Best Practices for Ecommerce Sites: 10 Tips to Boost Sales

November 17, 2025

·

A salesman is standing at the marketplace and showing okay gesture at the camera.

If you run an online store, you’re probably looking for ways to get more visitors and turn them into buyers.

That’s exactly what you’ll learn when you follow the best practices for ecommerce sites.

Ignore these simple best practices, and your site could be slow, hard to use, or confusing.

Visitors may leave without buying, your sales may drop, and all the effort you’ve put into your store could go to waste.

In this blog post, you’ll discover 10 easy, practical tips (best practices) to boost your sales fast.

You’ll learn how to make your website load quicker, create clear product pages, simplify checkout, build trust with customers, and much more.

By the end, you’ll have a clear plan to make your ecommerce website work better and sell more… without complicated tech or guesswork.

Tip 1: Make your website load fast

loading-screen

People hate waiting.

If your ecommerce website loads slowly, most visitors will leave before they even see your products.

Imagine walking into a shop and the door takes 10 seconds to open… annoying, right?

That’s exactly how slow websites feel.

Why site speed matters:

  • A fast website makes people stay longer.
  • Visitors can check more products.
  • It makes your business look professional.

How to make your site fast:

  • Use smaller images (but still clear).
  • Remove unnecessary apps or plugins.
  • Use a good hosting plan.
  • Add caching and a content delivery network (CDN).

These small changes can make your site load twice as fast. And a fast site can easily increase your sales.

Tip 2: Make your website easy to use on phones

Travel Agency Responsive Website
Travel Agency Responsive Website – View on Dribbble

More than half of your visitors shop using their phone.

If your site looks messy on a phone, you’ll lose buyers fast.

Think of it this way:

If someone can’t click a button, read your text, or add a product to cart on their phone… they won’t buy.

How to make your site mobile-friendly:

  • Use big buttons that thumbs can easily tap.
  • Make text large enough to read without zooming.
  • Remove things that make the page crowded.
  • Make the checkout smooth on small screens.

A good mobile experience makes your store look modern and trustworthy.

Tip 3: Use clear, high-quality images and simple product descriptions

Product Page
Product Page – View on Dribbble

When people buy online, they can’t touch what you’re selling. So your images and descriptions must do the job.

Good product images should:

  • Be clear.
  • Show every angle.
  • Show colors properly.
  • Let buyers zoom in.

Good product descriptions should:

  • Be simple.
  • Explain what the product does.
  • Tell the buyer how it helps them.
  • Mention important details like size, material, or use.

Think of descriptions as a salesperson talking to the customer.

Don’t use confusing words. Don’t write long stories. Just explain what they need to know.

Tip 4: Make navigation simple

Navigation menu dropdown - Ecommerce
Navigation menu dropdown Ecommerce – View on Dribbble

If visitors can’t find what they want in a few seconds, they leave. This is why your site must be easy to move around.

Simple navigation means:

  • Clear menus like “Men,” “Women,” “Kids,” “Electronics,” etc.
  • Easy-to-understand categories.
  • A visible search bar.
  • Filters to help buyers narrow down options.

The goal is simple:

Don’t make people think. Make it easy for them to find exactly what they want.

When navigation is simple, people spend more time on your site… and buy more.

Tip 5: Improve your on-page SEO

google-shopping

SEO may sound like a big word, but it simply means this:

Make your website easy for Google to understand.

If Google understands your site, it can show your products to more people searching online.

Basic SEO steps:

  • Use simple product titles: “Black Leather Sneakers for Men.”
  • Write short, clear meta descriptions.
  • Use clean URLs like:
    yourstore.com/men-black-leather-sneakers
  • Add keywords people are searching for.
  • Add internal links from one product or page to another.

Think of SEO like putting a signboard outside your shop so people can find you.

Tip 6: Add social proof to build trust

AI Shopping & Ecommerce App - Product Review UIUX
AI Shopping & Ecommerce App / Product Review UIUX – View on Dribbble

People like buying things that others have already bought and liked. This is why social proof works so well.

Types of social proof that help:

  • Customer reviews.
  • Star ratings.
  • Testimonials.
  • Photos or videos from customers.
  • “People also bought…” suggestions.

When a visitor sees that others trust your brand, they feel safe buying from you.

Even a product with just three honest reviews often sells more than one with no reviews at all.

Tip 7: Make checkout easy

Checkout Page
Checkout Page – View on Dribbble

Checkout is where most online shoppers give up.

Maybe the form is too long. Maybe there are extra charges. Maybe the site forces them to create an account.

A tough checkout = lost money.

To fix checkout problems:

  • Let people checkout as guests.
  • Make the process short… 2–3 steps only.
  • Show the total cost early.
  • Offer multiple payment options.
  • Allow autofill for names and address.

When checkout is smooth, you make more sales without doing anything extra.

Tip 8: Use email remarketing to win back lost sales

Skeuomorphic Email Icon
Skeuomorphic Email Icon – View on Dribbble

Many people add items to cart and then leave.

Not because they don’t want the product… but because life gets busy. Email remarketing brings them back.

Simple remarketing examples:

  • Cart abandonment emails like: “Hi, you left something in your cart. Want to complete your order?”
  • A discount email after 24 hours.
  • Product reminders.
  • “Back in stock” alerts.
  • “You may also like” suggestions.

Email marketing is one of the easiest ways to increase sales… especially for people who already showed interest.

Tip 9: Track your numbers and learn from them

Analytics Dashboard
Analytics Dashboard – View on Dribbble

You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

Analytics helps you see:

  • Which pages people visit the most.
  • Where they drop off.
  • Which products perform best.
  • What devices people use.
  • How people move through your site.

Even looking at simple numbers can help you discover:

  • Why sales dropped.
  • Why a product is not selling.
  • Why people stop at checkout.

When you understand your numbers, you make smarter decisions. No guessing.

Tip 10: Have fast and helpful customer support

Beautiful cheerful dark skinned girl talked on phone

People feel safer when they know help is available.

Even a small issue… like not knowing if a product is in stock… can stop a sale.

Ways to support customers:

  • Add a live chat option.
  • Create a simple FAQ page.
  • Use chatbots for common questions.
  • Provide fast replies on email or WhatsApp.
  • Make return and shipping policies easy to find.

Good support builds trust. And when customers trust you, they buy again and again.

Tools you can use to improve your ecommerce website

Tools you can use to improve your ecommerce website

Running an online store is a lot easier when you use the right tools.

Think of these tools like helping hands. They make your site faster, cleaner, and more enjoyable for your customers. And the best part?

Most of them are simple to use, even if you’re not a tech person.

Let’s look at a few of them…

1. PageSpeed Insights (to check your website speed)

If your website is slow, PageSpeed Insights tells you exactly why.

You just enter your website link, and it scores your speed from 0 to 100.

It also tells you what is slowing your site down, like:

  • Big images
  • Too many scripts
  • Slow server

It’s like a mechanic checking your car and telling you what parts need fixing.

You don’t need to understand the big words it shows… just use it to know where the problem is, then fix the simple things like image sizes.

2. TinyPNG (to reduce image size)

Heavy images make your site slow. TinyPNG helps you shrink your images without making them look ugly.

You upload your image → it makes the file smaller → you download it.

Simple.

If your product pictures are large, TinyPNG can make them 50–70% lighter.

This single step can make your website load twice as fast.

3. Hotjar (to see how visitors use your site)

Hotjar shows you how people move on your website. Not in a creepy way… it’s anonymous.

It uses heatmaps and recordings to show:

  • Where people click
  • Where they scroll
  • Where they stop
  • Where they get stuck

It’s like watching how customers walk around a real store.

Maybe your “Add to Cart” button is too far down. Maybe your menu is confusing. Hotjar helps you see these things clearly.

4. Google Analytics (to track what’s happening on your site)

Google Analytics tells you:

  • How many people visit your site
  • Which products they check
  • How long they stay
  • Where they come from
  • What device they use (phone or laptop)

It’s like having a notebook where you track customer behavior.

With this, you know what is working and what is not.

For example:

  • If 80% of people are using phones → improve your mobile view.
  • If one product gets the most visits → make it easier to find.
  • If people leave on the checkout page → fix your checkout flow.

Analytics turns guessing into smart decisions.

5. Mailchimp or Klaviyo (for email marketing)

People forget thin. Someone can add a product to their cart and get distracted.

Mailchimp or Klaviyo help you send:

  • Cart reminder emails
  • Welcome emails
  • Product suggestions
  • Discount messages

It’s like tapping a customer on the shoulder and saying…

“Hey, you forgot something.”

Most abandoned carts can be recovered with a simple email, and these tools make it easy.

6. Shopify Apps or WooCommerce Plugins (to add extra features)

Depending on what platform you use, you can install apps that add new features like:

  • Reviews
  • Chat support
  • Currency converter
  • Pop-up offers
  • Faster checkout options

You don’t need to build any of these yourself. Just install the app and turn it on.

These apps make your store more powerful without coding.

7. Canva (to design product photos and banners)

You don’t need a graphic designer for everything.

Canva helps you create nice banners, product labels, and social media posts with drag-and-drop tools.

It’s simple:

  • Pick a template
  • Add your colors and text
  • Download and use it

Good design makes your store look clean and professional.

Bunus: 10 quick wins you can apply today

man-giving-birthday-gift-beautiful-woman-multiracial-couple-sitting-together-cafe-dating

Here are 10 quick wins you can apply today to improve your ecommerce website fast.

  • Make your homepage clean: Remove anything that looks busy or distracting. Show your top products and one clear call to action like “Shop Now.”
  • Add bigger, clearer product photos: Blurry photos kill sales. Use bright, clear pictures with good lighting so people understand what they’re buying.
  • Shorten your product descriptions: No long stories. Tell people what the product is, what it does, and why they need it.
  • Add a search bar: Some people don’t want to click around. A search bar helps them find products fast.
  • Reduce your price surprises: Show shipping cost early. When shoppers see extra charges at checkout, they often leave.
  • Add reviews to your product pages: Even two or three reviews help. People trust other shoppers more than the seller.
  • Check your site on a phone: Open your store on a small screen. If buttons are too tiny or text is hard to read, fix it.
  • Remove one step from checkout: If you can cut something… cut it. The fewer steps, the more sales.
  • Use a simple pop-up offer: Give a small discount like 5% or free shipping for new visitors. It can turn window shoppers into buyers.
  • Test your website speed: As mentioned before, use PageSpeed Insights. If your site is slow, compress images or remove heavy plugins.

Wrapping up

Selling online is not magic. It’s a mix of speed, clarity, trust, and good experience.

When your ecommerce site is:

  • fast,
  • simple to use,
  • easy to navigate,
  • full of clear photos,
  • built with trust, and
  • supported by smooth checkout…

…you make more sales, without stress.

These 10 tips are not hard. They just need consistency.

Start with the easiest one. Fix your images. Improve your checkout. Add reviews.

One small improvement a day can completely transform your online store.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are ecommerce best practices?

Ecommerce best practices are simple rules that help your online store work better. They include having a fast website, clear product photos, easy checkout, good mobile design, and strong customer support. Following these steps helps you get more visitors, build trust, and increase sales.

Why does website speed matter for an ecommerce site?

A slow website makes people leave before buying. Most shoppers will not wait more than a few seconds for a page to load. A fast site keeps visitors longer, helps them check more products, and increases the chance they will buy. Speed also helps your ranking on Google.

What makes a good product page?

A good product page has clear photos, simple descriptions, honest reviews, prices, and important details like size or material. It should answer every question a shopper might have. The easier it is for people to understand your product, the more likely they are to buy.

Pedro Reyes - Profile Picture
Pedro Reyes
Founder & CEO

Pedro is a UI/UX designer and full-stack WordPress expert with 18+ years of experience, founder of Block Agency. He helps agencies in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Dubai build fast, minimalist, SEO-friendly websites designed to convert through clean UX, CRO, and scalable design systems.

Let's talk