When it comes to eCommerce web design there are a plethora of factors that need to be in place in order for the online store to become successful and remain that way. Whether you are building the business from scratch just to sell it, or it is a renovation of an older store…if you begin the task with the mindset of making it work, it has to start with the design of the website.
What is eCommerce?
Many years ago when the world wide web was beginning to unfold and become popular the letter “e” became the trend to describe anything web. E is short for electronic. Now that the digital world has expanded and there are new discoveries and breakthroughs every day the old “e” isn’t used as much as it was back then. In fact, “electronic” sounds kind of old anyway.
E-commerce is short for electronic commerce, meaning the commerce is done electronically as opposed to directly. You may also be familiar with the term “e-mail” which is electronic mail.
Many aspects of the way the web operates have changed over the years and artificial intelligence is starting to become widely used. However, the concept is still the same. You sell things by listing them on a website that allows people to pay for the transactions.
The Secret of Design
Since there are so many people that search for things and buy them online, the internet has turned into a dynamic sea of choices that houses literally trillions of websites. One of the most important factors when it comes to an eCommerce website is that it has to attract the attention of the people that happen to land on the pages.
Some websites get much of their business from word of mouth, however, most of the time when somebody lands on the pages of a website they do so because the site came up in a search result.
It is within those search results that the design of the site begins to work its magic. In the very beginning stages of the design phase of the site, the designer will hopefully have done the research necessary for optimum results. If so, the title of the page and the meta description will be enticing and inviting little tidbits that show what the site has to offer.
As soon as the visitor clicks the link and visits the website they should gaze upon a finely honed creation of excellence that will not only invite them to look deeper into the site but inspire them to go to the next level and make a purchase.
With competition such as Amazon and Walmart fiercely holding their positions at the top of the search engines, it is important to have a landing page for people that immediately shows them that you are a trustworthy operation and that you are equipped to handle their needs.
In addition to having a trustworthy appearance, the site must allow visitors to flawlessly explore the content that is available to them and be able to swiftly move through the financial transaction process without any hiccups.
The secret of design is to know and understand what your target market likes to see when they visit a website. If you know how to speak the language of your audience, you have an upper hand over your competition. The overall look, feel, and functionality of the website will determine whether or not people choose to do business on it.
Attraction vs. Engagement
One of the best things you can do when you design a site is to create it in a way that catches the attention of the user and holds it. It is one thing to be able to attract somebody and get their attention, but to go a step further and engage them is when the rubber meets the road.
A good example is when a person is attracted to another person at a party or at some public event. They can stand in the background and simply look at the person they are attracted to, or they can walk up and start a conversation with them.
Engaging a potential customer is a lot like starting a conversation with them. Attractive headings followed by short phrases that suggest the user takes action to move forward are types of engagement.
Other types of engaging content are videos or interactive content such as a slideshow story that requires the user to click a link to learn more.
Attraction and engagement are both important components when it comes to the design of an eCommerce website. You have a little bit of room at the top of the landing pages to get things started, so use this space to the best of your advantage.
When it comes to the success of an online business, conversion rates are what separate the sitting ducks from the goldmines.
The Top of the Page
If you have ever spent any time surfing the internet you may have noticed that when you land on web pages there is an area that your eyes automatically go to when the page loads. Most people in the US look straight forward, towards the top as they look at web pages because we have all been taught to read from the top to the bottom, from the left to the right.
It is in this particular area that it counts. If your content is strong enough to make the visitor scroll down or navigate the menu looking for more, you have won a rather large victory.
The very top center of the page is where most people will look when they land on the page. If you get their attention from the start, you have an opportunity to keep that attention all the way through to the end of the transaction.
Once people are interested, and you have their attention you can lead them toward buying whatever it is that your’re selling. Through interesting headings, content, and prompts you will be able to get the most out of every visitor to your website.
Many people looking to purchase items on the internet are always looking for a good deal. One of the quickest ways to get the attention of a shopper is to offer them a discount or a free item. When your designer puts a great-looking image with a hard-to-resist deal front and center for all to see they are creating a path for customers to travel through and make a purchase.
In Conclusion
Here’s the deal, though. If your website is a unique niche where there is not much competition you may feel like you don’t have to put as much energy into design in order to get results. Remember…with a unique niche you will have fewer people looking for your items. The competition factor can be just as fierce, or even more fierce than if you were offering a popular item. Design counts.
As people land on the pages of your site they are on a journey where you take the lead. If that journey is pleasant and convenient people will more likely stay. If it isn’t, they will probably go somewhere else.
The design of an eCommerce website makes a world of difference. The reason why is that most people would rather not give their credit card number to a site that looks untrustworthy. If your site is good-looking, smooth, and functional you have a bigger chance of getting more customers that tell their friends how awesome you are and come back again and again.