Incorporating suitable UX/UI elements can significantly improve the appearance of your website and ultimately increase your business's profitability.
E-commerce websites, in particular, need to be designed perfectly as the business is nearly wholly dependent on its website.
If your website does not cater to customers' needs, they will be less inclined to purchase. People prefer intuitive, simple, and logical website designs, and much complexity can make them switch tabs over to your competitors. This is where expert web design companies like Connective can help. If you want to make sure your e-commerce website retains customers and is search-engine-friendly, consider the following elements:
Mobile Responsive Design
When designing your e-commerce website, think about what devices your customers mostly use to make purchases. Everyone uses mobile phones for most tasks, including digital purchases. As prospects will likely prefer shopping on their phones and tablets, you must focus on a mobile-responsive design for your e-commerce business. Mobile phones generate about 30% of all e-commerce activity in most European countries. To tap into this activity, you need a mobile-optimized web design: research shows a positive correlation between the optimization level and retail conversion.
Mobile websites have less bandwidth than desktop websites, so you must condense your design. Use smaller, compressed pictures and videos. Try to exclude heavy elements like CSS and Java. Make your page auto-adjust to the phone's dimensions to make it easier to read. Use bigger, clearer fonts that anyone can read easily.
Through a mobile responsive design, you will have an improved user experience, which will reduce bounce rates. You will also make your website more accessible to individuals who only own phones, increasing your market share. Mobile responsive design improves your SEO too, as search engines rank mobile-friendly websites better.
User-Friendly Navigation
Customers want intuitive navigation so they can explore the website easily. The easier you navigate the website, the more customers you can retain. Improving your website navigation is easy: have clear menus with proper descriptive labels and divide each item into subcategories. Doing so will make it easier for the customers to find relevant products. However, avoid making too many menus so you don't overwhelm your visitors.
You should also have a functional search button so visitors can easily find what they want. You can implement filters and autosuggest to make your search function more user-friendly. When designing your website, clearly think about its page hierarchy. Come up with a logical hierarchy for menus and submenus. Maintain consistency in the placement of navigation elements and ensure that your navigation works well on both desktops and phones. When in doubt, beta-test your website navigation on a group of users.
Reviews and Ratings
When you open an e-commerce website to buy something, you first look at the reviews and ratings left by other individuals. The younger population prefers seeing as many as 200 reviews on a product before they make a purchase. This phenomenon, called social proof, is significant in online shopping. Seeing that some individuals had a positive experience with the product makes others more likely to buy it. Positive reviews can make even a hesitant customer buy a product, while negative reviews can cause visitors to avoid purchasing those products no matter how much they want to.
When building your website, you must place the user reviews and ratings strategically. You should display them just below the product description so they are prominent. Ensure you have a star-rating mechanism that gives the customer a quick snapshot of product quality. Add an option to sort and filter products with the highest star ratings on your page.
Compelling Product Displays
How you display your product to customers can make the difference between an average and a successful business. When users can see products clearly and in detail, they are more likely to engage with those products. If you show clear, authentic, professional images of your product, the user will trust you, and your credibility will improve.
Ensure your pictures are not pixelated and blurry. Make sure you provide a high-quality image. Go for 720p or 1080p quality whenever possible. Add as many angles as possible to give the user an honest idea about the product. Offer close-up shots so the customers can better understand the texture, color, and stitching details. You can enhance your product display by adding product videos and zoom-in features. Allow for a 360-degree view so users can rotate and see the product from every angle.
Streamlined Checkout Process
No one wants to waste time on a complicated checkout process. Even if users like your product, they may abandon the purchase if the transaction process is too lengthy. Ensure you provide the users with a streamlined and intuitive checkout process with as few steps as possible.
Consider implementing one-page checkouts. They condense the entire checkout process into one webpage with separate shipping, billing, and payment information sections. You can add a progress bar on the top of the page to let users know how far ahead they are in the checkout process. This reduces cart abandonment.
Many websites require you to create an account before purchasing, which leads to cart abandonment. You should have guest checkouts instead so users who don’t want the hassle of creating an account can still make their purchases.
Customer Support
Customer support is vital for an e-commerce business. People will often have queries about your products and require your assistance. And if they are not satisfied, they will want to know about the return policy.
You can provide customer support via live chat support from CSR agents or AI chatbots. Your customer support button should be visible and prominent and have a straightforward user interface. Try to have a multichannel customer support system that includes chat, call, and email. Ensure your contact pages have a responsive design and work well on desktops and mobile phones.
Key Takeaways
Incorporating effective UX/UI elements enhances a website's appearance and boosts business profitability. This is especially true for e-commerce websites, which rely heavily on their online presence. A non-user-friendly website can deter potential customers, leading them to competitors. Key elements to consider include:
1. Mobile Responsive Design: With mobile phones accounting for about 30% of e-commerce activity in Europe, it's essential to have a mobile-optimized website. This not only enhances user experience but also improves SEO rankings.
2. User-Friendly Navigation: Clear menus, logical hierarchy, and consistent placement of navigation elements are vital. A functional search button, filters, and autosuggest features can further enhance navigation.
3. Reviews and Ratings: Like reviews and ratings, social proof significantly influences online shopping decisions. Displaying them prominently and providing a star-rating system can boost product credibility.
4. Compelling Product Displays: High-quality, clear images and videos of products from multiple angles enhance user engagement and trust.
5. Streamlined Checkout Process: A simplified checkout process reduces cart abandonment, preferably on a single page. Offering guest checkouts can further improve user experience.
6. Customer Support: Providing responsive customer support through various channels, including chat, call, and email, is essential for addressing queries and concerns.
A well-designed e-commerce website that prioritizes user experience can significantly increase customer retention and profitability.
