The latest report from Google sheds light on a critical shift in consumer behavior: a staggering 60% of consumers now engage in six or more actions before deciding to purchase a new product or brand. For small businesses, this statistic isn’t just a number—it’s a call to action. How can your website or e-commerce platform rise to this challenge? The answer lies in your web development and design strategy.

Why More Research Equals More Opportunities

With 47% of consumers spending more time researching to ensure quality, your online presence must cater to this inquisitive journey. Each step a consumer takes is an opportunity for your business to present a solution, answer a question, and guide them closer to a purchase. Effective web development ensures your site is there at each stage, offering the content and resources needed to make an informed decision.

Google Search Over Social Media: The Preferred Choice for a Reason

Consumers favor Google Search over social media for making purchasing decisions, with 40% agreeing it helps them make smarter choices. For small businesses, this means that SEO isn’t just beneficial; it’s essential. Optimizing your site to appear in Google Search results can be the difference between being a consideration and being “the” choice.

Transform Your Website Into a Trusted Advisor

Your website should be more than a digital storefront; it needs to be a trusted advisor. This means providing comprehensive product details, answering potential questions before they’re asked, and ensuring your site is navigable and responsive. Professional web development is the backbone of this endeavor, transforming your site from a simple touchpoint into a crucial part of the consumer’s research process.

Enhancing Your Website or eCommerce Platform

It’s clear that having a website or an eCommerce platform is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. With an effective eCommerce strategy, small businesses can offer the seamless purchasing experience consumers expect. Beyond convenience, an eCommerce platform serves as a tool for detailed product descriptions, customer reviews, and easy navigation, all crucial in aiding the consumer’s decision-making process.

What You Can Do to Improve Your Website or E-commerce

1. Enhance Navigation:
   • Improve the menus and use categories logically.
   • Integrate search bars and filters to streamline customers’ paths to their goals.
   • Add a “last viewed” list to facilitate your clients’ search.
2. Detail Your Products Consistently:
   • Ensure that details like weight or size are displayed consistently across all product pages. Don’t make customers hunt for information, as this can lead them to your competition.
3. Leverage Customer Reviews:
   • Place reviews prominently on product pages and encourage customers to share their experiences to assist others.
4. Improve Comparative Tables:
   • Create simple, visually appealing tables for similar products.
   • For fields that do not have information or where information is not applicable, add “N/A” or indicate that the field is not relevant.
5. Rethink the Shopping Cart Experience:
   • Consider the process of creating user accounts and when to request additional information.
   • Avoid forcing customers to fill out lengthy forms or provide unnecessary data at checkout.
   • Keep the checkout process streamlined, especially during payment submission.
6. Incorporate Useful Web Applications:
   • Deploy web applications that assist your customers in making decisions. For example, include a calculator for wood boards to estimate cuts and sizes, or offer a virtual painter for paint products to visualize how rooms might look in different colors.
   • Consider consulting with an experienced web development company; even an hour of consultancy can yield innovative ideas that enhance your website’s functionality.

Understanding Your Clients’ Pathway

Because the path to purchase is complex, understanding this journey can significantly benefit your small business. By leveraging insights from Google and focusing on strategic web development and eCommerce, you can guide potential customers through their decision-making process with ease. Recognizing the value of each research step a consumer takes, and ensuring your online presence meets their needs at every turn, is key to converting hesitations into sales.