The world of e-commerce has been expanding quickly over the decade, with further and further businesses turning online to expand their reach and increase their profit. Developing a successful e-commerce website is essential for businesses of all sizes, but it's not an easy task. There are various factors to consider, from the design and functionality of the point to the features that it offers. In this blog post, we will explore the top 16 must-have features of an e-commerce website and the approximate cost of each point.
User-Friendly Interface: The first and most critical feature of any e-commerce website is its interface & user-friendly navigation. Your website should be easy to navigate, with a simple and inherent design. Customers should be able to find what they are looking for quickly and easily. A scattered or confusing website can be a major turnoff for potential customers. A user-friendly interface can cost anywhere from INR. 15,000 to INR. 35,000, depending on the complications of your site.
Mobile Responsiveness: According to a report it is estimated that 56% of the e-commerce sales came from a mobile device, which is more than half of the user base. In today's digital age, more and more people are shopping online using their smartphones and tablets. Therefore, it's essential that your e-commerce website should be all device friendly. This means that the site will adjust its layout and design to fit the screen of any device it is being viewed on. Mobile responsiveness can cost between INR. 10,000 to INR. 30,000.
Product Pages: Product pages are the crucial part of any e-commerce website & the heart of any e-commerce website. Your product pages should be well-designed, visually appealing, and contain all the necessary information about the product like product as short & long descriptions, images, prices, add to cart, call to action, and customer reviews, etc. Product pages can cost up to INR. 10,000 to INR. 20,000, depending on the features on the page.
Shopping Cart & Checkout: Do you know that 74% of customers leave the website if your checkout process is difficult? Your shopping cart should be easy to use and allow customers to add, edit, and remove items. Your checkout system should be simple and up-to-date, with clear instructions and multiple payment options. We will also recommend adding the guest checkout option to the users. According to a report, 14% of customers leave the website if there is no guest checkout option. Shopping cart and checkout systems pay up to INR. 10,000 to INR.
Search Bar & Filters Option: There can be multiple categories & products in an e-commerce website, so it becomes difficult for customers to find the right product that they want. Search bars & filters (color, price, brand, size, etc) are the right solutions for this problem. Your search bar should be prominently displayed and allow customers to search for products using keywords, filters, and categories. This can help customers find the products they are looking for quickly and easily. Search functionality can cost approximately INR. 5,000 to INR. 10,000 for a website.
Product Recommendations: Product recommendations are a great way to keep customers engaged on your website & also increase sales. Your e-commerce website should have a recommendation slider that suggests products based on the customer's browsing and purchase history. This can help customers discover new products and increase the average order value in their shopping cart. Product recommendations can cost somewhere around INR. 5,000 to INR. 10,000.
Recently Viewed Product Slider: This slider is a very useful feature on e-commerce websites that works on a real-time basis that displays a selection of products that a customer has recently viewed during their browsing session. This feature typically appears on the product page or on the homepage of the e-commerce website and is designed to encourage customers to return to the products they have previously shown an interest in. This is a powerful tool for e-commerce websites to increase sales and customer engagement. It can cost around INR. 3,000 to INR. 7,000.
Reviews & Ratings: Reviews and ratings are a critical feature & also a social proof of any e-commerce website. Customer reviews provide valuable social proof and can help convince potential customers to make a purchase. It is the most popular form of user-generated content on an e-commerce website. Your e-commerce website should have a review and rating system that allows customers to leave feedback on products and services. Reviews and ratings can cost between INR. 5,000 to INR. 10,000.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs): It is the second most popular form of user-generated content on the website. These are the questions that your customers generally asked you while making a purchase on your website. This feature can save you a lot of effort & money from your customer service team, and also increase the number of sales by giving quick solutions for the user’s problem. Adding a FAQ section on your website can cost you somewhere around INR. 3,000 to INR. 5,000.
Order On WhatsApp: This is a very useful feature for startups to build trust with customers. We (ProfshineTech) have implemented this feature in our client’s website and found it very successful. It also increased the conversion ratio of the customers. Adding this feature helps you build trust, as customers obtain an additional option to chat directly with a real person instead of a robot, in case users face any difficulty while shopping. What's app feature may cost you INR. 5,000 approximately.
Multiple Images & Video: This is incredibly important for any e-commerce website to help customers analyze the product in detail with multiple images & videos. They are the closest thing customers have to a physical experience of the product, so it's essential to make the most of them. Having multiple images and videos on a product detail page can provide several benefits to your e-commerce business, like improved user experience, increase sales by detailed product information, & also reduce customer service queries. According to a report, product videos can increase purchase intent by up to 144%. The cost of adding multiple images & videos may cost up to INR. 3,000 to INR. 10,000.
Multiple Payment Gateway: Providing multiple payment options to customers increases the conversion rate on the website. It also helps in reducing the number of abandoned carts as they receive multiple payment options to choose from, which improves customer satisfaction. There are very less chances of payment processing errors, if one payment gateway experiences a technical issue, you can switch to another payment gateway to ensure that payments are processed smoothly. The cost of adding an additional payment gateway can cost you approximately INR. 3,000 to INR. 5,000 (per payment gateway).
Social Sharing: Social sharing on an e-commerce website refers to the ability of customers to share products directly through the website on social media platforms. This can be done by integrating social sharing buttons or icons on product pages or at the end of the checkout process, allowing customers to easily share the products they have purchased on the website with their friends and followers. Social media is a powerful tool to increase brand awareness. It can cost you around INR. 3,000 to INR. 7,000.
Shipping Option: This is one of the important parts of an e-commerce website, as it enables customers to choose and buy products with the added comfort of having them shipped directly to their doorstep. Shipping gateway is an online service that provides the functionality to calculate shipping costs, generate shipping numbers, and help customers to track packages. It helps you increase your reach globally beyond the local market. It can cost somewhere up to INR. 5,000 to INR. 10,000, depending on the intricacy involved in building it.
Return & Refund Policy: According to research at least 30% of all products bought online are returned, 67% of consumers check the return & refund policy page before buying, and 92% of consumers will buy again from you if the return process is easy. Make sure you have such a page on your website. It can help build trust with the customer, reduce the likelihood of disputes, & enhance seller credibility, etc. It can cost you around INR. 3,000 to INR. 5,000.
Customer Service: Customer service is a critical form of any e-commerce website. Your website should have a dedicated customer service section that provides customers with information on shipping, returns, and refunds. Your website should also have a live chat or support ticket system that allows customers to contact your support team for help. Customer service features can cost approximately INR. 5,000 to INR. 20,000.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of different features to consider while creating an e-commerce website. You need to think about the design of your site, the cost of your website’s design, the cost of hosting and maintaining your site, and any other costs that go along with keeping your site up and running. Now that you know more about your e-commerce website’s budget and costs, you’re in a better position to start planning out your site and putting it together. If you want to become a part of this rapid growth.
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