Improved Design
User experience (UX) goes a long way toward helping convince website visitors to visit your store or make an online purchase. Simple, streamlined webpage design that limits the number of options for users to click on will help reduce the sense of overwhelm that could lead to a lost sale. Limiting the number of options allows your customers to focus on a few key areas, and it means your business can find ways to enhance products or services in those areas.
It’s a mistake to think that you need to fit as many products or as much service information on your website pages as you can. Since many customers use their smartphones to browse the internet, your website should be mobile-responsive so it looks and performs the same as it would on a desktop computer.
Innovative Tech Tools
Now more than ever, there are countless tech tools you can add to your website that will give visitors on-demand answers to questions that will help them make a purchase. Chatbots are automated, artificial intelligence-based features that will interact in real time, giving information when shoppers are looking for it—even if it’s not during the normal operating hours for your business. Service-based businesses should invest in website upgrades that allow customers to set their own appointments at their own convenience. Cigar lounges should upgrade their sites to offer online ordering with customizable menus. Working closely with an experienced website designer will help you understand which tool is best for your business website.
This story first appeared in the March/April 2021 issue of Tobacco Business magazine. Members of the tobacco industry are eligible for a complimentary subscription to our magazine. Click here for details.
– Contributed by Maxi Benbassat, owner of Benbassat Digital Consultants (benbassatdigital.com) in Greensboro, North Carolina. Benbassat and his team work with other businesses to help them build and grow a strong online presence.
