Nowadays, web design is the future of any business. More specifically, the future of eCommerce businesses. In today’s modern age, many companies tend to neglect the power of an interactive and user-friendly website, especially for those running in the eCommerce industry. Effectivity and usability are critical when it comes to a business’ success, and it should never be overlooked.
Aside from improving the look or appearance of your website, good usability also helps enhance website performance and increase the chances of higher customer conversion. More than anything, it can instantly boost sales and revenue for your business. Who wouldn’t want that, right?
In web development and design, good usability means making it easy for users or your visitors to navigate through your entire site and find the respective information they need quickly and seamlessly. As of today, there are countless ways on how you can improve the usability and effectivity of your website. With that, below is a list of a few web design tips and tricks that can make an effective eCommerce site:
Keep the User in Mind
As a web developer or designer, you should know your customer more than anything. What does your customer like? What does your customer dislike? Do they prefer minimalist themes or all-over-the-place backgrounds and widgets?
Put yourself in your client’s shoes. Or rather, put yourself in a user or consumer’s shoes. Every small detail of your website all the way from images down to contact forms and information should have the ability to convince or influence a user’s decision to make a purchase. This is why it’s highly important to keep the user in mind upon creating your website as it is one of the most crucial factors in eCommerce website success and higher profit generation. This is actually one tip from Carl Ocab; the user experience is of great importance to turn visitors into customers, and, in the same way, to turn customers into repeat customers.
Opt for Simpler Web Designs
According to experts, minimalist-themed websites come off as more appealing and trustworthy as compared to complex ones. If you want a more effective eCommerce website, then definitely go for more straightforward web design themes as this can improve customer conversion over time.
Don’t know how to “simplify” a website? Well, here’s how:
Simplifying your site can be as easy as removing anything unnecessary, utilizing a minimalist theme, and adding plenty of white space.
Add a “View Cart” Button
If you frequently do online shopping, then you’ve probably noticed how most, if not all, eCommerce websites have little shopping cart icons somewhere on the top left or right corner of the entire page. This icon allows users to view items they’ve added to their cart easily, and this is the most important strategy if you’re operating an eCommerce business or website!
This icon’s visibility has been proven to increase customer conversion rates. Having this icon designed in a recognizable yet [still] simple way can definitely accelerate your chances of selling products and services through your website. Although, there’s one important thing to keep in mind: make sure that this icon is recognizable by everyone, so better incorporate either a shopping bag or a shopping cart to avoid confusing people. Lastly, make this button stand out by using bright colors that stick out from the rest of the background.
Add Quality Photos
The last thing you want to do is lose customers just because you’ve uploaded low-quality photos of your products and services. This is probably most online customers’ pain point, which is not being able to physically see or view products they want as compared to actual, physical shopping.
As an eCommerce business operating an eCommerce website might as well eliminate this pain point by incorporating high-quality photos of your products and services in your website. Uploading high-quality content is a must, as poor-quality ones can easily turn off most customers. Also, you might want to add one of the most popular features in eCommerce websites today, which is a pop-up box, where people can zoom in on a specific image and better view smaller details.
Include Testimonials
Customer reviews and testimonials are quick and easy ways to promote and improve sales and customer conversions. Nowadays, a lot of customers now rely on other people’s reviews about a specific product or service. These reviews and testimonials then influence a customer’s decision whether or not to purchase the said product or service.
One way of turning your website into a more effective eCommerce site is to incorporate product-specific reviews directly under or beside each product description. If you only have a few products, they might as well try to include a separate page, which is entirely made for product reviews and customer testimonials.
Update and Organize Your Contact Details
Your contact information is probably one of the most critical factors in creating a more effective eCommerce website. If customers wish to ask questions or send inquiries about your business, products, or service, they will most likely look for a “contact us” page or scroll down to the bottom of your website to find your contact details. You don’t want to lose customers just because you failed to put your company’s contact details (phone number or email address) on your website.
According to most people, it’s best if you include as much contact information as possible. It could be anything ranging from phone numbers, email addresses, Facebook or LinkedIn pages, or maybe a contact form. The more options, the better! This also makes your customers feel that you’re open and willing to attend to them, should they have any inquiries or concerns.
Wrapping Up
Designing an eCommerce website can get a little bit tricky. But, now that you know some of the most crucial factors that make up an effective eCommerce website, you’re more than equipped to design a page that not only looks good but also has chances of converting customers like crazy.
So, what are you waiting for? Start using these tips and design a website away! Do come back and tell us how your website is after applying all these tips!
Author’s Bio:
Edwin Deponte is a motivational writer who is also passionate about Social Marketing. He believes in others’ abilities and tends to bring out people’s hidden potentials through his words of inspirations and motivational articles.
