappealing, people won’t want to shop there. The same goes for your e-commerce site. No matter how awesome your products are, a poorly designed website won’t attract customers.

Fast Loading Speed: 

People are impatient online. If your website takes more than 2 seconds to load, visitors might leave. And for every extra second it takes, your chances of making a sale drop by 4%. Google also penalises slow-loading sites in search rankings. So, how can you speed up your website? Start by optimising your images – they’re often the main reason for slow loading times

Easy Navigation:

If you want to grow your e-commerce business, it’s crucial to make your website easy for visitors to explore. Imagine your website as a shop  if it’s confusing or hard to find things, customers might leave. To improve navigation:

Use a detailed navigation menu that guides users across different pages.
Consider a mega menu with links to all product categories and pages.
Don’t forget to add a detailed menu in the website footer too.

Site Search:

Not everyone has the patience to browse through page after page looking for a specific product. To solve this:

Add a powerful search feature to your site.
It should provide smart auto-suggestions, similar to Google and Amazon.
Make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for quickly.

Sorting and Filtering: 

These features are essential for successful e-commerce sites:
Sorting and filtering help prospects find products based on their preferences and budget.

Ensure these features are highly visible and efficient.
Allow sorting by price, colour, size, newness, reviews, and ratings.
Feel free to add more filter and sorting options as needed.

Multiple Payment Options:

Don’t limit customers to just one or two payment methods. Why?
Some payment options aren’t available in certain countries.
Offering multiple choices ensures you don’t miss out on sales.
Especially important for international customers.

Guest Checkout: 

Have you ever noticed that you don’t always need an account to shop on most online stores? That’s because many sites now offer guest checkouts. What does this mean? Well, it allows customers to buy products without creating an account. Why is this important? It improves the shopping experience – no need to remember yet another password! Plus, it captures impulsive buyers and reduces cart abandonment. If you force shoppers to sign in during checkout, they might get frustrated and leave their items behind.

Product Return Information: 

Not every sale goes perfectly. Sometimes, customers want to return a purchase. Maybe they got the wrong size, received a defective product, or simply changed their minds. Regardless of the reason, they need to know your return policy. Can they return products for free? How long do they have to wait? Can they exchange a product? These are the questions you should address in your return information.

FAQ Page: 

Having a product return policy is great, but it’s useless if shoppers can’t find it. Where’s the best place to display it? An FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page! Every e-commerce website should have one. Not only does it cover return info, but it also answers other common questions customers might have. So, create that FAQ page – it’s a must-have!

Support Chat:

While FAQ pages are helpful, not everyone enjoys reading through them. Some people prefer talking to a real person instead.

That’s where support chat comes in. It’s a crucial feature for your online store. Not only does it make your customers’ buying experience smoother, but it also boosts your business’s credibility.

Conclusion

If you're serious about growing your business, ensure you have essential eCommerce features on your website.