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Usability of an online store: 5 points for a successful business
The development of turnkey online stores is the solution that most entrepreneurs come to. The sphere of creating websites and online stores is becoming increasingly difficult, because it simply makes no sense to rely on your own experience and skills. In addition, even creating an online store from scratch on your own, you will need a team of specialists whose competence you will be 100% sure of. It is for this reason that most successful online stores were created by web studios. Web studio is a company whose tasks include a particular list of services in the field of development and promotion of Internet resources. Turning to the web studio, you thereby order a number of its services, while being customers. The specialists of the web studio at the same time become performers and undertake to perform their work qualitatively, but this does not always happen.
Creating an online store is a complex and sometimes lengthy process. SEO optimization and further search engine promotion will also require a lot of time, and therefore, before making a choice in favor of a particular studio, it is necessary to carefully analyze its success. Also, do not forget that there is a whole list of items that affect the success of your site. These items are often associated with different stages of the development of an online store, but today we will talk about usability.
Site usability is a factor that determines the usability of your site. The usability of the site is expressed by the reaction from your customers, because it is important for them that the site is as convenient as possible. Search algorithms are also able to explore the structure of your Internet resource, but in the case of an online store, the primary focus should be on the comfort of customers. By providing your customers with a convenient website, you thereby get loyalty from their side, and in combination with high-quality goods, this gives the result in the form of a constant increase in turnover and, accordingly, profit. But how to achieve high-quality usability? What aspects should you pay attention to when creating a website and why can't you do without highly qualified specialists? Let's figure it out!
Creating an online store in 2021: What aspects does the usability of the site consist of
As we have already found out, the usability of the site is one of the fundamental factors for the success of your resource. The more convenient it is for the client to work with your site – the more likely it is that he will order the product from you. Despite all the uncertainty of this term, usability consists of quite specific segments. We will talk more about these segments later.
Site loading speed and the importance of this aspect for usability
The first thing your client faces when visiting the page of the online store you created is the screen and the loading time. Search results leaders and marketplaces have long optimized their resources for the fastest possible loading, but this parameter is not taken for granted. In order to achieve good results, the specialists of the web studio that you have contacted will need to analyze your entire resource, and by conducting a deep audit, find the reasons for slow loading, if any. Also, do not forget that the speed of the site can be affected by the state of the equipment or the domain on which the site is designed. All this has an impact on the final loading speed of your online store.
To speed up the loading of the site page, specialists will need to audit the site. After the errors are identified, the optimizers will start correcting them. The number of errors that will need to be corrected will also depend on how well your site was created. Also, the cost of specialists ' services will depend on the quality of the site, because the more mistakes you need to fix, the more time it will take. Therefore, if you are trying to save money on creating an online store and planning to promote it effectively in the future, cooperate only with the leaders of the niche of creating Internet resources, such as the Gloss web studio.
Adaptive or mobile version of the site
The next point on the way to excellent usability is the opportunity for customers to work comfortably with your Internet resource from any device. By linking your website to only one platform, you lose a huge number of potential customers, especially in the wake of the popularity of smartphones. You can avoid such a loss by three methods at once, namely:
1. Create a mobile version of the site – the mobile version of the site is essentially another site created specifically for mobile devices. Such sites, as a rule, differ in appearance from the main site due to the smaller amount of space on the screen of a mobile smartphone. At the same time, the lack of space often forces the owners of such sites to simplify the functionality, which often leads to an increase in the bounce rate from customers. Creating a mobile version of the site has not been used by new companies for a long time. The main reason for this is the fact that the mobile site will also need to be promoted on a par with the main one. This, in turn, requires a separate budget, which makes such an undertaking profitable in very rare cases.
2. Adaptive version of the site-adaptive design of the online store is another method to create a site that is convenient for all users. The difference between the mobile version in this case is that there is no need to create a separate website. Specialists can teach your site to automatically take the necessary dimensions while working with a smartphone and a desktop PC. At the moment, this method of getting out of the situation is the most popular, since it does not require additional budgets and copes with its tasks perfectly.
3. Mobile First Design – in this case, the trick is that instead of initially creating a website for a PC, the developer creates a layout for mobile devices. Thus, site management and working with it from a mobile device becomes the highest level, since the site itself was originally created for this purpose. In addition, it is also convenient to work with such a site on a PC, as well as on a smartphone. The thing is that by reducing the number of buttons for the mobile version as much as possible, the specialist thereby makes the site convenient for PC users. The number of unclaimed elements on such a site is much smaller, and the user experience becomes much better.
The ability to work comfortably with the site from a mobile device is now becoming the main attribute and literally a requirement for Internet resources. Sites that do not have a mobile version or an adaptive layout are increasingly less likely to participate in the ranking, thereby forcing their owners to launch the creation of such a version or even move to a new site. Based on what has been said, we can say with confidence that if you are planning to order the creation of a turnkey website, you should definitely think about the comfort of working with your website on a smartphone. Thus, you will significantly affect the usability of the online store, and the number of users who would like to work with your site will increase.
3. Site navigation and intuitiveness of its structure
Considering how important the site loading speed has become, we can conclude that the main thing for a client these days is how fast he can get what he needs. Based on this, it can be stated that navigation on the site also has to do with speed and usability. In order for your client to be as satisfied as possible with working with an Internet resource – you need to work out in advance all his way from the main page to the page with the product he needs.
Usability is a parameter, the evaluation of which can vary greatly from user to user. Nevertheless, there are statistics that tell us that good navigation should be logical. The client of an online store created to order should easily navigate the pages of your resource, even if he visited it for the first time. The use of names and icons that have long been established among users and have become familiar can have a positive impact on the usability of the site. In addition, it is also important for usability that the number of transitions required by the client on the way to his goal is minimal. The optimal number of clicks for good usability is 4. Having reached such a number of clicks, you will automatically simplify the procedure for searching for goods and services for your customers, which will save them time. By saving the client's time, you can achieve his loyalty, which in the future can become a decisive factor for placing an order with you.
4. Contacts and their significance for the online store
Despite the fact that the contacts tab is one of the most unused on the pages of online stores, its importance is difficult to dispute. This tab allows the client not to doubt your honesty, and also gives the opportunity to ask the client questions directly from your specialist, thanks to this, the client feels more protected and less worried about possible nuances of products and cooperation with your company.
The contacts tab should be accessible to the user. The best solution for usability is to place this tab with other important buttons, such as the product catalog and shopping cart.In this way, you will give the client the opportunity to learn more about you and calm his doubts about the risks associated with placing an order.
5. User registration and its necessity
User registration in the online store has long become popular. Thanks to such registration, the owner of the online store and his team of specialists can get a sufficient amount of information for further remarketing. In addition, by establishing contact with the consumer, your representatives can periodically offer products from the groups that a particular user viewed.
As for the comfort of the client, in order to achieve good results, it is necessary to make the registration procedure as simple as possible. The easier it is to register on the website of the developed online store – the more likely it is that the client will actually register. User registration will give you the opportunity to get data that you will be able to use in the future during the launch of marketing companies. Also, with the help of registration and the user's personal account, you can additionally attract customers with promotions and sales. By informing your customer that you have an attractive offer specifically for him, you thereby receive loyalty from the client. In addition, the chance of placing an order from this user increases significantly.
In order for user registration to be popular on your site, it is necessary to think over a strategy in which all the benefits for the user will be clearly described, do not forget that the number of registrations can play a role in how your site will be ranked – so it is clearly not worth missing this opportunity. To create a convenient registration form on the site, you should contact specialists who will be able to develop an effective attraction strategy. In addition, you will need the help of a user experience specialist so that he analyzes the resulting page and can make his verdict.
Each of the described points has a significant significance in the issues of the success of your online store. In addition to these, there are also dozens of other important points, but the basic usability is based on those described above. If you want to achieve maximum results by creating a turnkey online store – you will need to pay attention to all aspects. Other important parameters for the promotion of an online store are already described in our blog.
No matter how well all the above actions are done – you will not get the desired result with a low-quality site. In order for all the actions done after the creation of the online store to have a positive impact on your resource, it is important that the site has already been optimized before implementing changes. Working on the download speed and forms for registering an account in an online store is of great importance, but if the pages of your Internet resource do not work correctly or its structure does not allow indexing all the pages of the site, the user will unfortunately not be able to visit your site. In order to avoid such a situation, you should trust the development of an online store or the creation of a turnkey corporate website exclusively to the leaders of this industry. One of these leaders is the web studio Gloss,
To learn more about the services of the Gloss web studio and to clarify the cost of your project, you can contact a representative of our company using a phone number or online chat published on the studio's website. You can get acquainted with the examples of the work of our specialists and evaluate our work by visiting the portfolio page, selecting it in the menu of our website.
Order the creation of a high-quality turnkey online store from the specialists of the Gloss web studio, start your successful business tomorrow!
Website autotesting: bug control and system stability
Maintenance of a Drupal website. Automatic testing of website functions
Website testing is a tool that allows you to detect errors in the work of the site before they are noticed by the visitor. This is especially important for online stores and corporate websites, because even one failure in the order form can cost you a lead or a sale.
As part of Drupal website maintenance, Glyanec implements automatic testing of key functions. The program regularly simulates the behavior of a real user - for example, adding a product to the cart, proceeding to checkout, submitting a form. In case of errors, we receive notifications and respond promptly.
This allows us to maintain a stable website, especially after updates or the launch of new modules.
Website autotesting: checking the order form, shopping cart, performance
In Drupal, autotesting is customized for the key stages of the user journey. We check:
- the availability and operability of buttons, forms, filters;
- the logic of the shopping cart and checkout;
- the speed of page loading.
The autotest can cover standard and advanced scenarios - it all depends on the specifics of the project. It is an ideal solution for eCommerce websites where every click counts.
Autotests for Drupal website: a flexible solution within the framework of technical support
Drupal allows you to flexibly customize autotests for any functionality. If you have complex logic, a non-standard form, or deep integration, we can add customized test scripts:
- testing document generation;
- checking authorization or accounts;
- data integrity control after integration with CRM;
- checking multi-level forms or API requests.
This increases reliability and avoids failures at important moments: during an advertising campaign, promotion, or content change.
Do you want to know if autotesting is right for your website? Leave a request on the contact page, and we will tell you about the possibilities of Drupal maintenance with customized solutions.
Website development for the Polish market!
We are your reliable partner in setting up and developing your business in Poland. Our company offers a full range of services for the launch and successful operation of your company in this country. We specialize in the development of websites in Polish, adapted to the needs of the local audience. Our web development professionals have many years of experience in designing and optimizing websites for the Polish market, which will allow your business to compete effectively and attract customers.
Our services include:
- Polish website development: Our website development professionals will create an effective and attractive Polish-language website for you that will attract the attention of local customers.
- Marketing services in Poland: We will develop a marketing strategy for you that will allow you to set up effective advertising campaigns and attract your target audience.
- Rebranding your business: Our rebranding experts will help you update your company's image and emphasize your strengths to attract new customers.
Cooperation with us covers a wide range of services for entrepreneurs and companies expanding their activities in the international market. We offer professional translation of documents and information, advice on local banks and financial procedures, assistance in registering a business and opening a branch, as well as support in choosing a payment and delivery system. In addition, we can provide you with contacts for registering a legal entity in Poland, office selection, accountant contacts and other services. We make sure that your business initiatives are successfully implemented in the new market conditions.
Address of the office in Poland: Biuro 315, Regus Equal Park 3rd Floor, Wielicka 28, 30-552 Kraków
Don't waste time - choose our company for a successful start in Poland. We know how to make your business competitive in this market!
For a successful start in Poland, please contact us:
📞 Phone: 0 (800) 750-751
📧 E-mail: [email protected]
How a website audit can transform your business
A website audit is not a simple check, it is a necessity that allows you to deeply understand both the technical and marketing aspects of your site. Is your website optimized for search engines? Does it communicate effectively with your potential customers? The answers to these questions can radically change your approaches and strategies. Ordering a website analysis can reveal hidden issues that are holding back your site's lead generation and customer acquisition potential. Whether you're looking to improve your site's search engine rankings or increase user satisfaction, an audit can provide you with the tools and guidance you need.
We will look at how a carefully prepared audit can significantly improve your website and make it more competitive. We will discuss what aspects of a website are checked during an audit, what benefits it can bring to your business, and how you can order a website audit from professionals to ensure the best results.
Why does your business need a website audit?
Excellent website usability is not just a nice bonus, but a critical condition for ensuring online success. A website audit allows you to analyze in detail how conveniently and efficiently users interact with your site, and how this affects your business's ability to achieve its goals. Here are some reasons why it is important:
- Increase user satisfaction: An audit reveals navigation and interface issues that may prevent users from easily and intuitively finding the information they need or performing the actions they want on your site. Improving these aspects can significantly increase your visitors' satisfaction.
- Reduce bounce rate: When users find it difficult to navigate the site or perform the necessary actions, they are more likely to leave the site without converting. An audit helps to identify and fix design elements that can lead to a high bounce rate.
- Increase conversions: Website optimization can have a direct impact on your conversions. For example, simplifying the checkout process or improving the visibility of a call-to-action button can significantly increase the number of successful transactions.
- Search engine optimization: SEO audit and optimization is part of the overall website audit and focuses on aspects that affect your website's visibility in search engines. Analyzing keywords, meta tags, URL structure, and other SEO practices will help to push your website higher in search results.
- Improving accessibility: The audit also assesses how accessible your site is to people with disabilities. Ensuring accessibility not only expands your target audience, but also emphasizes your responsibility as a business.
- Optimization for mobile devices: Nowadays, it's important that your website is optimized for mobile users. An audit will help ensure that your website works efficiently on all types of devices, improving the overall user experience.
Ensuring a high quality website is an investment in customer satisfaction and the efficiency of your online space. Ordering a professional audit can help you identify critical issues and resolve them before they negatively affect your business. You can read more about SEO promotion in the article "Features of SEO optimization of an online store"
How the audit is conducted and what we offer
Website audit is a complex process that includes several key stages. Each stage has its own specifics and requires a detailed approach. Our team of specialists uses advanced technologies and techniques to ensure the highest quality of services. This is how we work:
- Audit planning: First of all, we identify your business goals and website features. This helps us to prepare a personalized audit plan that takes into account all the necessary aspects: from technical analysis to user experience assessment.
- Technical audit: At this stage, we check the technical component of the website: coding, information architecture, compliance with SEO and web accessibility standards. We identify technical errors that may prevent the site from being indexed by search engines or impair overall performance.
- User experience (UX) audit: We analyze how visitors interact with your website and evaluate the usability of the interface. In this context, we can also put a heatmap on the site. Heatmaps allow you to visualize where users click most often, how long they stay on certain segments of the page, and how they scroll through the page. This is very useful for improving page structure and content.
- Report and recommendations: At the final stage, we compile a detailed report that includes all the issues we found and specific recommendations for fixing them. We provide practical advice that can be implemented quickly to improve your website.
- Support and optimization: After the audit, we also offer website maintenance and optimization services. This can include regular updates, monitoring of website performance, and additional checks for compliance with changed requirements or technologies.
Our goal is not just to identify problems, but to provide you with the tools and knowledge to solve them effectively, so that your website not only works at full capacity, but also helps you grow your business.
Glyanec provides professional website audit services that include technical audit, usability testing, SEO optimization, and analysis of your website's accessibility and security. We use advanced tools, such as heatmaps, to analyze user behavior in depth, allowing us to offer targeted and effective solutions for each client.
If you want to ensure that your website functions at the highest level, meets all modern requirements, and works as a powerful tool for your business, contact us. Order a website audit in Glyanec today and take the first step towards improving your online space. We guarantee a professional approach and dedication to achieving your business goals.
What are the advantages of websites over mobile apps?
Different companies are faced with the choice between developing mobile apps and websites every day. While mobile apps may seem convenient and innovative, it's important not to ignore the numerous advantages of websites. Ordering a website is not just an investment in an online presence, but a strategic decision that can significantly reduce development and maintenance costs, provide a wider audience reach, and improve search engine rankings.
We'll take a closer look at why websites compare favorably to mobile apps, analyzing their functionality, accessibility, and maintenance costs. The importance of websites in today's digitalized landscape cannot be underestimated, as they play a key role in attracting customers, expanding the market, and optimizing the user experience.
What is a website and a mobile application?
Websites and mobile apps play vital roles in promoting a business, but they have significant differences. A mobile app is a program downloaded and installed on a mobile device that can use the phone's system capabilities, such as a camera, GPS, or gyroscope. They can offer a more personalized experience, but they require significant investment to develop and maintain.
Therefore, choosing between website development and in-house development usually turns out to be a more profitable and effective solution.
Main advantages of websites
Websites offer a number of benefits that make them an attractive choice for businesses of all sizes. Let's take a look at a few of the key benefits you should consider when considering a website for your business.
- Universal access: One of the main advantages of websites is their accessibility. Visitors can access your site from any device that has an Internet connection, regardless of the operating system. This provides a wide audience reach and the ability to attract more potential customers.
- Cost-effectiveness: Ordering a website is often much cheaper than developing a mobile app. The cost of developing and maintaining a website is lower because you don't need to create separate versions for different platforms, such as iOS and Android. In addition, updates and changes to the site can be implemented faster and easier, which reduces overall maintenance costs.
- SEO and marketing benefits: Websites provide better opportunities for search engine optimization (SEO). This means that your website can rank higher in search engines, increasing the chances of being discovered by potential customers. Optimizing your website for search engines helps to increase its visibility and attract more organic traffic.
- Improving the user experience: Websites can offer a rich and user-friendly user interface that is adapted for different devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and desktops. With a responsive design, users can easily navigate the site, which improves the overall user experience and can increase conversion rates.
With these benefits in mind, building a website is a rational choice for businesses looking to maximize the benefits of their online presence. Not only do websites save money and resources, but they also provide ample opportunities to scale and grow your business.
Why do users abandon mobile apps?
Despite the significant development of mobile technology and the increase in the number of available apps, many users still prefer websites. This is due to a number of reasons that point to certain disadvantages of mobile apps and limitations that can affect the user experience.
Most users do not see the need to install mobile applications when they can easily access the same services or information through a website on their laptop or smartphone via a browser. This is especially true for those services that users use infrequently or sporadically.
Additionally, users emphasize that mobile apps often take up too much space on their devices, which can be critical for those with limited storage space. There are also concerns about battery and mobile data consumption, especially when apps are running in the background or transferring large amounts of data.
Privacy and security issues
One of the biggest concerns that pushes users away from mobile apps is the issue of privacy and security. Many apps require extensive permissions to access personal information such as contacts, location, social media data, and even personal files, which raises concerns among users about how this data is collected, stored, and used. There is also a fear that mobile apps may be vulnerable to hacking, especially those that store sensitive financial data or personal information. Data breaches at large companies that have made headlines only reinforce these concerns.
These factors contribute to the fact that many users prefer to use websites that do not require a download and provide quick access to services without the need to install resource-consuming applications. This confirms that websites can be a more convenient and secure solution for many users. However, for many companies, creating a website will prove to be the most optimal solution to effectively attract customers and provide high quality service with minimal costs and complexity.
To summarize, a careful choice between website and mobile app development should be based on the specific needs of the business, its target audience, and available resources. However, for many companies, ordering a website will prove to be the most optimal solution that allows them to effectively attract customers and provide high quality service with minimal costs and complexity.
What are progressive web applications and what are their advantages
Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) are changing the way we think about what websites can do. This technology combines the best of the web and mobile applications, offering speed and usability that was previously only possible in apps. In this article, we'll take a closer look at what progressive web apps are, what technologies are behind them, their benefits, and key implementation considerations. We will pay special attention to how progressive web applications can transform your business by providing a better user experience and increasing productivity.
What are progressive web applications?
Progressive web applications are a type of software that is split into a website and a mobile application. This allows users to install web applications on their devices and use them in a similar way to regular mobile applications. An important feature of PWAs is that they use web browser technologies but offer functionality that is usually associated only with mobile applications.
The PWA concept was first introduced by Google in 2015. The goal was to make the web experience as convenient and fast as possible. Since then, the technology has gained significant development and support, especially from companies seeking to improve the mobile user experience without losing the versatility and accessibility of the web.
Technologies used in advanced web applications
Progressive web applications use a number of modern web technologies to provide users with an experience that is as close as possible to mobile applications. The most important of these technologies are:
- Service Workers - scripts that run in the background, independently of the web page, and allow you to manage network requests, cache resources, and use push notifications.
- Manifest file - a JSON file that allows developers to install a web application on the home screen, set the icon and the start screen.
- Using HTTPS - ensuring the security of user data and the reliable operation of web applications.
Why progressive web applications are better than traditional sites
Improving the user experience
Progressive web applications are characterized by extremely fast loading speeds and high responsiveness, which is ensured by data caching and intelligent management of network requests. This means that users are able to access content instantly, regardless of the quality of their Internet connection, which significantly improves the overall user experience.
Offline access and support for push notifications
One of the defining features of PWA is the ability to work offline. This is achieved thanks to Service Workers technology, which allows web applications to cache important content and provide access to it without the need for an Internet connection. In addition, PWAs can use push notifications to inform users about news, updates, or special offers even when they are not using the web application.
Increase engagement and conversion rates
Thanks to better user experience and offline capabilities, PWAs demonstrate high rates of user engagement and increased conversions. The ability to load quickly and run smoothly on any device ensures higher customer loyalty and a higher likelihood of completing targeted actions, such as making a purchase or filling out a contact form.
Steps to implement progressive web applications in your business
Implementing progressive web applications may seem daunting, but with the right approach, the process can be efficient and smooth. Here are the basic steps to integrate PWA into your business:
- Audit the current state of the website - check if your site is ready for conversion to PWA. This includes ensuring HTTPS compatibility, site responsiveness on different devices, and the availability of all necessary technical aspects.
- Developing and configuring Service Workers is a key component of PWA that allows the website to work offline and use push notifications.
- Creating a web app manifest - a manifest allows users to add your app to the home screen of their devices, providing easier access and a more native experience.
- PWA testing - ensure that your PWA works properly across all devices and browsers, with special attention to offline mode and loading speed.
- Monitoring and updating - once your PWA is up and running, it's important to keep it up to date and make updates to resolve any issues or improve functionality.
To illustrate how easily and quickly users can install a progressive web application on their devices, we have prepared an animated GIF. This GIF shows the process from the moment a user visits a website to the moment they install the web application on the home screen of their mobile device. This demonstrates the simplicity and ease of use of PWAs, as well as their ability to offer a native experience through a web browser.
Progressive web apps are a powerful tool for business development, offering speed, convenience, and an enhanced user experience comparable to native mobile apps. They allow you to achieve a high level of customer engagement, provide the ability to work offline and send push notifications, which is critical in today's dynamic market. Thanks to their ease of installation and efficiency, PWAs can significantly increase conversion rates and improve the overall user experience.
If you're looking for a way to make your web experience more efficient and engaging, progressive web applications can be a great solution. Remember that proper implementation and ongoing updates are essential to the success of any technology solution. Don't hesitate to bring in professionals to help you optimize your website to turn it into a responsive web app and take full advantage of its capabilities.
Just one step to your perfect website
