What to test in an eCommerce Website

People are adopting online shopping like never before, and global eCommerce market size is expected to grow very high in the coming years. Current technology trends and accessibility have made it possible for every business to create an eCommerce platform in no time and start selling. It is important to test eCommerce websites and mobile applications, so that it enhances users experience, customer data security, quick load time, safe and secure transaction. All these factors help in maintaining the website stability and enjoyable customers experience.

Why testing is important for your eCommerce success:

eCommerce applications have lots of users world- wide as they deal with finance, marketing retail and wholesale, manufacturing and auctions. Better testing techniques will safeguards the website from failure. The main reasons for testing your eCommerce application is to check the usability of the application, its user friendliness and to make your eCommerce website/ application bugs free.

Following are the important factors where testing of eCommerce websites would be helpful :

1. Ensuring the readiness of transactions :

Testing an eCommerce website will help you make sure that every single webpage on your website is tested well enough and is validated to complete all the eCommerce transactions. It will also confirm whether it is ready for the customer use or not.

2. Enhancing the usability :

The success of online buying website depends upon the increased and smooth usability, along with reduced risk factors. Testing process for eCommerce website deals with both of these aspects.

3. Reducing the risk of changes :

The changes in your eCommerce website should enhance customers experience and a hassle free transaction. Testing makes sure that the incorporated new changes doesn’t affect the website and it is bugs free.

4. Evaluating the functionality and compatibility against load :

In order to serve customers requirements and needs perfectly, every organization needs to ensure that the function provided in their websites are working properly at different amounts of load conditions and whether the website is able to support different browsers and platforms or not. Testing is a must for eCommerce website to ensure the compatibility and good working conditions of the website during heavy loads i.e. during holiday season as well.

Important segments of eCommerce testing :

Testing eCommerce website will help you to identify and rectify errors, that affect your website’s performance and a good customer experience.

#1. Home Page:

Home page is the first page to appear when a user opens the website. On an eCommerce website the homepage consists of a very rich and useful source of information. It is important to test the interoperability and functionality of the homepage of the e-commerce website.

#2. Category pages :

It is one of the major areas in terms of testing. The range and breadth of the products should be tested by checking that the products are grouped as per category or not. Also check, how quickly the user is able to find the correct product category on the website.

#3. Product detail page :

The product detail page is the heart of the eCommerce system. Hence it is really important to make sure that the product detail pages are tested thoroughly and how the functionality of these pages work. It involves checking elements like,

  • Product code and title
  • Product image
  • Enlarging the image
  • Product description
  • Full body view of the product….and many more.

#4. Shopping cart :

Separate resources and efforts should be dedicated towards the functionality of the shopping cart. They should also test that the quantities, shopping cart items and display option are shown accordingly. Whether the transactions taking place on the website or not ? The functionality of removing and changing items in a shopping cart should also be tested.

#5. Payment Gateways :

This factor is very important for both the businesses and the customers because it involves money. The payment gateway allows a merchant to accept credit, debit card and other forms of electronic payments. So payment modes should be safe and secure as these are important targets for hackers and scammers.  The checkout and payment gateway should also be tested with different payment options such as PayPal, online banking, cash, etc..,

#6. Search :

Most of the customers come to the website and search for a specific product that they have in mind. Hence the website should make it easier for customers to locate the product without much difficulty. This is a crucial segment which should be tested thoroughly. This factor helps in determining the success of the eCommerce website, because customers often have only a few features of a certain product in mind. Search algorithm of your website helps the visitor to find the best product, they are looking for. 

#7. After order tests:

Whenever a customer places an order there are many things that will happen afterwards, such as showing the shipping status, there is an option to cancel the order in case the customer doesn’t want it. Sometimes the customer wants to return their product in case of a defect or a complaint. So there should be a feature relating to the returns as well. The things to be tested here are that these features are working properly and are easy to use or not, because this can affect the customer.

#8. Browser compatibility:

It is important for eCommerce applications to work on all types of web browsers such as Google chrome, Firefox, opera etc.., you need to test the browser compatibility of the application to make sure that your customers are able to use your e-commerce website without any hassle.

Testing eCommerce application work flow :

  • Search functionality, sign up and login options
  • Features for posting product reviews so that other customers can see them and make their decision.
  • Sorting features, to filter different product types
  • Adding or removing products from the shopping cart.
  • Checking out process, invoice generation and order number, payment processing and payment gateway for buying the product

            So, to offer a hassle free e-commerce experience to customers, it is important to test the complete workflow of your website and mobile application. Before planning and performing the functional testing, specialists should understand and familiarize themselves with the e-commerce website very well, so that they can plan tests accordingly.

Pull up :

By conducting thorough eCommerce website application testing, you can significantly reduce the number of errors that crop up when the website is made live to your customers.

Best ECommerce Platform and Website Builders

ECommerce websites are virtual stores where products and services are listed in categories for customers to browse and buy them online. Many software providers offer best eCommerce platforms along with online store builder tools. With these set of tools you can create customized eCommerce website for your business. The best eCommerce platforms can enable your business to set up an online store that suits your need.

Best eCommerce Website Builders of 2020:

1. Wix :

This is a very simple and user friendly website. The big advantage of using wix is, it has easy drag and drop interface. It means you can drag and drop content blocks, spacers, images and texts wherever you want them. It also has limitless customization options .Wix usability scores 5/5 . It has a professional looking design without searching high and low for the right app’s. Wix provides a beautiful eCommerce website templates. You have to simply plug in your images and content on the website. It has two negative points, one is negative customers review and there is no 24/7 customer support.

2. Shopify :

It is regarded as one of the giant of the eCommerce world. It offers easy integration with your social media sales channels, user-friendly, inventory tracking and some decent SEO features. Shopify is the best eCommerce website builder for small business owners, who are just starting. As it has ample resource for new business owners. It helps not only to start your business, but also helps in developing it on long run. Shopify usability scores 3/5. Along with these pros of shopify there are certain weaknesses such as poor design on free templates, extra transaction fees on credit cards. Shopify is easier to use, if you pay for a quality theme and apps available on the platform.

3. Square space :

It is one of the cheapest website builders on the market. It’s an all-in-one solution provider website for small business. It also provides blog and beautifully designed site pages, which an online store needs the most. The pages on square space platform are easily navigable. Customers can find what they need quickly and easily. The square space usability score is 4/5. One of the weaknesses of square space is, it does not have a sound SEO and secondly you have to master the learning curve for square space.

4. Big commerce :

If your online shop is the core of your business, you should definitely consider big commerce. Big commerce is a website builder and eCommerce software solution together. Simply uploading the products, creates your eCommerce store. There is no need of any extra work to make your shop functional and well designed. Also you can add details about your product. It is also good in terms of search engine optimization [SEO]. Big commerce doesn’t charge transaction fees. It also offers support via phone, instant chat and email. It also provides advice guidance about online selling through their eCommerce team of expert. Big commerce usability scores 3/5. Few of the weaknesses of big commerce are limited free themes, negative customer reviews and complicated customization.

It was tested and found that big commerce wasn’t the easiest website builder, but it was one of the easier-to-use online store.

5. Woo commerce :

Woo commerce platform is very easy to use. It is simple to install and cheap to build an eCommerce website. Woo commerce is a free plugin, that can turn your WordPress website into a fully functional eCommerce website. Through woo commerce, you can customize your eCommerce website according to your needs by choosing your own plugins. This makes woo commerce one of the best contenders for those looking to start an online retail business.

6. Core commerce :

Core commerce was set up in 2001 to focus more on providing eCommerce services to small and medium business. This platform is based on simplicity and transparency. It promises the customers that it is easy-to-use platform with no hidden charges. Core commerce offers store designing, order processing and marketing. It also offers unlimited product customization.

7. 3dcart :

This platform is user friendly with plenty of innovative features. 3dcart was incorporated with most eCommerce features into one platform. This platform helps you to increase visitors and sales. Includes features like social media marketing, SEO and an expansive market place. It also has a strong support team, which works round the clock to ensure that your website works optimally. Many of the features of 3dcart platform are highly tailored to the needs of each business.

8. Weebly :

Weebly is an all purpose drag and drop website builder, with lots of customization. It also offers a free website builder option. It provides shoppers with a convenient shopping cart. Weebly shopping cart software is set up automatically when you create your online store. So you can start selling online immediately, no technical skills needed. Weebly usability score is 4.5/5. Main weakness of Weebly are

  • fewer customer service options
  • extra costs for most eCommerce option

Conclusion :

The right eCommerce site builder for your business will depend mostly on your budget and your business. Each eCommerce platforms and websites has their own pros and cons. So consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.

Things you need to do after launching your eCommerce website

The real work begins after launching e-commerce website. Many businesses launch their website, but very few succeed. Once the site is set up there are several other things which should be ensured, so that it is ready for the users.

Things you should do after launching an eCommerce website

#1. Be ready with Product Feeds:

Once the website is launched, now its time for the world to know about it. Here comes the product data feed. Product data feed is a file which includes a text based list of data from an eCommerce store. The file includes list of products in an organized way. So that each product can be displayed advertised or compared in a unique way. Submitting product data feed to shopping channels like amazon, Flipkart and others. Make sure your data is specific and comprehensive. This helps you to maximize your online exposure through product visibility.

#2. Web Analytics:

Web analytics helps in measuring web traffic. This is used as a tool by eStore owners to assess and improve the website effectiveness. Google analytics alone is enough to receive traffic statistics. This helps you to know 1. How many people are visiting your site. 2.where the traffic is coming from ?.

#3. Webmaster Tools:

Google webmaster tools [GWT] is a free service that helps you to evaluate and maintain your website’s performance in search results. It offers you valuable information that can help you in marketing. Also tells you which queries are driving the most traffic. It allows you to know about the website security compromises and to eliminate the same.

#4. Improve the Content:

Keep churning out the new content. Nobody wants to visit a stale website. So keep producing a steady stream of content to keep the site relevant and current. Make your content simple and clear. It should be accessible to a wider audience. High quality and informative content boosts the search engine ranking, resulting in driving massive traffic to the site. So it is well said “content is the king “.

#5. Improve the Site Speed:

Site speed is one of the main factors for ranking websites in the search engines. Searchers hate waiting. Check the loading time of the webpage, if it takes more than 3 seconds to load than there is need to make the website lightning fast. There are many tools available to make the site faster. Such as web page test, google page speed, yslow and others.

#6. Promote the Website:

Online marketing has become so popular and successful that businesses are spending more on promoting website. Promoting the website via social media, SEO, promotional ad’s content marketing are more commonly used platforms. Having a blog on your website can increase your ranking on  search engines. You will get both exposure, traffic and social media share.

#7. Social Media:

Social Media is the most influential tool for any type of business, whether it is online or offline. It helps in connecting with the customers and driving them back to the website. Do some research and find which social media helps in driving more traffic to the site and increasing the conversion ratio. Online stores with the social media presence such as Facebook, Twitter accounts, has 32% more sales than the average store.

#8. Optimize Search Engines:

Website optimization is essential to make it more easily found by search engines. Using of relevant keywords through out the website content can do wonders. while dealing with eCommerce store ,customer rush online can slow down the search engine. So it is essential to optimize the search engine performance for a hassle free trading. Make sure to optimize the website content for local search, image search and voice search.

#9. Google Search Console:

Google Search Console is a free service offered by google. It helps to monitor, maintain and any difficulty the website is facing. Google search console helps to understand how Google sees the website and can take specific steps to improve the ranking. It also points out internal errors, if there are any. This is an extremely valuable tool to set up on the website.

Conclusion:

Launching an eCommerce website is not an easy task. What you do after the launch really determines your success. Keeping up the business website is an uphill task. But the above mentioned tactics can truly change the game.

Product Taxonomy

Increasing Productivity through Product Taxonomy

Product taxonomy is defined as creating a structure to organize all available products in a way that customers can find. In product taxonomy, all available products are put into several categories to which specific attributes are applied. A good taxonomy is a perfect combination of user behavior, trends, and cultural differences. The end result being it becomes easy for the customers to find their desired product amidst the long list.

Having a proper product taxonomy is very important as it leads to faster purchase decision-making and incremental business sales. Improper taxonomy can cause loss of sales. Product taxonomy cannot and must not be avoided. In this blog, we will look at how product taxonomy increases productivity.

Research has found that a poorly structured website causes 50% less sales as compared to a properly organized website. Visitors tend to visit a particular website while they browse over the internet. If your products are not properly placed within the website, either the website will miss out on potential searches, or the visitor will visit your website but will be unable to find the product. In both the situations, your product sales will be affected.

A well-built taxonomy will allow your website to display relevant products at all times, directly impacting the decision-making process of the buyer. Clear distinct categories and correct labelling directly improves business sales.

Here are some best practices to develop the right product taxonomy for your eCommerce business:

  • Get an energetic team onboard and explain them the importance of good product categorization. Try to get a qualified team who have degrees in information science or linguistics. They will be capable of understanding the right terminology and hierarchy.
  • Understand your users’ psychology and shopping behavior. Study the way customers navigate through different websites and choose their product. Find out their search behavior and factors that influence their buying decision. You can also talk to them or conduct a survey to understand their likes and dislikes distinctly.
  • Have a deep understanding of your entire data. Focus on information that really matters to your buyers. Maintain the accuracy of the product information.
  • To categorize, start visualizing your products with various attributes. A complicated taxonomy is of no use to anyone. Prepare a proper hierarchy to all the categories. Stay consistent with names at all levels. Users tend to spare lesser time searching for products; hence, the taxonomy needs to be as simple and clear as possible.
  • Allow your users to navigate and test your taxonomy in all possible ways. Take reviews and modify your taxonomy accordingly to make it better. Taxonomy must be updated regularly. Add new categories and improve the hierarchy whenever necessary.
  • The taxonomy must be the same across all the business units within the company. There must not be any discrepancies internally.

Product taxonomy is an important foundation for the success of any eCommerce business. A good product taxonomy is always built keeping the users in mind. It can start with simply writing on a few cards and creating divisions, to developing them into a brilliant architecture that customers would love to visit again and again in order to shop. Product taxonomy made right will increase productivity and enhance business sales. In the longer run, an efficient taxonomy minimizes the work of both the buyer as well as the seller.

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Three ways to Streamline your eCommerce Supply Chain

Supply Chain is an important process for any organization which enables efficient movement of raw materials and finished products from the manufacturer to retailer, distributor, finally reaching the end customer. A strong supply chain can reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction.

For an eCommerce setup, the supply chain process includes sourcing, storage, fulfillment, distribution, IT and transportation. Supply chain most often takes care of three aspects of any product – Price, Quality, and Lead Times. It depends on the organization whether they want a well-priced product, high quality product, or a product that reaches the fastest to the market. The main objective of supply chain is to have the right products in the right quantities at the right moment and at minimal cost.

Here are some of the benefits of an efficient supply chain management:

·  Reduction of costs across the supply chain and more efficient management of working capital

·  Efficient management of raw materials, work-in-process, and finished good inventory

·  Increased efficiency between supply chain partners and their transactions

·  Enhanced customer value

In this blog, we will look at the ways in which you can streamline your eCommerce supply chain in order to help it function more efficiently.

1. Dock to Dock Processes and Systems

Avoid stock delays by increasing throughput and product order cycle time. One can improve the process by getting some work done by the manufacturers, in order to reduce delays and expenses. It is best to have vendor compliance policies, transportation routing guide, and product specifications barcoding in place to ensure that there is minimal mismanagement. This way supply chain delays can easily be avoided.

2. Optimize Inventory Management

Inventory management is an important part of supply chain. Having the right items in stock at the right time can be challenging. The solution to overcome this challenge is to be efficient in planning, purchasing, and managing inventory. Another tip is to have clear communication with the vendors on the purchase order delivery dates.

3. Reduce Shipping Costs

eCommerce companies are finding ways to shorten their delivery time which will result in reduced shipping costs. Shipping costs can be reduced significantly if one takes care of the inventory management. Having the right stock and shipping it at the right time helps in faster delivery. This way, customers can expect low-cost shipping charges or even free shipping charges at times.

Streamlining supply chain is very important for any eCommerce business as it enables better customer service. This also proves to be of financial advantage to the organization, since it reduces freight costs, and optimizes the entire process for better functioning. Companies must assess and streamline their supply chain process regularly in order to avoid any fulfillment delays and unnecessary expenses.

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Make your e-store work more for you with Unifi-I

Unifi-I enhances your e-commerce store with sub-second-page load speeds, giving the user a better e-shopping experience, which helps to retain customers and build a relationship. Converting your eCommerce sites to sub-second eCommerce websites accelerates your conversion by 15-30 %. 

Let’s look at how Unifi-I can get more out of your e-store for your business. 

  1. Improved User Experience – Improves user experience such as navigation and searchability. Seamless skimping between pages without delay or search results or page clicks that output the results in instant, keep users engaged in your e-store.
  1. Speed – Unifi- I enable faster loading of WebPages. The ideal response time to keep the visitor engrossed in your e-store is 0.1 sec. Unfi-I achieves a sub-second page load by making your website ultra fast and super fast which helps to load web pages faster making your e-store connect with your visitor instantly.
  1. Increased Time on Site – Visitors spend more time with your e-store when it is easy, comfortable, and user friendly to surf through your e-store. With Unify, It results in more traffic, and more browsing actions get converted to purchases resulting in better conversion.
  1. Right Technology and Tools – Unify-I integrates your e-store using front end technologies such as Progressive Web Applications (PWAs), Single-Page Applications (SPA), and AMP which decrease the page load time for speed optimization. 
  1. Better SEO Rankings – Improved page loading speed results in decreased abandonment rates and makes people come back for more. With higher SEO ratings due to increased traffic, your website will be recognized by Search Engines like Google, Bing etc.
  1. Improved Conversion Rates – Faster page loads result in better conversion rates. Pages that are loaded in 2.4 seconds have a 1.9% conversion rate. Even a slight increase in conversion rate has a huge impact on the e-store revenue. 
  1. Advantage over competitors – With a modern front end using Single-Page Quick Ordering Web App technology Unifi delivers the competitive advantage in a faster page load that your e-store requires to stay at the top of the game. The website that loads faster will rank higher. 

A study proves that 53% of web surfers exit from pages that take longer than 3 seconds to load. Even a one-second delay in website page loading time reduces the number of page views by 11 %. This goes on to show how page load speed is crucial to reach your customers and it is the most important aspect for a successful online presence. 

Altius’s quest to offer perfect eCommerce Solutions have led to continuously assimilating, researching and analyzing customer’s business needs and the hindrances they face in running their e-store. Unify-I offers e-stores’s ease in running the platform with awesome navigation and speed to generate higher revenue.