An efficient ecommerce web design is much more than simply appearance; it is about how effectively it functions in terms of usability, traffic generation, and sales. These are the characteristics that distinguish the best sites from the others. To create a high-performing ecommerce website that provides a positive user experience, you must find a way to seamlessly integrate aesthetics, conversion strategy, content, web development, and search engine optimization (SEO).
One thing to remember throughout this process is that it is all about your visitors and clients. If you are working with a web designer, ensure that you acquire web design services that will properly develop both the foundation of your online presence and your brand with the target audience in mind. The goal here is to make the online visitor’s experience as simple and uncomplicated as possible so that they can rapidly perform whatever action they wish to do on your website. Whether it is to gather information, make a purchase, or sign up and subscribe. Here are some web design tips to help you build a profitable ecommerce website.
Know Your Audience
The first step is to choose who you want to target. Always remember who the website is intended for. Your target audience should always be at the core of your strategy, influencing every decision you make. Every component of your website, from the products you sell to the calls-to-action, theme, images, and even the content of the sign-up forms, will play a role in a buyer’s decision. It is critical to understand who you are selling to, who you are targeting, what makes consumers require your products, and what will make users choose and purchase your products again and again. At the end of the day, the users are the ones who will be using and interacting with your website the most, therefore conduct proper research to make their trip from finding your website to the point of sale as simple as feasible.
It is critical to engage with a web designer who understands who your clientele are, who your products or services are for, and what experience is best for them when outsourcing web design. Then, use this knowledge and apply it to the development of your ecommerce website as well as your brand.
Keep It Simple: A Simple Web Design Is The Best Way To Go
A basic website has the best amount of user acceptance and interaction. Complex designs should be avoided if you want to engage with as many users as possible. This will also make it easier for the design to be mobile-friendly on any device. Responsive web design means that your website is viewable no matter where the user chooses to see it – desktop, laptop, smart devices, or tablets. According to Google, 61 percent of consumers will be less likely to return to a site if they are unable to access it on their mobile devices, and 40 percent will likely visit a competitor’s site as an alternative. What you don’t want to happen is to lose business and have them switch to another company because your website was difficult to use.
The less users think and the more natural their engagement with your website is, the better.
Develop Mobile Design
It is now necessary to design your ecommerce website for mobile use. Not only because the number of smartphone users in the Philippines is expected to reach 44.3 million by 2020, but Google also announced that beginning in September 2020, mobile-first indexing will be enabled for all websites.
Because people are now browsing and shopping online using their mobile devices, your ecommerce website should look just as amazing on mobile as it does on desktop. Google has changed its algorithm to allow Googlebots to read and evaluate how significant and valuable a website is in order to give accurate and relevant data to mobile users. This involves determining whether or not it is mobile-friendly and fast-loading, two crucial criteria of responsive web design.
It is vital to highlight that part of mobile users’ activity is to utilise mobile devices to hunt for local information or what is nearby. For example, a nearby delivery service or a business that is easily accessible from where they are. To improve the performance of your website in such instances, you should also include local SEO services in your strategy. Local SEO optimises your website so that search engines like Google prioritise it when a user conducts a location-specific search. Local SEO is an excellent conversion approach since consumers searching for a specific place are already surfing the web with the intent to buy.
Avoid Cramming Information
It’s easy to get enthused about your products or services, which may lead you to want to put everything in one location. Visitors may become overwhelmed as a result of this. Nobody enjoys clutter. Web visitors prefer clean, modern designs, so show them where to focus and emphasise the significance of whitespace.
The blank region or distance between the pieces in the composition is referred to as negative space or whitespace. It is the space between the text, graphic margins, content, and icons.
What is the significance of whitespace in web design? There are numerous reasons why whitespace is valuable in design, but the one that stands out the most is that it allows visitors to focus on the information. Whitespace is used to draw attention to certain text while also keeping the page as ordered and legible as feasible.
A smart use of whitespace is essential if you want a high impact CTA or if you want the visitor to focus and absorb your value proposition.
Make The Search Bar Accessible
Search bars exist to help people find their way and avoid feeling lost. Make your search bar visible and easy to find. This is especially useful if you have a large number of products that cannot fit on a single page. The more products, information, or services you provide, the more important it is to have a functional search bar.
Search filters are also beneficial to your clients or consumers because they narrow the search for them, helping them to easily locate what they’re looking for.
Improve Site Speed
Speed is a key attribute in technology, and having a quick website is essential if you want to keep your customers. It is not enough to entice a person to click on your website; it is also crucial that they stay, explore around, and eventually buy.
Up to 74% of customers would abandon a mobile website if it takes longer than five seconds to open, and even a 100-millisecond delay in load time can reduce your conversion rate by 7%.
The allowable load time is three seconds; less is better; if it takes much than three seconds, you risk losing visitors. Always undertake an SEO Audit or use Google’s own PageSpeed Insights to assess your site’s performance.
Calls-To-Action: Be Strategic With CTAs
Don’t put all of your CTAs in one spot. Spread strategy across your content. It is effectively placed as the eyes move down the page.
According to a study of 25 million visits, user engagement occurs primarily below the fold. Above-the-fold material should be eye-catching and pique the user’s interest. It is unlikely to compel the user to do anything other than want to learn more, thus your next goal should be to entice them to read farther down the page. That is when you develop material that will entice them to click on a CTA or take the action you want them to take. Conduct extensive market research to learn what motivates specific forms of behaviour in your target audience.
Opt For More Familiar Layouts
When deciding on a layout, one ecommerce web design tip is to stick to a conventional design. You want your ecommerce website to stand out, but the website layout isn’t the way to achieve it. When it comes to site layout, your content and value proposition should be the aspects that distinguish you from the competition. However, this should not be the case.
There are numerous website styles that will help you succeed. There is the zig-zag layout, in which the design directs the eyes to move down the page in a zig-zag pattern. You can also use the popular F-layout, which guides the eyes in an F-pattern. There is also the eye-catching Full-screen photo, in which the layout is a full-blown image representing the website with minimal text to accompany it.
Whatever layout you choose, there are aspects that should be presented in a consistent manner to make it easy for users to understand your primary message. Here are some general web design style guidelines for ecommerce websites:
- Place logos in the upper left corner. A logo is the icon of your brand and will most likely be the first thing people notice. People have been accustomed to looking at the left side first. This stems back to the placement of logos on the left side of military uniforms. The eyes are drawn there first, which corresponds to how individuals who read Indo-European languages (such as Filipino and English) read, making it more memorable.
- Place the navigation bar at the top of the page. Many ecommerce websites place the navigation bar on different parts of the site, such as the left, right, or bottom. However, because the navigation bar allows users to reach any portion of your website, it is critical that it be always visible and accessible to them.
- Contact information should be easily accessible. Users should be able to simply contact you and find your contact details. Your contact information, which is typically placed in the footer or on the homepage, should include your email address, phone number, and office mailing address.
- Your contact information brings comfort to your clients while also encouraging new users to trust you. Making it clear to consumers that they can readily contact you, as well as displaying it on your homepage, increases your credibility.
- Place the search bar at the top of the page. We’ve already discussed the importance of the search bar, but its placement is equally critical for a successful website layout. There will be times when users will wish to check numerous things if you offer multiple products and services. You want to make it as simple as possible for customers to do so, and positioning the search box at the top of the page is ideal, as opposed to the bottom or side of the page, where the eyes may struggle to find it.
Provide High-Quality Images And Graphics
Images are used to improve your website and present your products or services in the best light possible. Because customers won’t be able to touch or read what you’re selling, high-quality photographs that illustrate every key element of your goods will impact their choice to buy.
High-quality photos will also help your SEO. Organic ranking is one of the reasons SEO services are in high demand nowadays. Ranking high on search engine results pages is a primary aim for ecommerce websites, and Ecommerce SEO ensures that an ecommerce website is ready to rank well on search results pages. When it comes to optimizing your photos for SEO, consider the following factors:
- In your image description, include alt texts and title tags.
- Connect photos to your website’s content.
- Check to see if the image is relevant and aligned with the content.
There are high-resolution stock photographs available on the web that you may use to enhance your web design, but when it comes to product images, it is advisable to hire a professional photographer. Users will appreciate the quality and work you put into it, and they will be more likely to trust and purchase your product as a result.
Make It Easy To Check Out
Another excellent ecommerce web design advice is to include a view cart button in the navigation bar or another visible and accessible location. This is typically the shopping cart symbol at the top of the page. This straightforward technique will allow consumers to readily review what they’ve put to their cart and checkout without confusion.
Avoid requiring a person to sign up or register before they may pursue your items or services, as this may prevent them from further exploring your website. Sign-ups should not be part of the first experience for a retail store that sells goods and services. They should first visit your store and see what’s inside. Save this section for after they’ve added items to their cart and are ready to check out.
Include Reviews And Social Proof
Take advantage of positive feedback. According to research, 84 percent of consumers trust internet reviews as much as recommendations from relatives and friends. By offering reviews, you can help purchasers determine if a product or service is right for them. It is also a good idea to create a method that encourages your current consumers to review a product or service that they have used. Similarly, you should have a procedure in place to deal with negative feedback.
Know What You Need
If you are planning to engage with a web design service, you need first determine what you require. It does not imply that you should have the entire look of the website planned out. However, you should know what you want so that the web design firm can deliver the experience and skills you require. Here are some things to consider before hiring a web design firm:
- Understand the purpose of your website.
- Create a mental image of how you want your website to look.
- Make a list of your most important pages (Homepage, About Page, FAQ, Products or Services Page)
- Decide where the graphics and images will come from.
- Make a budget.
To identify who to hire, you must first determine what you require. The web design firm will assist and advise you on the best method to create your ecommerce website, and it will then be up to them to offer exactly what you require.
An Ecommerce Website That Works For You
Buyer expectations are higher today than ever before, and the attention span is shrinking as well.
There are many new developing trends, and customers have so many options that it is easy to lose track of them. It is critical to stay up with consumer needs and to continually come up with new methods to engage them. It is no longer sufficient to have an attractive website where visitors can shop. Remember that your competitors are as concerned with the appearance of their websites. It is critical to pull out all the stops in order to gain an advantage and establish a competitive advantage. Improve the usability of your ecommerce website, boost user experience, and optimize it for search engines. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to success. Creating a website that sells will include extensive research, some trial and error, and determining the best strategy for your ecommerce business. However, as long as you consider what your clients require, discover the correct web design business, and acquire the necessary resources to match consumer demands, there is no goal you cannot attain with your ecommerce website.