Ecommerce Website Design
If you run an online store then it definitely pays to ensure that your ecommerce website design is user friendly and that it makes it as easy as possible for people to find and purchase what they are looking for. In this post we are going to cover some of the basic rules of ecommerce website design so that you can ensure that your store is a winner…
What are the benefits of an improved ecommerce website design?
Paying close attention to the visual design and usability of your online store can result in improved conversion rates, higher sales and more customer loyalty. Ultimately you want to ensure that your ecommerce website design makes it easy for people to find and purchase what they are looking for.
Rule # 1 – Organize products to make it easy for people to find products
It is very important to make sure that your online store is logically organized so that people can easily find the product they are looking for. A good first step is to organize products into clearly defined categories and sub-categories. In addition, it is worth including an accurate search function into your site so that people can easily find matching products if they already have something specific in mind. Another tip for providing a good user experience is to allow people to then sort and refine their search results, which is especially useful in a store that contains a high volume of different products.
Rule # 2 – Ensure that product listings are as detailed as possible
One of the main problems of ecommerce from the buyers point of view is that they don’t actually have the product physically in front of them to look at. That is why it is important to make each product listing as detailed as possible and including all the relevant information that somebody needs to know in order to make a purchasing decision. Don’t forget to include lots of photographs of each product too.
Rule # 3 – Make the ‘Add To Cart’ button easy to find
One of the golden rules of ecommerce website design is that you need to make the ‘purchase’ button extremely obvious. Don’t make them go looking for it!
Rule # 4 – Show people related products
On each product listing it is a good idea to show people other products that they might also be interested in. This is useful if the shopper decides that the product they have found is not quite what they are looking for, or if they are looking to buy multiple similar products.
Rule # 5 – Show visitors that you are trustworthy
Trust is still a major issue in the ecommerce store, especially when somebody is browsing through your online store for the first time. As part of your ecommerce website design it is a good idea to include logos of any certificates or awards that your company holds, as well as logos of trusted payment providers such as PayPal.
Rule # 6 – Make sure that the checkout process is straightforward
Once people have finished adding products to their basket and they’re ready to go through the checkout process then you want to make it as easy for them as possible to complete their order. Don’t make people have to go through pages and pages of forms – just ask for the essential details. In addition, it is useful to include the option for people to register with your store, so that they won’t have to fill out the same details next time they come back to make a purchase.
