The Ultimate Guide to eCommerce Website Design

A few years back, an eCommerce website was a novelty accessible only to a few. But today, it’s impossible to imagine our life without it. As of 2023, eCommerce would handle 17.5% of transactions worldwide. 

With the rising popularity of online purchasing, having an eCommerce website is critical. It would attract visitors, increase your brand awareness, and help you sell products without incurring many expenses. 

However, for all this to happen, you must ensure that your website has a superior design. Where should I begin? You can start with this guide to eCommerce web designing.

What is an eCommerce web design?

eCommerce web design refers to an online store or shopping website design. The idea is to make the user experience on your website as smooth as possible so that visitors can easily browse and buy products from your website. 

An eCommerce design typically includes

• A homepage showcasing your online store’s products, branding, and value proposition.
• Product pages offer detailed information about each product (photos, descriptions, pricing, size, and color options).
• Shopping cart where you can add items to their purchase and review their order before checkout.
• A checkout process where visitors can enter billing and shipping information, choose a payment method and place an order.
• A customer account area where customers can view order history, update their details, or manage account settings.
• Features like customer reviews, product recommendations, and search functionality to aid customers in finding the right product.

Why does an eCommerce web design matter? 

Here are some specific reasons why an eCommerce web design matters:

• A well-designed website can create a positive first impression and make customers feel more confident in the store and its products.
• Customers can easily find and purchase products with a user-friendly website with straightforward navigation and logical flow.
• A well-designed eCommerce website can create a consistent look and feel, building customer trust and loyalty.
• Conversion rate: A well-designed eCommerce website can help to improve the store’s conversion rate by letting customers easily find and purchase products. 

In short, an eCommerce web design plays a crucial role in the success of an online store. It can help you create a positive reputation and establish your brand in a positive light.

Best eCommerce web design practices to improve your online store

1. Keep your eCommerce website simple & user-friendly

The end goal of an eCommerce website is more than just attracting customers. Instead, you want to ensure customers buy from you. Hence, you must combine aesthetic visuals with straightforward navigation. It means you must create a simple and appealing eCommerce web design that easily navigates customers and guides their attention to the most important products and features. It would ensure customers buy from you. 

2. Make your eCommerce website mobile-friendly

In an era when mobile phones account for 65% of eCommerce website traffic, assuming customers will browse your website from desktops will be a big mistake. You can only convert mobile phone visitors if you optimize your website for mobile phones. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on opportunities. 

Ensure that your website seamlessly runs on mobile phones and tablets. Mobile users are often the most spoiled and impatient. They quickly jump ship if they don’t find the website experience desirable. 

3. Use high-quality images

High-quality product images create a visual appeal on your eCommerce website. Hence, you must use clear photos that accurately represent your product. You must also use multiple pictures to show different angles and features of your product. 

Also, back your product images with detailed product descriptions. Not only would it boost your search rankings, but it also provides customers with the necessary information before they decide to buy the product. 

4. Include customer reviews

Customers are skeptical about online purchases. They don’t buy a product unless they’re sure it will benefit them. Hence, they need social proof, i.e., customer reviews. These customer reviews can be a powerful weapon for eCommerce websites. You must include product reviews on your eCommerce website. You can add a rating system to ensure customers can assess the quality of your product. 

5. Make your eCommerce website easy to navigate

Straightforward navigation makes it easy for customers to find what they want. Hence, you must include it in your e-commerce website. 

Here’s how you can ensure smooth navigation on your eCommerce website:

• Use clear headings to guide users throughout your website. 
• Design a simple and intuitive menu for your website. You must clearly label all product categories and subcategories.
• Leave breadcrumb trails throughout your eCommerce website. It would help users understand where they’re on the website and how to navigate to their goals. 
• Add the search feature to ensure users can easily find products and pages on the website. 
• Use internal linking to help users discover related products and pages on the site.
• The call to action button should be clear and concise to guide users through purchasing.
• Regularly review and update your eCommerce website’s content to ensure it is relevant to users.

6. Include customer support options 

Customer support is critical on an e-commerce website. It can help your online store in many ways, such as

• Improving customer satisfaction by quickly responding to their questions and resolving their issues. 
• Building brand loyalty by offering quick customer support whenever any issue occurs.
• Boosting sales by building trust and confidence in your brand among customers. Customers are more likely to buy products when they can quickly get help.
• Reducing order returns by addressing customer concerns before they return a product. 
• Improving your brand reputation by showing that you care about your people and are willing to do anything to offer them the best experience.

Overall, including customer support on your eCommerce website can help improve the customer experience and build trust and loyalty, leading to increased sales and a more substantial brand reputation. Hence, your eCommerce website must have customer support.

Bonus: A few more eCommerce website design tips

• Make the search bar visible on each page to ensure customers can quickly find the products they’re looking for.
• Ensure that the cart icon is constantly visible on your eCommerce website. They can track how many products have been added and quickly access them.
• Show your business logo and contact information to establish brand trust.
• Enable sorting and filtering to ensure customers can discover products by price, type, colors, or brands.
• Show your stock availability to save customers from disappointment when they realize a product is out of stock.
• Don’t ask customers to provide too much information, as it can confuse them. Ideally, you want them to register on your website. Hence, a guest login option can be a great alternative. 
• Showcase customers that your eCommerce website is secure through SSL certificates and provide an in-depth description of how security is handled on your eCommerce website. 

Summary

Customers expect a seamless experience on an eCommerce website. Hence, while designing an eCommerce website, you must focus on building an immersive shopping experience. This way, you can convert even passive shoppers into loyal customers.

Hopefully, this eCommerce web design guide gave you enough ideas to design an eCommerce website that leads to maximum conversion. Now, it’s time to implement these tips to improve your online store and see results.