The online marketplace is much more competitive than the high street. Customers can find a new online store anywhere in the world in just a couple of clicks, rather than having to make a physical effort to walk or drive elsewhere. Consequently, first impressions count more than ever and ensuring that your e-commerce site is attractive, appealing and user-friendly is extremely important. This is why you need the right e-commerce software.The right software should be able to showcase your products in a way that directly appeals to your target market. Users should be able to navigate your site easily and comfortably and find what they want with ease. Offering facilities such as search options and limited menus will help, as will aesthetics such as a decent sized and legible font and presenting an overall image that fits with your branding.

Another important aspect of your software will be the shopping cart. This should offer a satisfying experience for the customer, but will also help you to keep track of your customers and their orders. You should use the checkout facility to offer different payment options to your customers, such as purchasing by credit card or perhaps PayPal.

Your e-commerce software platform will help you to integrate other methods too which will help you increase sales. Combine with email marketing and/or social media to offer discount voucher codes which customers can enter at the point of sale (POS) and this will help you attract new customers, retain existing ones and reduce the numbers of abandoned baskets at POS.

• Technology