The 22 most important features of a good web shop (according to Google)

You want to start selling online, but don't know what is important for a good webshop? Or maybe you already have a webshop for several years, but you do not know whether you offer the right functionalities to your customers? PHPro and Google will gladly help you on your way to offer your customers the right omnichannel experience!

A webshop is a real masterpiece! Several departments within the company must work closely together, such as marketing, logistics, purchasing, sales, IT, ... and also the customers of your company have specific expectations of your webshop. To make it a little easier for you, we have made an overview of the chapters you need to focus on in order for your webshop to meet consumer expectations anno 2022!

To keep it clear, there are 8 chapters, namely product information, store data, personalization, hassle-free shopping, flexible delivery, customer service, security and mobile.

In this article we will already give a brief overview of all chapters, but starting in the coming weeks you can live a weekly article per chapter where we will go a little deeper into the chapter and also cite some customer examples for inspiration!

Chapter 1, Product Information, needs little explanation. When customers want to buy products online, product details such as clear product features and images are crucial. In fact, 27% of consumers say they prefer to purchase items online because all relevant information is often easier to access then. In addition, 89% of consumers say they study information online before making a purchase. Reasons enough for your marketing and sales team to pay the necessary attention to product information on your webshop!

In addition, product ratings and product reviews are also a very important factor in the buying process. As many as 55% of consumers say they benefit from transparency, which can be achieved through product reviews, comparisons and product information.

Third in this section, a good search function is crucial. Search and filter options allow customers to navigate your site effortlessly. Experience also tells us that the conversion rate is higher with customers who use the search function, since they are often looking for a product in a targeted way.

Finally, product prices are very important. Not only the cheapest price, but also the display of product prices is important in the purchase process. As many as 38% of consumers indicated that they bought items online precisely because it was cheaper thanks to offers or lower prices in general.

Want to know even more about displaying the right product information? Then read this blog article!

The second chapter we will cover in this series is about store data. This is because many Web shops also have physical stores, and it is important to consumers that the synergy between them is displayed online.

First, customers want to find store opening hours easily. Google has been seeing an increase in the use of Google My Business on their search engine for years, so it is clear that many customers search for opening hours online before they start their journey.

Of course, not only are opening hours very important, but also the route to the store! So make sure that the customer can find clear directions to your store via your web shop. In fact, as many as 52% of consumers research online before they purchase offline. So you will benefit from a seamless journey through the various channels!

Finally, geolocation also adds value to many customers. After all, if you know where customers are located, you can direct them to the nearest store or show them specific regional offers.

Personalization is becoming increasingly important to customers. Everyone likes to feel like a real VIP! Personalized accounts allow you to create extra engagement for your customers. This not only allows you to better tailor your marketing activities to them, but you can also serve them even better thanks to this extra data.

In addition, customers really like being able to create wish lists or mark products as favorites. As many as 53% of consumers make a purchase because they need to replace an item. Wish lists or favorites can actually support repeat purchases.

The more user-friendly your shopping experience is, the more customers your business will bring in. One feature that customers highly value is in-store pickup. The more convenient options you offer customers, the better their overall experience becomes. As many as 18% of online shoppers pick up the product in-store, thus using click & collect!

A flexible return policy can also make all the difference in a customer's purchase decision. For example, many customers find it important that items they order online can also be returned in-store.

By this we mainly mean the flexibility you offer your customers during shopping, payment and delivery.

The first crucial part of your online store is the shopping cart. Can customers easily put items in their basket and view or delete them? It is also important that this feature works well on different devices, especially when you know that, for example, as many as 41% of all Dutch consumers use a mobile device to make online purchases.

Consumers find speed anno 2022 more important than ever and therefore not only many delivery options are important but especially the possibility to have a product delivered the next day. In addition, it is also important that if customers have the option of next-day delivery they can also easily see the information about any additional costs so they can make an informed decision. In fact, 28% of consumers say they make an online purchase because it is faster than buying in the store!

Third, free returns are also very important to most consumers. Several studies already showed that this makes customers more likely to dare to purchase online.

Finally, multiple payment methods are also important in the purchase process for the customer. So make sure you give customers plenty of options to pay online!

Many customers also look at the overall quality and availability of your company's customer service when visiting your online store.

First, a phone number for contact is crucial. Make sure this is clearly listed and easy to find on your Web site.

Live chat is also a functionality that consumers increasingly value on an online store. After all, this provides an easy and approachable way for people to ask questions about your products and/or your company.

As mentioned above with free returns, the return policy in general is an important part for customers. When customers store online, it is important that they can understand the terms and conditions of your company and that your return policy is clearly stated on your website and that it is easy to find.

Social media is also very important from a customer service standpoint. Customers use social media to view articles, search reviews and securely log into websites. Therefore, make sure you use at least two social media accounts so customers can reach you in other ways as well. In fact, 22% of buyers say they gather product information through social media!

It should be obvious these days, but of course your web shop should be safe for your customers!

Thanks to an HTTPS connection, you ensure that communication between your website and browsers is encrypted. After all, as an online retailer, it is crucial to always put the protection of customers' privacy first.

As a final element, it is very important that your web shop is mobile-friendly. Now more than ever, customers use their cell phones to view and purchase products, both simply via their smartphones and via an app.

In addition, speed on mobile devices is also a crucial part of your webshop. More and more customers store on the go, so it is important that your website works optimally and quickly on mobile devices.

Below is another summary of the 22 most important features of a good web shop according to Google:

Product information

1. Product details
2. Product ratings and reviews
3. Product search
4. Product prices

Store details

1. Opening hours
2. Directions to your store(s)
3. Geolocation

Personalization

1. Personal accounts
2. Wishlist/favorites

Problem-free shopping

1. Store pickup
2. Order online/return in store

Flexible delivery

1. Basket
2. Next day delivery
3. Free returns
4. Multiple payment methods

Customer Service

1. Contact phone number
2. Live Chat
3. Return Policy
4. Social Media

Security

1. HTTPS

Mobile

1. Speed on Mobile Devices
2. Suitability for mobile devices

As you can see, these are all fairly obvious points, but practice shows that many web shops do not yet meet them. In the coming weeks, we will be happy to give you inspiration on how to implement these 22 points in practice. Finally: In The Smart Shopper Research, a study conducted by Google, no less than 82% of online shoppers indicated that convenience aspects were the driving factor for their online purchases. Reasons enough to make sure that your webshop scores perfectly on these 22 points!