Ecommerce sales are on the rise, and they’re not showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, they’re expected to account for approximately 17.5 percent of all sales worldwide by the year 2021.
When you run an ecommerce website, there are a lot of factors that influence its profitability. One of the most important, though, is website design.
Are you satisfied with the design for your ecommerce site, or do you think you could benefit from some changes?
If you’re interested in updating your ecommerce site, keep reading. Explained below are some essential ecommerce website design principles.
Knowledge of these principles will help you increase sales and take your site to the next level.
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1. User-Friendliness
One of the most important design principles to keep in mind is to make sure your ecommerce site is as user-friendly as possible. If people can’t easily navigate your site and find what they need, they’re going to look elsewhere.
Some steps you can take to improve the user-friendliness of your site include:
- Improve your website speed
- Make navigation intuitive
- Make sure it’s mobile-friendly
Don’t forget to take cues from users, too. If you receive complaints about a particular element of your site, accept it and address it promptly.
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2. Security
Even though online shopping is highly common these days, many people are still hesitant about sharing their personal information online.
If you want people to make purchases from your website, you need to make sure that they’re information is safe.
If people believe that your site is not secure or that you’re sharing their information with a third party, they’re going to use another site instead.
Nobody wants to risk identity theft, no matter how great your products or services seem to be.
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3. Audience Targeting
When you’re designing any kind of website, it’s important to think carefully about your target audience. This is especially important for ecommerce websites, though.
Who do you want to make purchases from your website?
Once you have a clear answer to this question, start making adjustments to your website — the colors you use, the way you describe your products, etc. — to make sure you’re appealing to this type of person.
Remember, when you have a specific audience to whom you’re marketing, you’ll have an easier time increasing your online relevance and separating yourself from your competition.
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4. Search Options
An easy-to-use search feature is crucial when you’re running an ecommerce website.
You need to make it easy for people to find what they need. Nobody has the time or patience to sift through pages and pages of products in order to find one particular thing. They’ll go to the mall and dig through bargain bins if they want to do that.
The easier it is for people to search your site, the more likely they are to return to it. Don’t just have a search bar. Allow them to narrow down their search and look at specific categories or shop for specific colors, styles, and types of products.
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5. Clear Product Descriptions
Another way to make it easier for people to find what they need is to include clear, detailed product descriptions on your website.
Optimizing your product descriptions to include specific keywords is a great strategy for improving your website’s search engine rankings and helping more people to find your site.
In addition to writing top-notch product descriptions, make sure you’re also including high-quality pictures and videos. This will make it easier for you to showcase your products.
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6. Consistent Branding
Consistent branding throughout the site is essential. It helps users separate your site from your competitors and helps to establish brand loyalty.
Make sure that you’re using the same font, color palette, and tone of voice on every page of your site.
When you’re consistent like this, it’s easier for customers to know what to expect from your business. It also makes it easier for them to build a relationship with your brand.
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7. Simplicity
Don’t make your ecommerce site too cluttered.
If your website is full of pictures, pop-ups, text, and different colors, your customers are going to get overwhelmed. They might even click away altogether and visit a site that feels more streamlined.
Keep your design simple and minimalistic and let your products (and product descriptions) do the talking.
Keeping your site simple will also increase your website speed, which will help to keep your customers happy and eager to return in the future.
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8. Clear Calls-to-Action
Some people think that a call-to-action is not necessary for an ecommerce site. After all, isn’t it obvious what you want people to do?
In reality, a clear call-to-action is essential.
Your call-to-action should be easy-to-spot and provide users with clear instructions on what you want them to do next — purchase an item, claim a discount, sign up for your email list, etc.
Don’t assume that people will find their way to these things on their own. Chances are, they won’t unless you guide them.
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9. Attractive Design
Last, but not least, make sure your design is attractive and interesting to the people who visit your website.
According to this service, 38% of people who visit websites will leave them if they don’t like the site’s layout.
Make sure that you’re website is both easy-to-use and aesthetically pleasing. You might want to consider hiring a professional if you’re having trouble with this aspect of the process. You can also checkout bestlandingpages.software
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Need Help with Ecommerce Website Design?
As you can see, there are quite a few important ecommerce website design principles that you ought to keep in mind.
It doesn’t matter if you’re going to revamp your website yourself or hire a designer to do it for you. Either way, knowledge of these principles will help you to ensure you get a finished product that yields returns for your business.
Do you need help with the design and functionality of your ecommerce site? If so, we’re here to help.
Check out some of our free tools today. Whether you’re looking to measure the speed of your website or need to learn more about hosting options, we’ve got you covered!
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