Today, no one denies the influence of the Internet on many aspects of life: work, school, leisure and even business. Thanks to the Internet, it is no longer necessary to leave home to buy food, clothes, books, appliances and furniture. Everything arrives at your door in just a few clicks.

If you think about it for a moment and make a comparison, you will realize that there are more and more companies doing business online through transactional websites, that is, sites where companies present their products or services that users can buy securely using different payment methods, such as credit and debit cards or online banks like PayPal. This is due to the fact that the Internet represents a market in which commercial transactions take place at any time and from anywhere in the world.

Characteristics of a good transactional website

Who has never made a purchase online? At this point in history, I think we've all bought a product over the Internet.

Recently, I was looking for a laptop in various online stores. I visited about 10 websites until I found one that offered what I needed. I should mention that all of the online stores I visited are dedicated to selling technology equipment and enjoy some prestige in the city where I live, but only one convinced me to make the purchase. So what are the companies not doing right in the other sites? Simple: they don't have the characteristics of a good transactional site. Let's see what those criteria are.

1. Web design and usability:

a transactional website must have a design that guides customers until they complete their transaction. It must be well organized, so that the customer can quickly find what he needs; otherwise, he will leave the site and look for another one. A good web design will increase the credibility of the site and the user's confidence.

2. Product or service information:

if you sell computers, for example, the minimum your potential customer expects from you is that you provide the specifications of each model you offer, the duration of the warranty, the colors offered, the shipping costs and the total cost... Not just the price and the brand.

3. A good hosting service:

the last thing you want is for your site not to load when a customer is about to make a purchase, right? That's why you should have a good hosting provider, who will keep your site in top condition at all times.

4. Responsive design:

your transactional website should have a responsive design, meaning that it should adapt to the format of cell phones and tablets. This way, you won't let potential customers who are looking for information about the products you offer to leave while using their mobile devices.

A transactional website is a great investment not only because it allows you to increase sales, but also because it reduces business operating costs, makes inventory management easier, and provides information about user preferences that you can use to guide your marketing strategy.

Competing in the online marketplace is not easy. However, there are many aspects you can use to boost your business, and the main one is to take care of your website. Studies have shown that "customers prefer to visit and buy from websites with desirable qualities" (Ranganathan and Grandon, 2002), ranging from design to timeliness of delivery and whether the products delivered are the same as the products published.

If you have an online business and want to get the most out of your website, team up with web design experts and hire a good hosting server, you will see how you can achieve positive results in a short time.