Ecommerce Website Design Tips and Tricks for Increased Sales

Mar 10, 2023 | Website Development

« Insights | Ecommerce Website Design Tips and Tricks for Increased Sales
olly kemp blog

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Ecommerce website design differs from traditional website development because the goals are driven by commercial transactions. Here we explore some key tips and tricks to get greater online results.

Ecommerce website design is a necessity for any business that wants to reach customers on the internet. With the right approach, you can create an engaging, user-friendly platform that allows customers to make purchases with ease.

Designing an effective ecommerce website is no small feat. From choosing the right colors and images to optimising checkout processes and ensuring customer service excellence, there are many factors to consider when developing your site.

In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of a high quaity ecommerce website design and the key considerations you should keep in mind when creating your online store.

What is Ecommerce Website Design?

Ecommerce website design is all about creating an online store that’s tailored to the needs of your customers. It involves everything from selecting product categories and photos to setting up payment methods and crafting a user-friendly buying process.

It also includes creating social proof elements like customer reviews, calls to action, and email marketing campaigns. The goal is to create an excellent user experience that encourages visitors to make purchases and return for future business.

This should all be considered in the design process to give online shoppers as frictionless an experience as possible.

The right ecommerce design should also help you establish trust with potential customers, maximize conversion rates, and generate more revenue for your business. With the right approach, you can create an engaging online shopping experience that will keep your customers coming back for more throughout the seasons.

Benefits of Ecommerce Website Design

Ecommerce website design offers a wide range of benefits for businesses that want to make the most out of their online presence.

By investing in the right design, you can create an engaging and user-friendly shopping experience that encourages customers to complete purchases and return for future business.

A good ecommerce website should also provide your customers with all the information they need to make informed buying decisions, such as product descriptions and photos, customer reviews, return policies, your product range, shipping options, and more.

Additionally, a well-designed site will be optimized for search engine visibility to help you attract more organic traffic.

With the right ecommerce website design and technical build, you can establish trust with any potential customers, maximize your conversion rates, improve customer loyalty, and drive more sales for your business online.

Types of Ecommerce Website Designs

When it comes to designing an ecommerce website, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Different types of ecommerce websites require different features and design elements to ensure a great user experience.

From product landing pages that emphasize visuals to minimalist designs that focus on simplicity, the type of website you choose will depend on your target audience and business goals.

For example, if your store sells a variety of products, then you may want to create product categories with well-defined navigation including any product options for an easy browsing experience.

On the other hand, if you have a limited number of items for sale then creating a clean design and straightforward checkout process is essential for increasing conversions.

Whatever type of ecommerce website design you choose, make sure it reflects your brand and provides visitors with an excellent online shopping experience!

Bright Colors and Attractive Images

Bright colours and attractive images are essential elements of an effective ecommerce website design.

Bright and vibrant colour schemes can grab the attention of visitors and create a memorable experience. Furthermore, using high-quality product photos that accurately reflect the items for sale will help build customer trust in your online store.

However, be careful with the combination of colours you choose.  A colour pallette can really help you here.  If your business branding involves using subtle colours, don’t go making everything too bright, but keep it relevant to your business.  To catch the eye for example, you could use bright colours on your CTA buttons or sale information to make sure individual products stand out.

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Additionally, attractive visuals can increase conversion rates by giving customers a better understanding of what they are buying.

When it comes to ecommerce websites, appropriate use of bright colours and attractive high-quality photos play a key role in creating an enjoyable shopping experience that encourages customers to explore and make purchases from your store.

Social Proof & User Experience Optimisation

Social proof and user experience optimization are essential components of a successful ecommerce website design.

Social proof, such as customer reviews, can help build trust and credibility with potential customers by showing that your products or services have been purchased before.

User experience optimisation is also important when it comes to designing an ecommerce website.

This includes ensuring the buying process is easy to follow, the checkout process is secure and straightforward, calls to action are clear, and all elements of the design work together to create an enjoyable shopping experience.

Additionally, incorporating digital marketing campaigns and email marketing into your strategy can further enhance the user experience and give customers more reasons to purchase from your online store.

When done correctly, social proof and user experience optimization can help turn casual visitors into loyal customers.

Payment Options & Checkout Processes

Payment options and checkout processes are key elements of any successful ecommerce website.

Having a secure payment gateway and payment services vendor in place is essential in order to ensure customer trust, as customers need to feel confident that their personal information is safe when making online purchases.

It’s also important to offer a range of payment methods, including credit cards, PayPal and other digital wallets so that customers can choose the option that best suits them.

Additionally, the checkout process should be easy to navigate, with clear instructions and a few steps required from start to finish.

A smooth checkout process will lead to more completed sales and higher conversion rates for your business.

You should also ensure customers understand your return policies will help increase customer confidence in your brand and ensure they have a positive shopping experience with your store.  It’s also about showing you have an experienced team behind the online store that understands what’s required.

Product Categories & Photos

Product categories and product photos play an important role in creating an online shopping experience that is both enjoyable and successful. It’s essential to categorize products clearly so that customers can easily find what they’re looking for.

For example, if you sell clothing, create separate categories for men’s and women’s apparel. Once your categories are set up, it’s also important to include high-quality product shots that accurately represent the items being sold.

Good product photography will help encourage customers to purchase from your store by providing an accurate representation of the item and helping them make a more informed decision.

Additionally, using user-generated content such as customer reviews or photos can be beneficial in giving potential buyers a better idea of what others think about the product or how it looks on them.

Ultimately, having clear product categories and excellent product images will help create an online shopping experience that is both pleasurable and profitable.

Online Stores vs. Online Businesses

Online stores and online businesses are two different concepts, yet they can be closely related. It’s important to have a basic understanding of this concept as it alters the way you operate.

An online store is a website that sells products or services to customers over the internet, whereas an online business is a more comprehensive approach to running an Internet-based business.

Online stores typically focus on selling products, while an online business takes into account all aspects of running a successful operation such as marketing, customer service, accounting, shipping and returns.

When it comes to setting up an ecommerce store, there are several factors to consider. The most important thing is choosing the right platform for your needs – whether it’s open-source software or a hosted solution like Shopify or BigCommerce.

You’ll also need to decide what payment methods you want to accept and how you want to handle the checkout process for customers. Additionally, having good social proof and high conversion rates will help increase sales and customer loyalty.

Creating an excellent user experience with a visually pleasing design is vital today, as it will ensure that visitors have a positive impression of your business when they come across it.

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Ultimately, deciding between setting up an online store or going with an online business will depend on your goals and the resources available to you.

With both options offering great potential for success in the digital world today, it’s essential to weigh your options carefully and make the best decision for your specific needs.

Factors to Consider When Developing an Ecommerce Website Design

Designing an ecommerce website can seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. With some careful planning and thought, you can create a beautiful and effective website that will help you reach your goals. Here are some key factors to consider when developing an ecommerce website design:

  • Product Categories: The first step is to decide which product categories you would like to feature on your website. This can help you narrow down the design elements for each page and ensure the user experience is consistent throughout.
  • Potential Customers: Consider who your target audience is and what they want from their online shopping experience. This will help you tailor the design of the site accordingly. Make sure all elements of the design are in line with what customers expect from an ecommerce store, such as product photos, customer reviews and calls-to-action.
  • Ecommerce Platform: You’ll also need to choose a platform that best suits your needs – whether it’s open source software or a hosted solution like Shopify or BigCommerce. Be sure to research all options before making a decision so that you’re happy with the features available.

The buying process should also be taken into account when designing an ecommerce website.  This will also be influenced by your target market.

Think about how customers will navigate through the site, what kind of return policies you offer, and if there are any digital marketing strategies in place such as email campaigns or user-generated content for customer trust building.

Do keep in mind that simple is better when it comes to web design – meaning clean designs with high-quality product shots and effective calls-to-action are essential for creating a great customer journey on your online store!

Potential Customers

When it comes to designing an ecommerce website, one of the most important factors to consider is your potential customers.

  • Who are you targeting with your online store?
  • What do they expect from an ecommerce shopping experience?

This will help you tailor your design accordingly and make sure all elements of the site meet their needs.

  • Do they prefer a simple, minimalist design or something more creative?
  • Which features do they find most helpful during their purchase journey?

By understanding what these customers want, you can ensure that your website offers them an excellent user experience and helps increase conversion rates.

Customer Service Experience

Customer service is an essential part of any ecommerce website. Customers need to feel that their queries and issues are being taken care of in a timely manner, and that they are able to get the help they need when needed.

Good customer service experience starts with attentive staff who respond quickly to customer inquiries and provide helpful information about products, payment methods, and delivery updates.

A good return policy should also be in place so that customers can easily return items if necessary. Additionally, providing customer reviews can help give potential customers a better idea of what others think about your store and products.

If you can offer a personalised experience, such as discount codes or loyalty programs can help build trust with customers over time.

Hopefully, with these tips in mind, you can create a great customer service experience for your customers on every visit!

High-Quality Images and Product Photos

High-quality images and product photos are essential for any ecommerce website. They can help create an excellent user experience, as well as attract more customers to your store.

Product photos should be high-resolution and professionally shot, and the colour scheme should be consistent across all images. Additionally, product shots should be accompanied by relevant information such as size, material, or other details.

This will give customers a better idea of what they are buying before they make a purchase. Having high-quality product photos also helps boost conversion rates by helping customers build trust in your products and services.

Lastly, excellent product shots can also be used on social media channels to create social proof for your business. With these tips in mind, you can ensure that your ecommerce website has great visuals that will help you attract customers and boost sales!

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Conversion Rates & Payment Gateways

When it comes to running an ecommerce business, conversion rates and payment gateways are two important factors that can make or break your online store.

Having a reliable payment gateway that supports secure payments is essential for customers who want to make purchases online.

Offering various payment methods available can also help improve your conversion rate.

Customers should be able to pay with their preferred methods such as credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay, Square etc.

Having a well-designed checkout process that is easy to follow and understand can help reduce cart abandonment and increase conversions.  Offering discounts or promotions can also encourage more customers to purchase from your store.

FAQs

Here are some common questions in relation to ecommerce website design:

How Much Does an Ecommerce Website Design Cost?

This largely depends upon your goals and what markets you are operating in.  If you are looking for a small website with the ability to take payments online, this will be much cheaper than a business operating internationally and focused on growing their online search capacity.  It also depends on the types of features and lead generation functionality you require.  For example whether you would like to make the most of “cart abandonment” functinality or keep things simple.  For a rough guide, why not fill in our contact form below and we can give you a more accurate steer?

What is a Good Ecommerce Website?

A good ecommerce website is one that is easy to navigate, provides all relevant information in an easy and digesible manner.  It is also one which has been optimised for the whole customer journey and takes into account frictionless payment.  If you’d like some inspiration then check out:

Whilst those examples are high end and would cost a lot, it does show you what’s possible.  For other examples have a look at some small business ecommerce designs such as:

Why Ecommerce is Different

Ecommerce websites are different to your everyday websites because they involve the customer taking direct action on your website in purchasing a product.  The more seamless you can make this experience, the better the reciprication and trust the customer will have in your online store.  For this reason, it means the design process is slightly different than your average website development process as there are a lot more moving factors to consider.

Why Create a Website for Your Business?

If you don’t have a website today for your business, then you’re already behind.  This will be the first place someone looks when they hear about you as it adds credability and trust (a well built one will anyway) to your product and services.  If you add an ecommerce shop to it, it also means you are opening yourself up to global markets which increases your user base and target market.

How Easy is it to Build an Ecommerce Website?

Again this depends on your goals.  You could make one yourself yet it will likely have that air of this was done by an amateur (unless you are a web developer yourself), or you could use someone like OJE Technology who provide website development services and who can guide you on the right path for your target market.  The biggest mistake you can make is just thinking ecommerce website development is easy.  There’s more than just how the website looks, because whilst it may look pretty, if no one can find your website or use it easily, then you aren’t going to get very many online sales.  Which would defeat the point.

Ecommerce Website Design Summary

Ecommerce website design is crucial for businesses to reach customers online. The right design can create an engaging, user-friendly platform that encourages customers to make purchases with ease.

This article article explored:

  • The benefits of ecommerce website design,
  • Different types of ecommerce websites,
  • Key factors to consider when designing an ecommerce website.

Some of the factors to consider include product categories, potential customers, ecommerce platform, customer service experience, high-quality images, conversion rates, and payment gateways. By keeping these factors in mind, businesses can create a visually pleasing website that attracts customers and boosts sales.

If you have any questions, or want to improve your ecommerce website conversions, let us know below:

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