When it comes to selling goods and services online, an easy checkout process can make a world of difference in your sales. It will prevent your potential customers from closing the tab and looking somewhere else. But for your business to maximize this strategy, you need the right ecommerce web design.
But wait, what is an ecommerce web design, and does your business really need it?
In this blog post, we’ll answer all these questions to help you get a better understanding of this crucial aspect of your online business. We’ll talk about the definition of an ecommerce website, why you need it, and how you can get started.
What does ecommerce mean?
Ecommerce is the shortened term for electronic commerce, which refers to the sale and purchase of goods and/or services through the Internet.
From the traditional brick-and-mortar stores, ecommerce has revolutionized the way we shop. Nowadays, with just a few taps and clicks, you can buy almost every item imaginable and have it delivered to your doorsteps.
Multinational companies are not the only ones who use ecommerce to achieve a bigger market share. Even new and small businesses are also maximizing this strategy to reach their target customers.
Sounds pretty neat, right? But here’s the catch: you first need a responsive ecommerce website to actually make it work for your business.
What is an ecommerce website?
An ecommerce website serves as the home of your business online. Imagine it as a virtual store where people come and go to see what you have to offer.
The best thing about having an ecommerce website is it’s accessible 24/7. In short, you’re making sales even as you sleep.
Still, your ecommerce website shouldn’t be just another page on the web. It should have a user-friendly checkout process, secure payment portals, and a navigable design. Through this, your visitors will have an easier time browsing through your offers and making a purchase.
Sure thing, you can create your own ecommerce website using tools available online. After all, there are many drag-and-drop software that allows you to build an ecommerce store in just a few minutes. However, it may fall short in terms of sustainability, flexibility, and the ability to keep up as your business grows.
So if you foresee your business expanding in the future, we recommend working with ecommerce website design services. This way, you’ll have a dedicated team building, maintaining, and ensuring that your ecommerce website will bring you the highest possible ROI.
Importance of Designing Ecommerce Websites Strategically
Much like an actual store, the success of your ecommerce website depends on its accessibility and navigability. For example, if a physical store is hard to reach due to bad roads or the products are not organized, the customers will have a negative shopping experience.
The same goes for ecommerce websites. If it’s loads too slowly, hard to navigate, or the products are hard to locate, customers may opt for another option. For you, this translates to lost sales and even a bad reputation.
In the end, all of these boil down to one thing: website design. Here’s why business owners like you should pay more attention to it:
1. It’s all about user experience
Your ecommerce website should create a convenient shopping experience for your site visitors. This means that every page should have intuitive navigation, clear product descriptions, and a hassle-free checkout process.
Remember, internet users only have a meager attention span of 8.25 seconds. If it takes them longer than that to take a specific action on your website, you should expect higher bounce rates.
2. It affects your brand identity
According to a study, about 94% of first impressions are related to the website’s design. The search found that if the website has small print, too much text, a “busy” layout, and poor search features, the visitors will likely reject or mistrust the brand.
At the same time, the study also noted that your visitors only take 0.05 seconds to form an opinion on your website. This is why your ecommerce web design should be attractive right at the very first paint.
3. Mobile-friendliness and speed matter
With the boom of smartphones and online shopping apps, it’s undeniable that having a mobile-friendly website is crucial for your market share.
With this, your ecommerce website should be mobile-friendly and adapt seamlessly across different screen sizes. This way, your site visitors will have the best browsing experience wherever they access your pages.
Also, it’s not enough that your pages adapt across devices. Speed is also the name of the game.
In general, it only takes 3 seconds for an online user to abandon your website if it takes too long to load. Also, according to analytics authority Akamai, a 1-second delay in page response can result in as much as a 26% reduction in conversions.
And as they say: you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. So if your website isn’t mobile-friendly or poorly optimized, it’s unlikely that your visitors will come back.
4. It impacts your conversion rates
While a fast-loading and mobile-friendly website is paramount, it won’t convert well without the right calls to action. It’s important that your website visitors can easily take action whenever they like.
For this, professional web designers like Top Position ensure that every page has strategic call-to-action (CTA) buttons and a streamlined checkout process. This reduces friction points that can kill your conversion.
5. It’s crucial for search engine optimization
Aside from making a good first impression on your target customers, a functional ecommerce website design is also one of the foundations of search engine optimization or SEO.
Search engines like Google cares so much about user experience (UX). While the ‘look’ (UI) of your pages also matters, ranking algorithms tend to put your weight on the ‘feel’ of your website.
Google prioritizes ecommerce websites that give the best experience to internet users. So if yours takes forever to load or is difficult to navigate, expect that you’ll be pulled several notches down in terms of rankings.
Best Practices for Ecommerce Store Design
With a well-crafted website design, selling online will be much easier for you. Now that you know more about “ecommerce website meaning”, here are some of the best practices that we provide to our clients:
1. Simplicity is key
As they say, less is more. For the best shopping experience, you need to keep your web design uncluttered and easy on the eyes. A minimalist approach can also be a great choice to allow your customers to navigate menus and click CTAs easily.
With that, the goal of your web design is to help customers find what they are looking for. While aesthetics also add to the overall experience, it should only be secondary.
2. Use high-quality product images
Low-quality images are not only eyesores; they can also harm your brand’s reputation and ruin your ranking potential. Worse, it will diminish the value of your product in the eyes of your target customers.
But wait, we know what you’re thinking, “won’t high-quality images slow down my website?”. Not if you don’t use the right file type.
To ensure that you’ll have quality photos without dragging your site speed, you should use file types like WebP. This provides file sizes that are up to 35% smaller than JPEG but with the same image quality.
3. Focus on easy navigation
When designing your ecommerce website, it’s important to put yourself in the shoes of your customers. Ask yourself, “If I’m the one shopping on my ecommerce website, will I find it convenient?
Try navigating your website and see what can be improved in terms of design. You can also hire a quality assurance expert for an in-depth assessment of your current website.
In general, we advise using breadcrumb navigation to help your visitors understand where they are in your website. It’s only a good UX practice, but also a big plus on your SEO strategy!
4. Integrate a visible search bar
Most internet users have one thing on their minds when visiting your website: to find a solution. And to boost your conversions, you need to help them find it.
A visible search bar across your pages can do so much wonders for your overall traffic and conversion rates. It can also potentially cut your bounce rates.
Take note that this is a very crucial feature, especially if you have a big website with hundreds of pages. This way, your customers can get into the product or service they need without having to go through multiple pages.
5. Use clear product descriptions
Aside from the look of our ecommerce website, you should also pay attention to the copy. Make sure that each product listing has an accurate description that includes its features, benefits, and relevant sizing charts.
For example, if you’re selling clothing items, make sure that you include sizing details and instructions on how customers should pick the right size. And if you’re selling hygiene items like skincare products, make sure you include directions on how to use them.
By providing this information, you’re assisting your target customers in making an informed decision. They will also view your ecommerce website as more reliable than your competitors.
6. Don’t forget about security measures
It’s important that you protect your customers’ trust by ensuring that they are browsing a safe and secure website. Make sure you use SSL encryption and secure payment gateways to safeguard your customer’s sensitive information.
7. Design a streamlined checkout process
As much as possible, you should make it easy for your customers to purchase anything on your website. Try to reduce the number of steps they need to take to complete the purchase and make sure you offer multiple payment options.
Do you need help with ecommerce website redesign?
Does all of these sound overwhelming to you? If you want a website design that converts, feel free to contact us at Top Position. We offer custom web design & development services tailored to your ecommerce business.
With us, you’ll get user-friendly, responsive, and SEO-ready websites. We can also turn it into a conversion machine with our PPC services, social media advertising, and more.
Interested in a free, no-obligation quote? Contact us today to get yours!
