What are the secrets to websites that sell more? 

In any industry there’s always those stand out sites that seem to dominate. Those are the ones that take the lion’s share of consumer spending and always seem to outperform their rivals. While things like brand reputation and pricing play an important part, one of the keys to success is knowing exactly which website features help turn more browsers into buyers. Read on to find out what components, features and functionality help websites sell more…

Secret 1: They establish trust While it’s true that the longer the brand has been in business the easier it should be to build trust, there are several techniques you can build into the web design process to help consumers on their way to feeling confident.·Show the logos of known payment services in the footer – such as PayPal and credit card logos like Visa·Have an area for case studies and client testimonials·Use review site widgets so first-time visitors see a strong star rating when they first land on site·Have contact information displayed prominently·Use HTTPS rather than HTTP·Have a clear refunds and returns policy Secret 2: Navigation is easy A clean, clear navigation structure which makes it easy for the shopper to navigate the store is key to making more sales. While it seems like this should be an obvious web design consideration, the reality is that many stores do make it very hard to perform simple functions such as go from bag to store and navigate within categories. The easier you can make it for the user to journey through the site, the more they’re likely to buy. Secret 3: Multiple product images and videos Online shopping might be more convenient than a high street visit but it does fall down in one area – you can’t touch, feel, smell or taste something you buy online before you buy it. To work around that as much as possible, the most successful websites invest in plenty of good quality product photography. Retailers such as ASOS also include videos within their product listings, so you can actually see the item of clothing being worn by a real person.Images should be taken from multiple angles, be a decent size and show close ups of key details. Secret 4: Recommended products are used to increase order value Making more online sales isn’t just about winning more customers – it can also be achieved by encouraging existing customers to spend more. To do this, you need to make it easy for shoppers to navigate from the basket or cart back to the store. A recommended or related products feature is also very useful. Amazon employs this tactic very successfully across its marketplace, showing similar products and displaying a ‘frequently bought together’ up-sell.