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How to Clean an Ecommerce Website: A Step-by-Step Guide for Success

How to Clean an Ecommerce Website

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by Robin Strathdee

1/21/2025, 8:30:54 AM

6 min read

Imagine a customer visiting your site and searching for a product, but all they find are outdated items, broken links, and difficulties accessing the information they need. What happens next? You lose a sale, your brand credibility takes a hit, and the frustrated customer is unlikely to return.

Just like your closet or your car, your ecommerce website needs to be kept tidy and organized. This guide will walk you through how to clean an ecommerce website, keeping your site organized and enhancing your business performance.

What is a “clean” ecommerce website?

A “clean” ecommerce website refers to an online store that is well-organized, user-friendly, and visually appealing, making it easy to navigate and providing a seamless shopping experience. Key characteristics include clear navigation, fast load times, accurate and up-to-date product information, and responsive design that adapts to different devices. Additionally, a clean website has streamlined checkout processes and minimal distractions, allowing customers to focus on their shopping journey.

Why a clean ecommerce website matters

A clean and well-structured ecommerce website impacts much more than aesthetics. It directly influences your business performance—from a customer’s perception of your brand, to key metrics like conversion rates and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) rankings.

Let’s explore the main benefits.

Improved user experience

Picture this: a potential customer visits a shoe retailer’s website to browse its “sports shoes” offerings. However, when navigating to the site’s sports shoes category, they encounter a mix of out-of-stock items, vague product descriptions, and inefficient product filtering options.

Frustrated, they leave the site to look for shoes elsewhere.

The next website they visit has clear categories, quick filters, and comprehensive product details. Which site is more likely to earn the sale?
88% of consumers are less likely to return to a site after a poor experience.This means streamlined navigation, accurate inventory management, and detailed product information pages can make a significant difference to a brand’s profitability.

Enhanced SEO performance

Search engines like Google reward websites that are updated, fast, and error-free. An ecommerce site that regularly revisits product keywords and fixes broken links stands a better chance of ranking higher in search results—and attracting more customers.

Higher conversion rates

Imagine a shopper finds the perfect product and heads to checkout, only for the cart to lag or the payment process to fail.

The result? Cart abandonment.

Now, picture a fast, intuitive website where the entire buying journey—from search to payment—is smooth. This seamless experience can significantly boost conversion rates.

Increased trust and credibility

When you visit a website with high-quality images, up-to-date information, and recent customer reviews, it exudes professionalism and inspires confidence.

This is the power of a clean ecommerce website—it reinforces trust and credibility while encouraging repeat business.

Increased trust and credibility

How to Clean an Ecommerce Website

Keeping your ecommerce website up-to-date requires consistent and practical strategies. Follow this step-by-step guide to ensure your online store remains efficient and appealing.

Step 1 - Remove Outdated Products

Displaying out-of-stock or irrelevant products in your catalog can frustrate customers and harm your store’s image. Remove or clearly label unavailable products while offering alternatives.

For example, a fashion store could display a message like, “This product is unavailable. Check out similar options below.” This would keep customers engaged.

Another approach is to create specific sections, such as “Outlet” or “End-of-Season Sale” for slow-moving or older collections. Pair this with competitive pricing strategies to clear out inventory effectively.

Step 2 - Update Content Regularly

Updated content reflects professionalism and prevents misunderstandings. In addition to reviewing and updating product descriptions with your target keywords, include elements like recent reviews, demonstration videos, and FAQs.

For instance, a tech store could add an explainer video showcasing the benefits of a new smartphone model.

Additionally, ensure consistency across marketing campaigns and social media. Align messages to avoid discrepancies. Update essential details, such as delivery times and return policies, and pay special attention to seasonal promotions. For example, don’t leave a “Black Friday Sale” banner visible in December’s first week.

Step 3 - Optimize Navigation

Efficient navigation minimizes the time customers spend searching for products. Use clear, intuitive categories like “New Arrivals,” “Best Sellers,” or “Trending Now.”

To personalize the shopping experience, incorporate detailed filters like “Size,” “Color,” or “Customer Ratings.”

You can also implement smart search with keyword-based suggestions. For example, when a customer types “sneakers,” the system could suggest “Running Shoes” or “Casual Sneakers” or display popular items.

Lastly, add breadcrumbs, a navigational aid that shows users their location within the site hierarchy, to help them easily backtrack to previous pages, making navigation seamless.

Broken links are like "dead ends" for customers and can diminish trust in your site.

Use tools like Google Search Console or Broken Link Checker to quickly identify these issues. Once detected, redirect old URLs to new pages or replace links with relevant alternatives.

For example, if a “Summer Sales” link is inactive, redirect it to “Current Offers.” Also, review links in blog posts, product descriptions, and promotional banners to ensure they point to the correct pages.

Step 5 - Enhance Speed and Security

Your website’s loading speed affects conversion rates and Google rankings. To improve speed, compress images before uploading using tools like TinyPNG or Compressor.io.

Additionally, reduce unnecessary plugins that could slow down your site.
For security, implement an SSL certificate (HTTPS) to protect transaction data.

Step 6 - Conduct Regular SEO Audits

SEO audits help identify your website’s strengths and weaknesses. Use popular tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or Moz to analyze keywords, backlinks, and page performance.

For instance, if a “Running Shoes” page drives high traffic, invest in optimized content such as detailed descriptions and related blog posts.
Also, revisit meta descriptions and titles to ensure they are engaging and relevant, which will boost click-through rates over time.

Step 7 - Perform Usability Testing

Conduct usability testing by inviting a group of customers to interact with your website while you or your team observe their behavior. Alternatively, use tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg to monitor user interactions in real time.

For example, you might discover that several users abandon the checkout process because the “Complete Purchase” button isn’t visible on mobile devices. Use this insight to adjust the design for a more intuitive process.

Additionally, simulate different purchasing scenarios, such as applying discount codes or accessing the site with a slow connection. This ensures you identify any barriers and refine the design for a smoother user experience across various situations.

When should you clean your ecommerce website?

When should you clean your ecommerce website?

Maintaining an ecommerce website should be a regular task, but certain situations call for extra attention:

  • Launching new collections or products.
  • Seasonal inventory adjustments.
  • Layout or design changes.
  • After promotions or events that generated high traffic.

Establishing a cleaning and maintenance routine reduces costs related to lost sales and improves operational efficiency. This guide has shown how regular updates can enhance customer experience, boost conversions, and lower website maintenance costs.

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Discover how VTEX can transform your online business today.