How Do Ecommerce Websites Differ From Other Websites?


Published: | By POWR

If you're looking to build an ecommerce website and are wondering how it's different from a regular website, you're in the right place. In this article, we'll highlight six important differences between ecommerce websites and regular websites like blogs and informational sites. 

The goal is to improve your understanding of the business structure for eCommerce, so you can design a good store. Let's begin!

Ecommerce Websites Are Designed for Selling Products or Services Online

This is the most important difference between ecommerce websites and regular websites. Because ecommerce stores are designed for selling products, they should be built with a focus on conversion, which is why ecommerce websites often have certain features that other websites don't. 

For example, an ecommerce website must have a shopping cart and a checkout system, and should be easy to use and navigate so visitors can find what they're looking for and make a purchase quickly.

You must also focus on lead generation elements, such as a popup for your website that can bring in more customers. Regular websites don’t usually focus on lead generation, especially if they’re informational. 

Ecommerce Websites Are More Secure Than Normal Websites

Another key difference between ecommerce websites and regular websites is security–ecommerce websites need to be more secure because they deal with sensitive information like credit card numbers and addresses. 

To protect this information, ecommerce website owners need to install an SSL certificate. This certificate encrypts the data that's sent between the server and the browser, making it unreadable to anyone who might intercept it.

Other websites don't need to be as secure, as they don't deal with sensitive information. However, if a regular website is collecting any type of data from users, it's important to have an SSL certificate installed.

Ecommerce Websites Need to Be Mobile-Friendly

Another difference between ecommerce websites and regular websites is that ecommerce websites need to be mobile-friendly. In fact, this is becoming increasingly important as more and more people shop on their smartphones.

When it comes to making your ecommerce store mobile-friendly, there are a few things you need to do. First, you should make sure the design is responsive and will adjust to fit any screen size. 

Second, you need to make sure the checkout process is optimized for mobile–this means it should be quick and easy to complete on a smartphone. 

Finally, it’s important to ensure your images are optimized for mobile, meaning they should load quickly and be the right size for a mobile screen.

If you’re focusing only on marketing and not on improving user experience, your average cost of customer acquisition will go up. Regular websites don't always need to be mobile-friendly because they're not designed for conversion. Still, if a regular website is getting a lot of traffic from mobile users, it's important to make sure the site is mobile-friendly.

Ecommerce Websites Need to Be Fast

Ecommerce and regular websites also differ in terms of their speed. Ecommerce websites need to be fast, because users won't tolerate a slow website when they're trying to make a purchase. In fact, studies have shown that even a one-second delay can result in a 4.42% decrease in conversions.

Ecommerce Websites Are Updated More Frequently Than Normal Websites

Another key difference between ecommerce websites and regular websites is how often they're updated. Ecommerce websites need to be updated more frequently because new products are constantly being added and old products are being discontinued; the website navigation and product pages should also be updated on a regular basis.

Regular websites, on the other hand, don't need to be updated as often because the content doesn't change as much, and the website can be designed and developed once and then left alone for long periods of time.

Ecommerce Websites Have More Complex Navigation Than Regular Websites

Finally, ecommerce and regular websites differ in terms of their navigation. Ecommerce websites need to have complex navigation because they have a lot of pages and products, and this navigation needs to be well-organized so that users can easily find what they're looking for.

Meanwhile, regular websites have simpler navigation because they don't have as many pages and products and users don't need to sift through as much content.

Share this Article:

0 Comments