1 ) Intuitive user experience

A great design is one of the most important elements to prioritize when building your B2C website. The right design guides customers through the sales process, encouraging them to visit certain areas, click the right buttons, and eventually make a purchase. To that end, an intuitive user experience involves catering to what customers have come to expect from a B2C website, like a menu at the top of the page, and utilizing website design best practices to attract — and eventually win over — visitors.

2 ) Quality written content

How are you describing the products and services you sell? Does your description put the reader in a customer’s shoes? Do they emerge with a clear understanding of what you’re selling — and why they should buy?

Quality content is the cornerstone of a good B2C site. Your content should offer important information and illustrate use cases. When writing content for your site, be sure to include details you would want to know if you were shopping for a particular item. This includes product measurements, materials used, features, and benefits.

3 ) Good images

Content goes beyond what’s written on the page to also include photos and videos of what you’re selling. Pictures bring your products or services to life and reinforce expectations for shoppers.

There are two categories of photography that come in handy here: product photography and lifestyle photography. Product photography should include clean, high-resolution photos of the product from many angles so users can get an idea of the size, shape, and overall appearance. Lifestyle photography involves placing the item into a real-life scenario, whether that’s with people or in a styled setting, so visitors can imagine how they can use the item.

4 ) Clear pricing

Many customers price shop before making a decision, making this information among the most important to communicate right away. Clear pricing listed next to the item you’re selling on the product listing page plays into visitors’ expectations for your site, which contributes to a good user experience. If you offer subscriptions — in the style of Amazon’s Subscribe & Save, for example — ensure you clearly communicate how recurring payments are structured and collected.

5 ) Consistent branding

Your brand touches every aspect of your B2C website, from your brand voice and how you write for your customers to the colors you use on each page. Consistency with your brand is key to successfully connecting your site with your company, as customers grow accustomed to the same colors, logos, shapes, patterns, and fonts. As a whole, this makes a significant yet subconscious impact on your site visitors, who take away that your company is trustworthy, reliable, and offers something of value. To help ensure your B2C website stays on brand, consult your style guide during the design process.

6 ) Social proof

Whether it’s testimonials, endorsements, or rave reviews pulled from Facebook, social proof is a powerful tool that signals to others that your brand is worth buying from. Social proof taps into the bandwagon effect, in which customers are more inclined to buy your product if they see that others have chosen you. Reviews, five-star ratings, and awards are all great social proof contributors to include on your site.

7 ) Search bar

The faster a customer can get to the products or services they want to buy, the more likely they are to make the purchase. This tool is quite helpful for those who recall part of a product name or only have a general idea of what they’re looking for, as the search results can direct them to the right place. Plus, many users come to expect a search bar to help them get to the products they want to buy faster. Place the search bar in a prominent place at the top of your website so customers see it first.

8 ) Calls to action

No website, including a B2C website, is complete without calls to action (CTAs) throughout. A call to action is the next step you want a site visitor to take, and once that visitor takes that action, it’s called a conversion. For a B2C website, calls to action are often centered around purchasing a product, but they can also be anchored on signing up for a loyalty program, registering for an email newsletter, or sharing a product on social media.

• Add to cart
• Shop now
• Sign up
• Get coupon

9 ) Geolocation options

Websites can be programmed to display specific information depending on where your customer is accessing their website, called geolocation. If you sell products in many regions or around the world, geolocation is an excellent way to make your content relevant and accessible without building a microsite or creating many additional pages. A great example of geolocation is offering the details for the closest retail location to your visitor when they come to your website.

10 ) Contact information

You want to make it easy for potential customers to get in touch with your company for other reasons aside from customer service. Not only is contact information (specifically your address and phone number) an important factor of reliability for search engine optimization, but it offers another layer of transparency for customers, contributing to your overall reputation.

11 ) Customer service options

Good, accessible customer service lowers return rates and helps contribute to your reputation as a great company to buy from. If a customer needs help, you want to make sure they can find the assistance they need. Offering convenient ways to contact a helpful representative, whether by phone, email, chatbot, or text, goes a long way. Make sure your policies are easily accessible, too, and detail important information about returns, exchanges, and warranties.