These days, we almost everything online, including shopping. Hence, if you run an online store, you must have an outstanding web design.
Here's why:
Sets the First Impression
A website visitors will only need a few seconds to judge whether you run a reliable business or not. All they need to do is look at your web design.
If your e-commerce web design looks unappealing, you are making a negative first impression. And this hurt your online sales.
Makes Your Business Trustworthy
Let's face it: Customers will not trust a poorly-designed website. Hence, if you want to build rapport with your customers, you need to work on how your online store looks.
Helps Your SEO Efforts
How your website looks can affect your create content, which can prosper or hinder your optimization efforts.
Think of it this way: When you bury a product description, it will be difficult for search engine bots to crawl and index it. And this can hurt your search engine optimization efforts.
Your Competitors are Doing It
You are not the only e-commerce website in the world. This means that you need to do something if you want to stand out from the crowd. And this is where e-commerce web design comes in.
E-commerce Web Design Tips to Boost Your Sales
Now that you know why e-commerce web design is essential, it is time to learn some tips to boost your sales.
Aim for Simplicity
Just because you want a beautiful online store does not mean you should go crazy with effects. In fact, too many codes can make your website slow. And customers would not want that.
According to Akamai's 2017 State of Online Retail Performance report, your website's load time should be 2.7 seconds or less. Otherwise, you risk increasing your bounce rate.
Bounce rates are the number of site visitors who leave immediately without doing anything. And a high bounce rate sends a signal to search engines that your website is not usable.
Hence, you should keep it simple when designing your online store.
Prioritize Branding
A customer would prefer to shop from known and trusted brands. Hence, if you are new to the e-commerce scene, our advice is to prioritize branding.
Branding allows you to establish trust and build a meaningful relationship with your customers. And you can do that if you know your core values as a company and what makes your business unique.
For instance, your unique selling proposition is that you practice zero-waste packaging. Branding your e-commerce as such allows you to attract customers who aim to lead a zero-waste lifestyle.
Another example is showcasing your social responsibility. For example, a portion of your annual profit is dedicated to supporting a non-profit organization. This is something that you should include in your About Us section.
Take Advantage of Color
Design an e-commerce website is more than just applying colors that you like. Mind you; it plays an integral role in boosting your sales, among other things.
This is where knowing the psychology of color could come in handy.
For one, colors send a message about the kind of business you have. The colors green and brown, for example, is ideal if you are an earth-conscious brand.
The color blue, on the other hand, signifies peace and tranquility. So, online stores that are heavy on safety and security can use this color for branding.
Meanwhile, you can use the color red for your calls-to-action. That's because it makes a big contrast to your web design, and it is striking enough that it can catch your customers' attention.
Moreover, the color red evokes a sense of urgency.
Upload High-quality Images
Much like with colors, it is also imperative to use high-quality photos. This is more important for your product images.
If you want to come up with the best product photos, follow these tips:
- Use only high-resolution images. Doing so helps you attract your customers' attention, and it is one of the best ways to showcase your products.
- Keep it consistent. It is okay to play around when it comes to product photography. But it is imperative to keep it consistent as if having a central theme that ties your entire e-commerce web design.
- Take photos from different angles. Your customers will be unable to hold your products. Thus, giving them a 360-degree view of your product can help scrutinize it.
- Use proper lighting. Your lighting can impact how your product will look like. For instance, a light bulb gives off a yellowish tone. That's why it is advisable to use natural light when doing product photography.
- Incorporate some crops. It would be best to present your product in a real-world setting. This is where using props could be helpful.
Make it Look Professional
The reason we want a visually-pleasing e-commerce website is not just to make it look attractive. It is also a great way to showcase your professionalism.
As mentioned earlier, customers are less likely to trust a business if they have a poorly-designed website. Plus, this a crucial e-commerce web design mistake you should avoid.
And if you cannot get their trust, you cannot build a meaningful relationship with them.
This explains why web design can make or break your e-commerce business. That said, investing in a professional and well-designed website is a must.
Otherwise, it is less likely that you can drive sales and revenue.
In addition, a professional-looking website is not limited to design. It also encompasses your content, how your products are presented, your marketing tactics, and more.
Conclusion
Your e-commerce website is meant to be an accessible alternative to retail. This is especially important since there is a pandemic that compels us to stay home.
Hence, the key to an effective e-commerce web design is to think like your customers. Doing so ensures that your design connects well with your target market.
After all, what they need is a straightforward and easy-to-use online store. Something that will allow them to purchase things online without the hassle.
This also explains why an effective e-commerce web design is integral.
So, if you want your online store to succeed, ensure that you can provide the things mentioned above.