Nowadays. Increasing numbers of businesses are relying on websites for the bulk of their sales. Ecommerce has always been on the rise, with customers wanting to buy what they want from the comfort of their own home – or elsewhere – with goods then being delivered to them in the comfort of their own home. But the coronavirus and Covid-19 pandemic has emphasised this change even further. With restrictions in place to prevent people from spending much time in public places, and with many brick and mortar stores being fully closed, Ecommerce has become the only option for many businesses out there. Now, if your website is going to serve as your new store, you’re going to want to make it the best that it can be. Of course, to achieve this, you’re going to want to collaborate with a professional web designer and web developer. But when you put your order in, you may want to consider a few of these extra handy features to be included!

A Chat Box

Customer service is going to have to take a step up when you’re running your business online. People can’t walk over to a member of staff on the shop floor to ask their questions. Instead, they’re going to have to get in touch in other ways. Sure, you can have a business phone number and email address, or even a contact page, but many people nowadays like using instant chat. This puts them in instant touch with a customer service representative, providing them with the chance for back and forth rapport that can answer their questions more fully and much faster. This really is an invaluable feature. After all, online customers are bound to have more questions. They only have some product photography and a product description – or maybe even a video – to give them all the information they need about a product on site. They may want to know things that haven’t been answered by these resources. Now, if you want to go above and beyond, you may even want to consider video chat applications. These will give even more personalised customer service where customers can talk to your staff one to one. They could show faults with items or other issues that they have experienced and receive full support and feedback with resolutions from your customer service staff.

A Mailing List Sign Up Form

Mailing lists are going to prove key to your marketing right now. With people out and about less, print advertising and marketing isn’t the best investment. Instead, you can reach out to customers via a mailing list – letting them know about new product lines, sales, discounts and more. Having a mailing list sign up form at the bottom of pages on your site can encourage people to sign up – especially if you include some sort of incentive like 10% off their first order or free shipping on their first order.

These are just a couple of handy additions to your website. Each will prove extremely valuable in its own way, so is definitely more than worth the investment!