Branding has become a bit of a buzzword in the last decade or so, but there’s a very good reason for that. Markets are so saturated that if you want your customers to remember you out of all the other places where they spend their money, you need strong branding. This means that your eCommerce site must offer your customers an experience that they can’t get anywhere else.
In this guide, you’ll get seven top tips to customise your WordPress eCommerce site – including some you’ve never thought of.
Before we get started, there’s the crucial principle to remember when you’re customising your WordPress website.
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Customer, then customise
Customising your eCommerce site isn’t about adding all sorts of bells and whistles just for the sake of making your website different. If your customisations are to serve any useful purpose, they must all centre around one person: your customer.
If black is your favourite colour, but you sell scrapbook stickers to girls in kindergarten, it probably won’t do to drown their joy in screens of endless black. Every design decision you make for your WordPress eCommerce site must be something that will make your target customer squeal with joy (or at least nod approvingly, depending on your target market).
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get to the tips on how to customise your WordPress eCommerce site:
Tips for customising your WordPress eCommerce site
1. Customise your 404 page
It’s only a matter of time before your customers see your 404 page. A well-designed, glitzy website can be completely undone by a 404 page that looks like very little thought went into it. It’s a bit like hosting guests in your gleaming, well-scrubbed kitchen, only for a cupboard to pop open and reveal all the dirty pots and pans you’d stuffed inside.
If you want to take your WordPress website (and customer experience) to the next level, absolutely put effort into creating a 404 page that aligns with your brand.
2. Choose the right web host
A good web host is the base of any good website. Your web host’s servers will determine how quickly your website loads and how often it crashes. Choosing a web host with fast servers is an easy way to set your eCommerce site apart from all the slow-loading websites littering the internet.
But even if you choose the right web host, your eCommerce site can still suffer if you choose the wrong hosting package. It’s tempting to save money on hosting by choosing the smallest web hosting package available, but if you do this, you’ll end up losing customers (and even more money, in the long run).
3. Choose the right hosting package
For an eCommerce site that gets high traffic, we recommend a VPS server rather than a shared server. VPS servers give you more security, more customisation options, and more privacy than a shared hosting plan.
And, if you have the budget (and the customer base) for it, you might even want to spring for a swanky dedicated server.
(Click here to learn to make a seamless transition from a VPS server to a dedicated server.)
4. Keep your WordPress eCommerce site crisp and clean
No matter how much you customise your WordPress eCommerce site, be careful not to add so much pizzazz that you end up overwhelming your visitors.
If your customers feel confused or hesitant for even one second, they’ll be far less likely to buy whatever you’re trying to sell them. If you want your customers to open their purse strings, you’ll need to make them feel confident in their decisions – which means they’ll need to be able to read your website.
Keep your eCommerce site streamlined and clean, and watch your conversions grow.
5. Use plugins to your advantage
There are many plugins designed to speed up your WordPress website. You can also get plugins that increase security, help you create an undeniable Call To Actions, and even give your customers the social proof. All this aims to convince them to make a purchase. Find plugins that enhance your eCommerce site, and use them.
6. Add social media icons
Your eCommerce site shouldn’t be the only way you show off your brand’s personality. With social media, you can show your customers the people behind your brand and all the hard work that goes into creating the products they love!
If you create great content on social media, you can also keep your brand at the top of your customers’ minds, so they’ll immediately think of you when they want to make a purchase.
Take advantage of all the conversion magic you can create with social media by adding social media icons to your WordPress eCommerce site.
7. Add a contact form
A contact form is the best way to ensure you can market to your customers even when they’re away from your website. If you want, you can even throw in a freebie that they can get in exchange for adding their info to your contact form. But whatever you do, make sure you add a contact form to your WordPress eCommerce site.
Wrapping up
You want your WordPress eCommerce site to stand out from all the others vying for your customers’ attention (and money). With a bit of brainstorming, the right web host, and some smart choices, you can turn your eCommerce site into a conversion machine.
