The UAE ecommerce industry is growing rapidly, with ecommerce sales projected to reach $9.2 billion in 2026, according to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
However, launching a successful e-commerce business is not easy. With so much competition, you need to ensure your website has the right features and functionality to attract and convert customers. This is where an ecommerce web development company can help you. A professional website development company can provide you with a mobile-friendly ecommerce website with an eye-catching design and seamless functionality.
The Importance of E-commerce Website Development
Having a high-quality, user-friendly website is essential for any e-commerce business today. Since almost the entire UAE population has access to internet and mobile phones, your website will be the primary point of contact in 2024 for customers to interact with your brand and shop for your products. This means the first goal should be to find a good and affordable web development company and get an e-commerce website ready for your online business.
Your website’s design, features, speed, and functionality directly impact conversion rates and revenue. A poorly designed, slow, or buggy site will disappoint your customers, and you will lose sales. On the other hand, a fantastic web experience will encourage shoppers to trust you and confidently hit that buy button.
Prioritizing e-commerce web development is especially important because of increasing customer expectations and intense competition. Shoppers want convenience, flexibility, personalization, and mobile optimization. Now that users can instantly switch to your competitor sites, you have to meet these needs to both attract and retain customers. So, it is high time to partner with an e-commerce website development company in the UAE.
Top 10 Tips for Successful E-commerce Website Development
Follow these 10 tips for website development to set your e-commerce business up for success.
- Prioritize Security
The top concern for any customer shopping online is security. If you want visitors to trust your site and make purchases, security is a must.
Your website should be secured with HTTPS and have a valid SSL certificate. This encrypts the connection between the browser and your server and protects sensitive customer data like credit card numbers and login credentials.
Regularly update plugins and e-commerce software to fix bugs. Conduct security audits to identify and fix weak points. Strong website security measures will reassure clients that their data is safe.
Use a web application firewall (WAF) to track and control incoming traffic. A WAF blocks threats like cross-site scripting, SQL injections, and other attacks that can compromise your site.
Ask customers to use strong passwords with special characters. Enable two-factor authentication for account logins to add an extra layer of protection.
Make sure your payment gateway and processors are PCI-compliant to handle transactions securely. Discuss the essential security reviews and certifications with your provider. At 800website.ae – the leading web development company in Dubai and across the UAE, we ensure that your website is secure and safe to use for customers.
- Optimize Your E-commerce Website
According to Think with Google research, “The probability of bounce increases 32% as page load time goes from 1 second to 3 seconds.” This makes it even more important to consider optimization and maintain optimal performance for your website.
Test your site regularly and aim for load times under 3 seconds on mobile and desktop. Fast page speeds improve SEO rankings and the user experience.
SEO is another part of optimization. It is used to increase sales by using various strategies to raise your website’s search engine ranking.
For proper SEO, add keywords to the content you add to the website. Also, add metadata like titles and descriptions for the pages and images.
If you include “alt” descriptions with your image content, the clients will be able to locate you via an image search as well.
At 800website, we also perform search engine optimization of your ecommerce website. Our SEO specialist can help you organize page structure and internal linking, develop an SEO strategy to enhance mobile-friendliness, the speed of loading, and other crucial factors.
- Make Your Ecommerce Website Mobile Friendly
With mobile making up more than half of total website traffic, having a responsive mobile-friendly design is mandatory. If your site doesn’t adapt well to mobile devices, you’ll miss out on sales.
Use a responsive design framework to optimize your site for any screen size. Adaptive grids and CSS media queries enable the flexible re-flow of content.
Check that buttons and links are spaced properly and easy to tap on a touchscreen. Account for fingers being less precise than a mouse cursor.
Simplify menus and navigation for quick access. Dropdowns and mega menus don’t work well on mobile.
At 800website, we understand that most people pick up their smartphones when shopping online. Thus, when you hire our website development services, we will develop and design only mobile-friendly websites for your ecommerce business.
- Get the Website Navigation Right
Your website’s navigation plays a critical role in the shopping experience. Good navigation reduces bounce rates and guides customers to checkout. Make it easy for visitors to find products quickly with a clean, clutter-free design.
Keep top-level navigation menus simple with just core categories. Avoid giving users too many options to choose from.
Use mega menus for second-level navigation to browse subcategories. Tabs or vertical flyouts work better than massive dropdowns.
Include search and account menu options in the main navigation bar for easy access. People expect these common actions.
Display cart, checkout, and account links visibly in the header. Remind users of these conversion paths persistently.
Use breadcrumbs to help users see their location in the site hierarchy at a glance. Breadcrumbs act as wayfinding cues.
Our website development company ensures navigation works seamlessly on mobile and desktop devices.
- Allow Guest Checkout for Seamless Shopping
You don’t want to force customers to create an account if they just want to make a quick one-time purchase. Our web development company can facilitate guest checkout alongside account creation to remove hassle while buying.
Let guest shoppers check out by entering their email, shipping address, and payment details without logging in or signing up first. Keep this form short and simple.
You can optionally display an invitation to create an account at the end for a smoother experience next time. But don’t make it mandatory.
Guest checkout is designed for customers who prefer convenience over the loyalty benefits of an account. Reduce steps to purchase and watch your conversions rise.
Let customers know guest checkout is available before reaching your login form. Make it obvious they don’t need an account to complete their purchase.
- Integrate Multiple Payment Options
Providing flexible payment methods tailored to your target audience is key for any e-commerce site. Use trusted payment gateways to accept all major credit cards.
Consider adding PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay as checkout options, which many customers already have configured. Accepting PayPal allows you to tap into an additional 285 million users worldwide. Expand your reach and conversion potential.
If suitable, enable customers to pay with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Cryptocurrency payments are gaining popularity.
You can also offer installment financing from partners to make buying bigger ticket items easier. Breaking payments into chunks can increase order values.
Hire us for ecommerce website development in the UAE and give shoppers their preferred ways to pay and increase conversion rates.
- Show Taxes and Shipping Costs Upfront
According to Baymard Institute research, extra costs during checkout are the top reason 47% of online shopping carts are abandoned.
Source: Baymard Institute
Be upfront by displaying taxes, shipping rates, and any additional fees on product and cart pages before checkout.
Consider offering free standard shipping on orders over a minimum spend to promote larger purchases. Make sure to prominently display this advantage on your website.
Shipping calculators and zip code estimates on product pages also allow customers to see delivery costs before adding an item to their cart.
Transparency and clarity around total costs improve trust and satisfaction. Don’t let surprise charges hinder conversions during checkout.
- Spotlight Product Images and Descriptions
Excellent product photos, videos, and descriptions build confidence to hit that “Add to Cart” button. High-quality imagery shot on white backgrounds accurately depicts items for sale.
Write compelling copy that highlights specifications, materials, sizes, uses, and other relevant details the customer needs to know. Answer common questions.
Add your own images if you are dropshipping for a more customized branded feel. Encourage user-generated content by allowing customer images and reviews. This provides authenticity that your product descriptions simply can’t replicate.
Add videos and 360-degree views to give shoppers a closer look at examining product details, fit, usage, and more.
- Incorporate Branding and Visuals
A cohesive visual identity is what sets successful e-commerce brands apart. Work with our website design and development company to create a logo, color palette, typography, and other elements that represent your business.
Make sure branding is consistently carried across your site, packaging, invoices, ads, and any other customer touchpoints. Mismatched visuals feel unprofessional.
Using custom photography suited to your products also helps convey your unique style and vision. Present your products in a way that tells the story of your brand.
A polished, professional aesthetic conveys quality and reliability that attracts and retains loyal customers. Don’t underestimate the impact of good design.
- Provide Multiple Support Options
No matter how simple it is to use your website, customers will need to get in touch with their questions or issues. Make sure support options are visible and readily available.
Offer support via phone, email, and contact form. List these clearly on a dedicated Contact or Support page.
For the best service, you can also offer 24/7 live chat. Customers increasingly expect real-time conversations for the quickest answers. Be responsive on social media channels that shoppers use. Set response time expectations and notify users.
Building long-lasting trust and satisfaction requires solving issues promptly and providing outstanding support. Customers will remember the experience when making future purchases from you or recommending your business.
Final Thoughts
Developing an e-commerce website takes careful planning and attention to get right. Follow these tips, starting from the initial design stages, to launch a user-friendly shop. Optimizing the buying process and showcasing your products in the best light will lead to a successful online business.
Contact our reliable e-commerce website development company to help you create a successful e-commerce website for your business.
