Shopping online is meant to be simpler than shopping in a store. So if your ecommerce website makes it difficult for shoppers to find what they want or to check out, they are likely to take their purchases somewhere else. With that fact in mind, here are some ways you can make your ecommerce website more inviting and user-friendly.

1. Minimize Text on Product Pages

A webpage that is loaded with text is often overwhelming to the user. Do your best to minimize text on your main product pages. This is not a place for a diatribe about your company's ethics or history. You can include that information on your site, of course, but it should be under a separate tab where users will come across it only if they are looking for it.

2. Include a "View Cart" Button in the Right Hand Corner

While customers are shopping, they will periodically want to check back and see how many items that they have added to their cart already. So that "view cart" button needs to be readily accessible. The upper right hand corner of the page tends to be a good spot for it. The cart button can display the customer's total at any one time, so they don't even need to click over to the cart for this information.

3. Use Good Photos

In today's Instagram world, customers want to see good photos. Make sure any photos used to advertise your products or even your business are clear, properly cropped, and color-adjusted. If you do not have a lot of experience editing photos, hire someone who does. Money spent on better photos is almost always money well-spent.

4. Include a Search Bar

You will have users who don't want to spend 15 minutes combing thorough all of your selections to find what they need. Include a search bar so they can simply type in what they are looking for and find it ASAP. A good place for this search bar is right at the top of the page, where customers are used to seeing it.

5. Accept Multiple Payment Methods

Paying by credit card is of course the easiest and most prevalent option, but you'll attract more customers if you work towards also accepting other payment methods like PayPal and Apple Pay. Customers value the security that these online payment methods provide, and including them shows that you also value customers' security.

If you need help implementing these tips and creating a more user-friendly ecommerce site, consider hiring a custom ecommerce web development company.