No matter how excellent your products may be or how carefully you’ve planned out your marketing strategy, a poorly designed website can stunt your business growth in an instant. The fact of the matter is, it only takes a few seconds for an online visitor to form an impression and decide whether to keep browsing on your site or to leave and find a more user-friendly website. As such, having an attractive, clear and concise eCommerce site is imperative today. To help you maximize conversions and retain customers, here are a few of our top web design tips for creating a great eCommerce site.
1. Embrace Minimalism
Although minimalism is typically used to describe interior design, it’s becoming a significant trend in web design. Keeping things clear, uncluttered, and straightforward in our hectic, modern world is essential. And when it comes to designing an eCommerce website where there’s usually a range of products and categories, it’s even more crucial to keep it simple. So this year, strip away anything that might make your site look overwhelming or busy and get straight to the point. All of those extra bells and whistles only create distractions, which reduces the chance of visitors purchasing something from your online store. So instead, stay focused on the sale and make it easy to navigate by keeping it attractive.
2. Nail Your Branding
These days, online users are much more cautious than ever before about handing over their personal info and credit cards due to the overwhelming presence of online scams. For this reason, establishing trust with your customer base is fundamental for creating a successful online store. In order to do this, your branding needs to be polished and on point. This means putting the time into nailing the look and tone of your brand and keeping it consistent. It’s also a crucial part of setting your store apart from the crowd and creating an emotional connection with people, the key to driving sales. If you haven’t already, make an effort to prioritize your branding, so you understand your business identity and which avatars you’re targeting.
3. Do the “Grandma” Test
If you’re planning to target certain generations, like the Baby Boomers, keep in mind that many shoppers aren’t as comfortable online or are just starting to get familiar with the concept of eCommerce. That’s why having an easy, user-friendly layout is essential. To ensure your site hits the mark, perform the “grandma” test. Ask a friend or relative to browse your website to see if it’s easy to navigate or if it could use some improvements. Ask them to be honest with their feedback, as this will help you improve the functions on your site to improve retention. If it’s not clear or easy to use, you could be missing out on a lucrative niche of shoppers.
4. Don’t Cheap Out on Imagery
The quality of images used on websites can directly impact conversion rates. And since consumers can see or touch the offered products, they have to rely on your photos to determine if it’s worth the money. If you’re using images that are blurry or insufficient, no one is going to trust it. This is why having professional, high-quality photos are even more important for eCommerce businesses.
5. Keep Text to a Minimum
Conveying your passion for the products that you’re selling is great, but the truth is most people don’t have the time to stop and read through long descriptions. Instead, online users today want to scan through quickly and find the key bits of info they need to make a decision. So focus on getting your point across, break up your content into small sections, and keep it to a minimum. Also, segregate sections clearly using large, bold fonts and distinguishing your CTAs. Remember, the simpler it is, the better your chances of converting sales.
Above all, your eCommerce site needs to look professional, which can be tricky if you’re trying to manage several roles in your start-up and don’t have experience in web development. But that’s where we can help! Hire top web development freelancers at Goodie Website. This way, you can avoid pricey overhead costs and get the expert support you need to enable your online store to flourish.
