Uniform and scrub ecommerce sites are unique and contain certain features specific to the uniform and scrub industry. Below are ten design considerations that are important to consider when launching or managing a uniform ecommerce site:
- Fast Performance – The uniform buying experience relies heavily on images of the uniform and scrub products. So, it’s critical to balance between providing compelling visual images without slowing download times by using large uncompressed high-resolution images. Slow page load speeds can hurt you in several ways. First the customer experience will be impacted if the user must wait several seconds for images to load on their browser – or if images are not crisp. In addition, the Google search ranking algorithm will punish your site for slow download speeds on your site. Be sure to select the correct image sizes and compress your files.
- Responsive and Mobile-Friendly Design – Mobile shopping now accounts for about 50% of all online transactions. It’s critical that your uniform ecommerce sites work well on all different screen sizes (full size screens, tablets, smartphones). The good news is that most modern ecommerce themes and frameworks for platforms such as WooCommerce are responsive so that the presentation of the design elements adjust for the screen size. But be sure to pick a platform and theme that provides the most user-friendly and responsive experience possible.
- Integration with POS/Inventory Management System – Most online vendors also operate at least one physical store. As a result, its critical to have some sort of sync or integration with your store management system. This will keep inventory levels in synch between store locations to minimize the sale of items not in stock or unavailable from the vendor. The best uniform POS systems also capture the order information and customer data from online sales in the POS system. This helps with marketing and inventory management.
- Sizing Solutions – Sizing solutions recommend the right size for a customer visiting your ecommerce site depending on their morphology and preferences. This is a relatively new feature that is now included in many of the larger uniform ecommerce sites. Sizing solutions let customers shop for only the items that are available in their size and help create a more customized, personalized shopping experience for the customer. Sizing solutions options for websites include companies like Fitle, Kiwi Sizing, MySize, True Fit and Virtual Size. For example, the Fitle and Kiwi sizing solutions have plugins compatible with many popular ecommerce platforms, including WooCommerce, Magento, Prestashop and Shopify.
- Service Department – Many uniform stores offer embroidery and personalization in-store. Often this is not incorporated into their online sites because of limitations of their selected ecommerce platform. As a result, these scrub and uniform retailers miss out on the sale of personalization options available in-store. Be sure to research what customizations options are available with your ecommerce platform. For example, WooCommerce offers several plugins that can support customization services, such as the Custom Product and Woo Swatches add-ons.
- Microsites or Private Stores – Many uniform retailers are more interested in using their ecommerce site to provide a better experience to existing customers than to sell to the global market of online shippers. These uniform retailers often create private ‘microsites’ that curated for the specific requirements of the customer and accessible only to the employees of the customer. For example, a hospital may have a microsite that only displays the scrub styles and colors approved by the hospital and is password protected for used only by approved employees. Be sure that your ecommerce platform can support microsites. For example, a multi-store configuration of WooCommerce can support the offering of microsites for different customers.
- Product Reviews – User-submitted product reviews are increasingly used by online shoppers in their purchase decisions. Studies show that 90%+ of shoppers read the reviews before they buy a product. Online shoppers like to see a mix of positive and negative reviews, as uniformly positive reviews can be viewed as curated or fakes. This is a common feature available on all popular ecommerce platforms, including WooCommerce, but be sure to include customer reviews in your design.
- Alternative Payment Options – Traditionally, websites accepted debit/credit cards and online wallets such as PayPal and Amazon Pay for purchases. This has expanded to include other online digital payment methods, and in some cases bitcoin. Uniform ecommerce sites may also need to include other forms of payments specific to the uniform and scrub industry. For example, hospitals and clinics may want to allow their employees to pay by allocating employee allowances for the purchase of uniforms. These payments methods may require custom programing to enable on popular ecommerce platforms.
- Multiple Shipping Methods – Online shoppers are not the same. Some may need an item right away, while other are willing to wait additional days or weeks for a lower cost or a special product. Be sure to include multiple shipping vendors and options on your site. It’s also standard to include the tracking number in emailed receipts – and even online status updates following the purchase. There are many plugins that offer these types of options. For example, Shipstation is an extremely popular shipping management plugin for the WooCommerce shopping platform.
- FAQ Section – Online shoppers are frequently seeking answers to their questions outside of your standard store hours or have the same types of questions that are asked in-store during face-to-face purchases, but not generally available when purchasing online. An online FAQ section is a simple way to provide answers to frequently asked questions and other helpful information. This will reduce calls and emails to your store and give your site more credibility.