Ecommerce website design is something most of us will be familiar with. The best examples are intuitive and satisfying and conversely the worst often leave us feeling frustrated. Initially, ecommerce was employed by existing retailers to supplement their bricks and mortar stores. However, more recently many manufacturers have taken the opportunity to sell directly to the consumer. Nevertheless, what remains consistent is the requirement for excellent design to provide a great user experience. Here are some of the fundamental elements of effective ecommerce website design.
Less is more
This is certainly a mantra that we stand by with most design but never more so than with ecommerce website design. A simple user interface will help the customer to navigate, find what they are looking for and, most importantly, checkout.
Think like a customer
What information are they looking for? Where would you look for it? There is certainly no point in trying to reinvent the wheel. There are conventions for placement of certain items such as shopping carts and there is no point in moving these for the sake of it.
High Quality Images
It is well known that images have a significant impact on a website user. Ecommerce is no exception so if you want to convert interest into a sale you need to have high quality images. Professional photography and images from different angles can go a long way in establishing confidence.
Look professional
For small businesses whose brands may not be well known it is critical to build trust within the mind of the consumer. Essentially, you want to encourage potential customers to buy something from you, and importantly, to hand over sensitive information. They’re much more likely to do this is if your website looks professional. In other words, great ecommerce website design and photography will give you the best chance to realising a return on investment.
Keep the checkout simple
The best way to avoid abandoned carts is to simplify the checkout and make it as streamlined as possible. Provide the option to checkout as a guest if they don’t want to register, for instance. Make the shipping options straightforward and the whole process effortless. Do this you are highly likely to convert this sale. Moreover, a simplified process will encourage the customer to return to you in the future.
Be responsive
Mobile devices are the most popular way people use the internet and this includes shopping. Consideration of ecommerce website design for mobile devices is absolutely essential. Get this right and you’re opening up your business to people virtually anywhere.
We’ve been designing ecommerce websites for many years. We don’t have a favoured platform and can design entirely bespoke ecommerce solutions. Red Fred Creative are also well experienced with both WooCommerce and Shopify. If you’d like to discuss ecommerce website design please get in touch.
