eCommerce Page Types

Most eCommerce websites share a certain base set of page types. These common page types are:

  1. Listing Page - Includes Search Results, Category Listings, Brand Listings, Tag Listings. These pages are generally characterized by a list of offerings which could be further filtered, sorted or searched to find the product or offering desired. These pages may offer convenience features for adding to cart directly from the listing page or for some kind of quick preview of a product without leaving the page - but often the goal is to help the customer find what they are looking for and then click through to a more detailed Product Page.
  2. Product Page - A product page generally features one primary offering for sale/purchase and provides more detail than would be shown on a listing page. A product page may also feature some kind of secondary offerings such as up-sells or accessories or other related items. The primary objective of a product page is to confirm whether this product meets the customer's needs by providing more detailed images, specifications and descriptions and then have the customer "Add to Cart". After an item is added to the customers cart, there can be a different call to action for different types of businesses, this may be to continue shopping, go to the cart page for review, or go directly to the checkout.
  3. Cart Page(s) - Most eCommerce websites have some kind of cart page which lists the items the customer has added to the cart for potential purchase. Common actions the customer may perform include, adjusting item quantity, removing an item, estimating shipping or taxes (by providing at least a partial address) or applying or removing a discount code (aka Coupon code). Aside from these common cart tasks the primary goal is ultimately to get the customer continue to the checkout.
  4. Checkout Page(s) - The checkout page(s) are what allow the customer to convert a Cart to an Order by completing the Checkout Process. A Checkout process is a collection of Checkout Steps required to place an order. Common checkout steps include Gathering Customer Information, Choosing a Shipping Method and Making a Payment. However some businesses may modify their checkout process to include less common checkout steps such as agreeing to some terms and conditions, providing proof of age, uploading a license or permit, etc. Additional custom checkout steps can be implemented as part of a custom solution using StoreBuilder. The end result of a successful checkout is that the Cart is emptied and an Order is produced.
  5. Account Page(s) - Most eCommerce website provide some facility for customers to manage their account. This often includes reviewing previous orders/transactions, editing their contact information or address(es) and changing their password.

Some StoreBuilder plugins may add additional page types to the project for plugin specific functionality. Example include:

  • Product Reviews Plugin - Adds a page that lists all reviews for a product.
  • Product Compare Plugin - Adds a page that shows selected products in a tabularized side-by-side view for easy comparison of similar products.
  • Price Match Plugin - Adds a UI component for customers to request a price match
  • Website Feedback Plugin - Add a UI component for customers to provide website feedback or report problems.

These are just examples of the kind of plugins which may add website pages or user interface components to an eCommerce website. Please see the documentation for each plugin for more details.