While many web design best practices should be followed across the board, certain considerations need to be taken by those in digital marketing jobs who are involved in eCommerce web design. Gaining customers’ trust and simplifying the buying process are especially important when it comes to online purchases. Your site should include the following eCommerce web design elements to keep your site’s performance as high as possible:
1. Easily accessible policies
Customers turn to online shopping for convenience. For that reason, return and exchange policies should be just as easily discovered as they would be in the store, if not more so. Inc. Magazine noted accessibility makes for a better user experience and also aids on the customer service side of the business. Keeping the policies page clear and extensive reduces the amount of customer inquiries. The source also explained that prominent placement of information regarding shipping and frequently asked questions, and quick responses to online customer feedback, signals to users that customer service can be trusted. Earning your users’ trust is essential to a successful eCommerce site.
2. Exceptional search functionality
An ecommerce site should be equipped with stellar search functionality to aid users in a quick and easy purchase. Inc. recommended using analytics programs to note which phrases and items are most commonly searched, and start there. Create an extensive list of products and search terms, and work with your team members to ensure that the results accurately reflect what’s being searched. Since this is a major part of a user’s experience on your site, it’s especially important to devote sufficient time for testing before going live with the functionality. After all, if users can’t purchase it, and your company loses that business.
3. Responsive design
Designing for mobility is a trend that all of those in web design jobs need to master. According to Business 2 Community, a growing number of users are turning to their smartphones and tablets to make purchases. However, the solution isn’t as simple as creating a mobile app, as laptops are still often used in online shopping. A responsive design is essential to ecommerce, as visitors to an ecommerce site place even more emphasis on its appearance. Photos of products and their descriptions need to be easily viewed. Large, clear images need to render properly on a person’s phone, tablet, or any other device they’re using, and they shouldn’t have to zoom in to read more about a product or learn its cost. Additionally, the checkout process can’t be time-consuming just because it’s not being performed on a laptop or desktop. Web Designers must use extra caution when optimizing that part of the site for mobile, since it’s what ultimately generates revenue.
4. Simple checkout process
Regardless of which device a customer is using, it’s important to keep the buying process streamlined. Nothing is more annoying to a user than a long, complicated checkout process. HubSpot, a marketing automation software, recommended several tips for ensuring high conversion rates on an eCommerce site. First, keep the required information as limited as possible. If a form is too long, it could deter users from filling it out, and they could be more likely to abandon their cart, which is every marketing director’s biggest fear. For this same reason, it’s important to save information for returning users, and never make them register to purchase something on your site. Including contact information clearly on the page is also important because customers may have questions regarding their purchase. It’s another good idea to include progress bars so users know exactly how many steps are involved in their process.
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