Successful e-commerce websites remove many obstacles between the user and the product. It solely carries the brand's identity and provides a seamless user experience. Moreover, the e-commerce market will reach $8.1 billion by 2026, so having an e-commerce website is important and necessary.
But launching an e-commerce website isn’t enough. The digital marketplace is highly competitive, and standing out requires more than just an attractive design. This is where ecommerce development services in UK come into play. Nowadays, users expect many advanced features and fast website loading times. Without professional help and advanced features, even the best products can get lost in the crowd.
So, if you want to rule this competitive market, your website should be more than functional. It must be exceptional. In this blog, we will mention the essential features of your e-commerce website to boost conversions and grow sales.
Top 14 must-have features to make successful ecommerce in 2025
· AI-powered personalisation
AI has changed the way people shop online by providing a personalized experience. AI analyzes the user's interest, behavior, and past interactions to recommend the product and content. Nowadays, Amazon and Netflix are the prime and common examples of this kind of feature. They use AI-powered algorithms to analyze user interest and recommend products or content suited to individual preferences.
With such features, e-commerce platforms can average an increase of 30% in their user engagement. Moreover, personalised promotions and recommendations also improve customer loyalty, encourage repeat purchases, and long-term retention. This smart approach improves user experience and drives higher sales and business growth.
· Displaying the number of products
Another simple but important feature that makes your e-commerce website successful is the number of products that should be shown on one page. This feature gives users a sense of the huge collection available for browsing and helps them understand the scope of options within each category. For example, showing "showing 1-20 of 150 products" or "10 products per page" can inform customers about the collection and allow them to navigate through the inventory more efficiently.
In fashion, 30-50 products per page work well to avoid overwhelming users. On the other hand, 50-100 may be suitable for electronics or furniture, where detailed product specifications are crucial. This feature also allows customers to quickly jump to the next set of items without unnecessary clicks.
· Multiple payment options
Restricting your clients' payment options to just one or two can have adverse effects. You will lose a lot of sales when customers don’t get their preferred payment choice. Especially your customers from different nations, who are affected the most. That’s the reason if you hire an ecommerce development firm in Edinburgh, they always provide a variety of payment options.
As in some nations, specific payment methods are unavailable. PayPal is one example. Therefore, you will lose out on a lot of potential clients if you restrict your payment options to PayPal alone, for example.
Additionally, some customers might prefer to continue using their current payment method rather than try a different one. Instead of using a payment method they are unfamiliar with, they would prefer to quit your website and go elsewhere. Multiple payment option for customers makes sense as a result.
· Advanced filtering and search filtering
A proper search feature with an advanced filter makes online shopping easier and enjoyable. When customers can quickly find what they’re looking for, they are more likely to stay engaged and complete their purchases. Smart filtering helps narrow down options, reducing frustration and improving navigation.
Better search capabilities also lead to higher sales by making product discovery effortless. AI-driven smart search enhances the shopping experience, keeping users satisfied. For example, ecommerce giants like Amazon and eBay use AI-powered filters and predictive search to help customers find the right products quickly and efficiently.
· Responsive ecommerce design
Responsiveness is the key factor for any successful ecommerce website, as it helps to rank on Google. As a responsive website adapts to all screen sizes, whether it’s desktop, mobile or tabs. One of the studies shows that 58% of all website traffic comes from mobile users, which means if your ecommerce website is not mobile-friendly, get ready to lose huge traffic.
But let us tell you that building a responsive website is not that difficult.
You have to invest in high-quality website themes, which you can easily find on WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, and other ecommerce platforms. Better yet, if you have the budget, hire a professional ecommerce development company. It may cost more, but you’ll get unlimited customisation and a flawless user experience.
· Guest checkout
Ever notice that some ecommerce websites let you shop without creating an account? That means those websites have guest checkout features. With this feature, let buyers shop faster and more efficiently. Many shoppers, like first-time shoppers, don’t want to create an account, so enabling guest checkout can satisfy them with a hassle-free purchase. Another great advantage of this feature is that it targets the impulsive buyer. When buyers make spontaneous purchase decisions, any extra step, like account creation, can make them rethink or abandon their carts.
If your target is to lower the cart abandonment rate, then you must add this feature to your ecommerce. This way, you can keep your buyers happy, and you can encourage them to sign in to track the order or rewards.
· AR shopping experiences
Nowadays, AR is one of the top technologies that can improve the connection between buyer and seller. With the help of this feature, buyers can get to experience the visualised product in their real environment. AR gives the most immersive product interaction, which leads to greater confidence in their buying decisions.
Fashion, furniture, automobile, and beauty industries have already implemented AR in their websites. For example, IKEA uses AR to help customers see how the furniture will fit in their real space. Also, many fashion brands offer virtual try-ons for clothing and accessories, while beauty companies let customers try the makeup shades before buying.
These are only possible as they have the best IT consultancy services, so they can peacefully experiment with such features. That’s why businesses are integrating AR into their ecommerce platforms to boost customer engagement. With AR-enabled features, companies can provide a more personalised and interactive shopping experience, ultimately increasing conversions.
· Advanced security
Customers need security seals at checkout to feel secure about their payment information. These trust badges, such as SSL certificates, PCI compliance logos, or third-party security verifications, show that your site follows industry-standard security protocols.
When customers see security seals where they enter their credit or debit card details, they feel more confident in completing their purchase. A lack of visible security measures can lead to abandoned carts, as many users hesitate to enter sensitive information on an unsecured site.
To maximise trust, place security seals near payment fields, the checkout button, and the footer of your site. Additionally, displaying customer reviews and using secure payment gateways like PayPal, Stripe, or Authorize.net can further reassure buyers.
· ‘Save for later’ option
Not all customers are ready to buy, but it does not mean they aren't interested. Customers can bookmark items they like and return to them when they're ready to buy. Here you need a "Save for Later" feature. This feature is very basic but powerful that helps businesses lose sales. This ‘save for later’ can also improve customer retention, as they now have the option to save the product for later.
With this feature, some Industries like fashion, electronics, furniture, and luxury goods benefit the most. In these sectors, customers often spend time comparing prices, reading reviews, or waiting for discounts before making a final decision. A saved items list gives them easy access to their selected products without needing to search again.
Moreover, you can use reminder emails or push notifications to remind your customers about their saved items. In this way, you can create more opportunities for conversion. The Save for Later option in an ecommerce website can enhance user experience, improve engagement, and ultimately boost sales.
· Highlight the product category for better sales
Having dedicated categories like “new arrivals”, “best-selling”, fast-selling products, etc, can increase engagement and drive sales. With such features as fast-selling products enhance the urgency of the product which targets the impulsive purchase. These sections help customers quickly find trending or high-demand items, making their purchasing decisions easier. An Ecommerce store can boost conversion if these features can be implemented strategically.
· Subscription-based models
This feature offers businesses steady revenue while boosting customer retention. Subscription-based model works well for companies that sell consumable products and digital services. For example, food and beverage companies provide meal kit subscriptions for easy meal planning. The fitness industry uses this model for gym memberships and online workout programs.
However, to add a subscription model, businesses need the right technology. So, WooCommerce developer UK can help businesses to add custom subscription features, automate billing, and manage user memberships efficiently. With the proper strategy, this feature not only boosts the revenue but also keeps a loyal customer base that keeps coming back.
· Language options
If your business targets multiple countries, your ecommerce website must have language options. Especially those regions where English is not the primary language. Allowing users to have their languages ensures a seamless shopping experience, making navigation, product descriptions, and checkout processes better.
With such features, you can build trust by letting your customer use their native languages. Many successful global brands implement auto-detection and manual choice for language preferences, ensuring a personalised experience. For businesses targeting international markets, multilingual support can significantly boost engagement, reduce bounce rates, and increase conversions.
· Call-to-action
A well-placed CTA button is crucial for guiding visitors toward product pages, special offers, and other important sales pages. Creating product categories with relevant CTAs and making navigation easier to encourage consumers to explore more. You can use CTAs like “Shop Now,” “Get the Deal,” or “Limited Time Offer” to drive engagement and boost conversions.
To find the best CTA that works best, you do A/B testing. This involves experimenting with different text, colours, and placements to see which variation receives the highest click-through rate. Typically, bold colours like red, green, or orange work well, while clear and action-oriented phrases create urgency.
Once you've decided on the CTA, you must choose the placement. Mostly the above the fold, meaning visible without scrolling, and repeated in key sections like product pages, special discount banners, and checkout pages. By optimising CTAs with strategic wording and placement, ecommerce businesses can drive more clicks, reduce bounce rates, and improve overall sales performance.
· AI-powered customer support
Strong and advanced customer support is another reason for a successful ecommerce website. Often, consumers face issues while buying a product, so if you have good customer support, they can get rid of that instead of leaving the purchase. You have also used ChatGPT to provide customer support on an ecommerce website.
By implementing the OpenAI API into your ecommerce, you can allow the ChatGPT chatbot to interact with users. With the help of instant answers about issues, you can satisfy your customers and provide a seamless shopping experience. Moreover, if you want to provide more advanced support, you must consider a professional Magento development company in the UK, which can help you with this.
Final Words
All you need to know about the features of a successful e-commerce website is this. If you plan to build a website for your company, make deliberate decisions. Don't be content with a static website that merely has contact information and specifics about your brand offering, which doesn't generate any sales.
Having an online billboard or brochure is not the purpose of a website. It ought to be a tool that increases sales for your company. So, if you want to create a high-performing and feature-rich ecommerce website, investing in custom ecommerce development is the best way. A custom ecommerce ensures your website meets your business needs and delivers the best shopping experience.
