Each product is different and the answer to “How should I sell X online?” is always “It depends.”

That’s the bad news.

The good news is that there are certain rules that will get you 90% there. The rules that, if you follow them, will give you a great starting point.

So to help you prepare your eCommerce website, below you will find a comprehensive 36-point checklist that have been categorized into the following categories:

  1. Site-wide
  2. Homepage
  3. Product Listing & Category Pages
  4. Product Pages
  5. Cart Page
  6. Checkout Page(s)

As always, please refer to the full article for more detailed descriptions, more examples, and more screenshots.

Site-wide eCommerce Web Design Checklist

1. Ensure Your Website is Responsive

2. The Cart Icon Must be Available on Every Page

stanley-cart

3. The Checkout Button Must Always Be Clearly Visible

4. Have a Prominent Search Bar On Every Page

5. Clear Navigation Menus

6. Contact Information on Every Page

7. Maintain Consumer Confidence

  • Customer Testimonials
  • Why Shop With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Delivery Information
  • Return Policy

You can link to these pages inside your site footer to keep things looking clean.

Nine-Line-Apparel-footer

8. Show Logos

Having logos of big brands gives the customer an indication of what type of product you sell — plus, it adds some authenticity and prestige to your brand for being affiliated with industry leaders.

best-buy-logos

eCommerce Homepage Web Design Checklist

9. Prominent Calls to Action

10. Have Emotionally Appealing Photography

reformation-photography

11. Include “Top Selling”, “Featured Product” and “Recommended For You”

12. Use Imagery to Support Calls to Action and “Top Sellers”

eCommerce Catalog Page Web Design Checklist

13. Add a Category Introduction

revzilla-category-page

14. Show Stock Availability

15. Show Filtering and Sorting Functions

wallmart-filter

16. Highlight Best Sellers or Customer Favorites

17. Include Customer Review Scores

eCommerce Product Page Web Design Checklist

18. Make the “Buy” or “Add to Basket” Button Prominent

jd-williams-button

19. Feature an “Add to Wishlist” Button

20. Upsell (aka “You May Also Like”)

21. Short(ish) Product Description

If products have a lengthy product description, and the customer is interested, add a “read more” underneath the concise version of the product description to allow the customer to gain further information.

22. Product Photos From Different Angles

23. Add Video Demonstrations

24. Show Estimated Delivery Time

the-iconic-delivery

25. Use Tabs for Products that Have A Lot of Detail

26. Display Customer Reviews or Testimonials

27. Show Stock Availability

eCommerce Cart Page Web Design Checklist

28. Show All Fees Upfront

29. Provide an Easy Way to Update Cart Items

Ego-Pharmaceuticals-checkout

30. Include a “Return to Shop” Link

31. Upsell (Again)

32. Show Delivery Options

suppsrus-shipping-method

eCommerce Checkout Page Web Design Checklist

33. Strip Away the Navigation Menu

34. Break Up the Order Process Into 4 Steps

  1. The cart interface
  2. Customer name, details and delivery address
  3. Payment information
  4. Confirmation page

northeast-checkout

35. Offer several payment options

36. Security Badges

Conclusion

Do all (or most) of the above and you’ll avoid 90% of the mistakes. Test further from there to improve based on your individual product and situation.

A 36-Point Checklist to Create The Best eCommerce Site

PS. Or you can drop me a note if you want me to help you with all this.

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