How To Set Up Your Ecommerce Store To Meet Consumer Expectations

Posted Aug 8 '20; Updated Nov 1 '24

Thanks to its sizable digital population, Canada has in recent years become an especially profitable online market. In 2018, over 80% of Canadians shopped online, spending approximately $57.4 billion. By 2020, this figure rose to $84.4 billion, reflecting a significant increase in online shopping activity. In 2022, over 27 million Canadians engaged in online shopping, contributing to a revenue of $70.9 billion. Projections indicate that by 2026, online sales revenue in Canada will exceed $100 billion - a testament to the rapid growth and importance of eCommerce in the Canadian market.

To succeed in eCommerce, retailers who sell products online must offer consumers a shopping experience that meets their needs and expectations. Smart WSI Marketing is an Edmonton website design company that can help you deliver an exceptional customer experience while improving your SEO strategy and making your business more competitive. Call us today to get started on achieving your goals.  

Customer Expectations Drive eCommerce Website Design  

A lot of early web design focused on the optics: great layout, attractive colours, and engaging images. They may have looked beautiful, but many businesses were disappointed when online customers didn’t magically stream through their virtual door. Today, we know that successful eCommerce website design depends on much more than looks alone.  

Understanding what potential customers really want (relevant and high-quality content, paid ads, SEO, and so much more) are what’s needed if you want to successfully sell products online. Multifaceted web design is important because it: 

• Impacts how your audience perceives your brand. 
  
• Keeps leads on your site. 
  
• Offers shoppers the opportunity to buy goods and services across multiple channels. 
  

There are some common traits that make for good eCommerce website design, including a good homepage, maximum loading speed, mobile optimization, great customer support, and a lean, secure checkout and payment process. What do these diverse features have in common? They’re customer-centric and all designed to deliver a memorable customer experience. 

Setting Up the Perfect eCommerce Store 

The best way to understand what your customers want is to put yourself in their shoes. You most likely shop online yourself and appreciate options like one-click shopping, in-store pickups, and being able to easily shop from your phone, laptop, or tablet any time of the day. If you want a single word that defines what customers demand, it’s convenience. Ways to deliver that include providing: 

• Accurate inventory data, pricing, order-status update, and user reviews. 
  
• A surprise-free checkout process. The #1 reason people abandon shopping carts is because they experience unexpected costs like high delivery charges at checkout, so be sure to be upfront about any and all fees your customers may be charged. 
  
• Wow factors like engaging content, green packaging, and free returns. 
  

Remember, people’s perception of their experience is directly tied to their expectations and whether they are met. When your eCommerce web design delivers on what customers say they want, you’ve nearly won the marketing battle. 

Build a Website to Meet Customer Demands 

The internet may be the largest marketplace in the world, but unless your eCommerce web design is tailored to shopper demand it will struggle to attract and retain loyal customers. Smart WSI Marketing is an Edmonton website design company specializing in eCommerce website design. Contact us today to learn more about how we build outstanding online shopping experiences and deliver other digital strategies designed to meet all your online marketing goals.

Lynne Motkoski, Marketing Strategist

Specialty: Online Marketing Strategies
Education: MA Communications & Technology, BComm [U Alberta]
Author: The Online Marketing Handbook for Busy Entrepreneurs (coming soon)

---

Lynne is known for her strategic approach to marketing communications, technologies, and lead generation. She has a passion for education, keeping up with current marketing trends and practices, and helping clients keep ahead of their competition.

SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION