When it comes to developing a successful e-commerce website, much thought is put into what products will be offered and how customers will find the website when shopping for a particular product.

Equally important but often overlooked, you also want to make sure that the e-commerce site in question is easily accessible and navigable by potential customers. The following five tips relate to the most crucial aspects of web design for e-commerce sites and will guarantee future success for your venture.

Minimal Clicking

When a potential customer is navigating any given e-commerce site, his or her opinion of the site can be influenced by the simplicity of ordering. Customers may ‘walk away” if the ordering process seems complicated. You want to make sure that all of your products are offered in a streamlined fashion, with the user being able to click ‘Buy’ and check-out with as few clicks as possible. Many commerce sites offer solutions such as PayPal that make this process simple and quick for both the buyer and the seller.

Simple Navigation

When pursuing any e-commerce site, the customer is seeking order and simplicity. Those who provide this to the customer are rewarded with their business. By making sure that all of your items are properly categorized while also maintaining as few categories as possible, your customers will not feel overwhelmed when browsing. Offering the description and specifications of the item upfront is encouraged and if possible, should be viewable prior to clicking on the selected item. This will give the customer a better idea from the start whether or not this is a product that suits them.

Straightforward Pricing

Customers shy away from e-commerce sites that are dodgy about what their products cost or hide the prices until you click on the item and scroll to the bottom of the page. In order to make your customers feel at home, use visible pricing and display it for each product in the selections for any particular category. A customer wants to see a price and description of the item before wasting time clicking on it, so don’t be coy: provide a good price and display it much like a brick-and-mortar establishment would (in the front window).

Customer Support

Many e-commerce websites lack the proper venues for customers to communicate and ask questions about select products. Offering a 24/7 solution such as live chat can give customers around-the-clock access to not only your products, but also any questions they may have about them. You can hire support for your website from a variety of different companies for very affordable prices and they will be able to answer questions about any and all products you have (you simply have to supply the information).

Complex Search

Having just a simple search feature will not do in this age of e-commerce. By offering customers the ability to search by price, category and other selections will allow them to find out whether or not you have the exact product they need. In many instances, products may not be discovered by the user without advanced filtering and search options. When it comes to search options, trade simplicity for features; customers appreciate the excessive ability to isolate and search for any given item.