With the rise of the internet came the development of ecommerce, and quarantines due to the global pandemic gave rise to an increased demand for online shopping. What makes for a profitable eCommerce site? Besides industry giants such as Amazon, Walmart, and Ebay, this list includes an array of online brands and ecommerce businesses and discusses many of the specific features within their online presence that contribute to their success.

1. LEGO.com

Lego features a bright, colorful site eye catching and crafted with their signature colors. Their site is easy to navigate, with categories listed with words and customized graphic icons with short animations that play when the mouse glides over them. Animated website icons aren’t the only feature. They have a rotating list of featured products, as well as showcased categories for quick and easy access to some of their most popular ones.

Screenshot taken from lego.com

Additionally, they offer general shipping deals as well as a VIP membership. Though free, this membership offers several exclusive deals, early access and more. Its perks are clearly laid out, and its points rewards system includes social media posts as a way to earn points. The modern word-of-mouth, this has incentivized people to post and led to an exponential increase in online advertising outreach, invaluable to an ecommerce business.  

Summary:

•  Easy to navigate menus with custom icons
•  Rotating featured product lists
•  Incentivized VIP program with clear and direct info
  
•  Social media outreach marketing directly from customers

2. Chewy.com

Founded in 2011, Chewy quickly grew into a well-known platform for pet supplies. Solely based online, their site was the key to their success. While showcasing their passion for their products throughout the site, they demonstrate the thought put into the customer experience while navigating and using the site. A unique, personalized feature they offer is allowing customers to individualize their pet’s profiles within the site. This personal touch is seen in their email campaign, as well as physical mail they send, especially the “Birthday Cards” they send out to pets. 

They offer customer support through chats and help 24/7 and their return/refund policies are clear and clearly display this throughout the site. They feature competitive prices and constant deals, as well as free shipping after a certain amount along with their Autoship feature. The clean design makes tracking orders and reviewing search history easy. Overall, and importantly, their site is consistently updated and runs smoothly.

Summary:

• Unique, personalized features for customer base
• 24/7 customer support chats are easily accessible
• Clear policies, competitive pricing, and autoship/tracking features
• Consistent site updates increases loading speed and decreases bounce rates

3. GlassesUSA.com

Glasses USA has a well-developed eCommerce brand within a competitive market. While there are other brands which appear in ad space above them in searches, they have kept up their Search Engine Optimization and maintain competitive keywords so that they appear higher in search results.

Screenshot taken from glassesusa.com

Visually, deals are immediately featured with sliding banners on the home page and they are sure to immediately showcase the popular and well-known brands they sell as well. There are several options to begin shopping within the site, whether it’s from the search bar, the menu with an organized layout, or several clearly defined buttons available as a potential customer scrolls through. Additionally, a small sliding header clearly lays out their warranty, shipping and returns policy, as well as their customer support hours and contact info.

Summary:

• Maintains competitive keywords for better search engine rankings
• Several options to begin shopping with visually appealing photos and deals
• Immediately features well-known brands
• Warranty, policies, and support info are clearly defined

 4. newegg.com

Newegg is an ecommerce merchant selling digital products such as computer parts, gaming systems, and certain automotive and office supplies. Their site features a top menu, with deals and larger overarching categories with their main products for PCs. The sidebar menu has clearly defined sections with small arrows that, when glided over, lead to a dropdown menu with even more specific categories.

Screenshot taken from newegg.com

Having a large menu with so many categories may seem a bit too much, however it is good because of two things. First and foremost, it showcases a great knowledge of their customer base, as those shopping at Newegg are more than likely to be searching for a specific part or product. Working in tandem with this, a larger list of specific categories is implemented in such a way that it does not immediately overwhelm the user, as it breaks down into smaller components easily and does not require the user to jump from page to page and/or back and forth.

Summary:

• Well-organized top and sidebar menus
• Expansive inventory for niche markets
• Showcases knowledge of customer base
• Lengthy drop-down menus for simple navigation

5. BarnesandNoble.com

Barnes and Noble, known for their in-person bookstores, has also become known for their online bookstore. Like many of the ecommerce sites in this list, their site homepage is dynamic, with sliding banners, clickable icons, featured books, picture lists and more. Their featured book lists are consistently updated with new releases and as seasons and yearly holidays roll around.

Screenshot taken from barnesandnoble.com

Products featured in rotating banners lists also showcase short quotes from reviews and their picture lists have their star review pictured directly below each book. Another feature they showcase is the ability to “Quick Add.” This gives online shoppers the chance to add a book they want directly to their cart and continue shopping on the same page they were on. This lessens frustration and makes it easier to browse for books as one would in an in-person bookstore. 

Summary:

• Dynamic homepage with sliding banners, clickable icons, featured books, picture lists and more
• Consistently updated featured products
• Reviews and quotes showcased
• “Quick-add” feature eases shopping experience, increases sales

  6. Harrys.com

With a sleek, minimalist design, Harry’s site layout is as direct as their product is; they sell their razors and other grooming products, with an autoship feature as their main draw. Though they have expanded past razors since they first began in 2012, their additional products are featured throughout the page in simple yet eye-catching photos. 

Screenshot taken from harrys.com

Finding a particular product page is simple with built in clickable images and buttons, as well as top of the page drop down menus. Having an optimized graphical user interface or GUI, is important to the user experience as the site both appears and can be interacted with seamlessly. Harry’s is also well-known for advertising across a myriad of platforms such as sponsorships within social media, Youtube and podcasts. 

Summary:

• Direct, sleek, minimalist design
• Utilizes Autoship as the main draw
• Optimized Graphical User Interface
• Advertising across variety of platforms

7. StitchFix.com

Stitchfix found their niche market within fashion and ran with it, all while creating an especially mobile-friendly design for both new and returning users. Their site features an immediate deal for first-time buyers, and immediately leads into their “Style Quiz.” A fashion brand geared towards marketing to those unsure or even uninterested in fashion, this quiz features a way for customers to learn and be told, based on their preferences, products that would suit them best. 

Screenshot taken from stitchfix.com

Both this quiz and the subsequent subscription and personalized online store create an experience that not only removes much of the stress associated with clothes shopping but also one that is hyper-individualized. Their pitch is quick and straightforward, outlined on their homepage with several featured reviews and lastly, another opportunity to go directly to the quiz at the end of the page. Something as simple as not making an online customer scroll all the way back up can lead to a boost in sales. 

Summary:

• Particularly mobile-friendly design with accompanying app
• Straightforward pitch with featured reviews
• “Style-Quiz” for a hyper-personalized online store and subscription
• Call to action bottom-button for navigational ease

8. Wayfair.com

Wayfair, known as an online retailer for a range of home furnishings. Their site also features an optimized GUI, with separate, clickable photo links of featured deals and products, both visual icon and written menus, and suggested types of products an online shopper may be looking for. 

Screenshot taken from wayfair.com

Wayfair also features easily accessible customer service and outlines their general policies and deals. Additionally, they feature exclusive brands, driving those who favor those brands to their site alone. Like many successful online businesses, they also have an app which makes navigating their site and accessing account info even easier.

Summary:

• Optimized GUI with clickable photo links
• Featured deals and suggested products
• Accessible Customer Service and policy info
• Featured exclusive brands

9. ILIABeauty.com

Screenshot taken from iliabeauty.com

Ilia Beauty has grown into a well-known modern online makeup brand, utilizing cause marketing to drive their success. They collaborate with non-profits and emphasize their clean, climate friendly practices throughout their site and among the myriad of profiles on social media platforms they consistently update. 

Products showcase their award-winning status with a small, prominently displayed symbol. As a visual-based product, it is hard for a customer to gauge if a product will suit them solely based on images, but like StitchFix, Ilia Beauty offers a solution in the form of different quizzes, such as one for their foundation shades.

Summary:

• Cause marketing featured on site, within product info
• Advertising among a range of consistently updated social media profiles
• Awards are featured in product photos and descriptions
• Quizzes to match customers with products, increase customer satisfaction

10. HomeDepot.com

Known for their large, warehouse-like home improvement stores, The Home Depot has developed their online site to make the need for many trips to the hardware store easier and less stressful. With organization and layout across platforms, their homepage immediately showcases their membership program with a quick layout of its perks.

Screenshot taken from homedepot.com

Additionally, they feature their curbside delivery as well as the ability to utilize location in order to determine in-store availability if the customer prefers in person or may need their items delivered more swiftly.  

Also prominently displayed is a recently viewed section, so customers, who are often searching for many parts for a complicated project or DIY can easily navigate back to products or between brands they may be comparing. Integrating small functions such as these into their interface creates a more efficient and uncomplicated experience for their ecommerce customers. 

Summary:

• Consistent layout and organization across platforms
• Membership program and perks quickly and clearly laid out
• In-Store availability to increase both online and in-store sales
• Recently viewed section for easy product comparison

Making a Successful eCommerce Business

Many of these online businesses utilize similar strategies within the core of their site for good reason. Visuals and organization work for optimized GUI, as well as consistent updates and usability across mobile, desktop and more platforms. 

Many of these brands come from a place where their brand lends itself to dominating specific sectors of unique keywords, and others have driven their sites development for continuous additions and retention of customers through online searches. 

Many are also well-aware of the unique challenges of online shopping, and ones that may be unique to their business, but have found solutions which make the convenience of not having to leave one’s house to shop even more so.

At Falcon Marketing, we design fully-integrated and optimized eCommerce sites for any kind of business. Work alongside our team and develop and launch your tailor-made, all-encompassing online marketing strategy campaign!