Website design is of immense importance for any website, more so for an e-commerce website which is encouraging visitors to buy their products. The average internet user has a very short attention span and therefore if you do not have an appealing e-commerce web design then most visitors would just bounce off without bothering to go deeper into the website’s pages. If you explore successful e-commerce websites such as Amazon, Ebay, etc. you will see that they have a web design and layout that persuades the user to stay on the site. So in case you are planning to start your own e-commerce website, then these are some of the crucial e-commerce web design tips which you should pay attention to.
- Never compromise on loading time for aesthetic appeal: Many e-commerce web designers make the mistake of loading their e-commerce web pages with flash and images with great detail. While this may make the site hugely attractive to users, it escalates the loading time which in turn may lead to visitor loss. So the trick lies in creating a visually appealing site which at the same time loads quickly. For this, use images which are attractive yet load quickly. Downsize the flash quotient and use it only in places where you feel it will enhance user experience.
- Site Navigation: The site should be easily navigable and there should be a well defined process wherein the users easily find the path to find their desired product. A site search box should be incorporated and it should be well optimized so that users reach the most appropriate page for a particular query. A good search engine optimizer would be able to guide you on the navigational facilities that will give you the best results.
- Segregation of categories: Segregating products into the proper categories is of utmost importance and the correct products need to go into the respective categories. Users should be able to narrow down their searches on the basis of price tag, color, size, etc depending on what your e-commerce website houses.
- Least number of clicks to buy a product: When the user clicks on the ‘buy now’ button, he should have the product placed in his shopping cart. I have seen many sites where you click on ‘buy now’ button and get directed to the product main page where you get another option of ‘Add to Cart’. Such redirections can turn off users who may subsequently leave and hence such steps should be totally avoided.
- Online customer supporter and contact us: A live chat should be present on your site because most users are skeptical of online buys and hence want assurance before buying a product. This is where an online customer support comes to your aid. ‘Contact us’ page should have your details such as email id, phone number and address which make you easily accessible to the buyers.
One other trick to use is to observe other competitors who are doing well in your niche. See their plan of action but at the same time, don’t copy blindly. Hopefully these tips would help you to create a site with a good e-commerce web design.