5 Essential Web Design Tips for Ecommerce Brands

Intro

In the competitive world of ecommerce, having a well-designed website is important for attracting and retaining customers. In a digital landscape where consumers have countless options at their fingertips, your website must stand out not only in appearance but also in functionality. A seamless user experience (UX) can make all the difference between a leaving visitor and a loyal customer.

We all know first impressions matter. And in ecommerce, your website is usually the first point of contact between your brand and potential customers. A cluttered, confusing, or slow website can quickly drive visitors away. While a clean, modern, and intuitive design can captivate and engage visitors and convert them into customers. Elements such as easy navigation, clear calls-to-action, high-quality images, and a cohesive color scheme contribute to a visually appealing and professional website. However, aesthetics alone are not enough; usability is equally important.

A well-designed ecommerce site prioritizes the user experience. This means ensuring that customers can easily find what they are looking for, whether it’s through an effective search function, organized categories, or informative product descriptions. Mobile responsiveness is also critical, as a growing number of consumers shop on their smartphones. Every year this number is increasing, making that much more important for you to be on top of your mobile-friendly game. Additionally, a streamlined checkout process can significantly reduce cart abandonment rates. By focusing on both design and UX, ecommerce businesses can enhance their conversion rates, build trust with their audience, and ultimately drive sales.

In short, your website is either repelling users, or attracting customers. Which one are you?

Help your business get the most out of website visitors by making sure you are hitting the 5 critical things for a clean and easy-to-use site.

Here are five tips to help ecommerce brands create an effective and well designed website:

1 – Mobile Friendly

With the increasing use of smartphones for online shopping, it's essential to ensure your website is mobile-friendly. Optimize your site for various screen sizes and ensure that navigation is easy and intuitive on mobile devices. The trend is heavily pushing for mobile-first experiences, with most shoppers doing so on their mobile device. Social media has made this even more important, because of the shopping capabilities on different platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok

One thing that a lot of people overlook here is the font size and menu navigation. When it comes to font size, you want to make sure that it's big enough for most people to able to read. You can use the browser inspection tool to make sure that the font is passing the ADA-recommended font size for mobile and desktop. Since we are talking about font, we will also address the color. Have you ever tried reading yellow text on a white background? It's extremely difficult to see. The two colors don't have enough contrast. For that reason, you also want to make sure your colors are passing the ADA-recommendation for color contrast. In terms of the navigation on mobile, make sure that it's easy to find. You can put a hamburger menu on the top left or right corner of the screen. Test that when you open up the drawer navigation, the close button is easily accessible, and that the menu items are legible and clear.

2 – Clear Call-to-Actions

Make it easy for visitors to take action on your site by using clear and prominent call-to-action buttons. Whether it's "Buy Now," "Add to Cart," or "Sign Up," these buttons should stand out and guide users towards making a purchase. You don’t want to be vague here. Show the user you have something to sell, and ask for the sale. I heard a writer compare your Buy button to your cash register. If you don’t have a Buy button, you are letting people roam your store, but not giving the opportunity to checkout and buy from you. Consumers are looking for a solution to their problems, if your product helps them solve it, make it clear as to how they can buy and resolve that problem.

3 – High-Quality Images

Visuals play a significant role in ecommerce, so make sure to use high-quality images that showcase your products effectively. Invest in professional photography or use high-resolution images to give customers a clear view of what they're buying. You can even do this with most modern smartphones including the iPhone, Pixel, and Samsung Galaxy. These phones have great cameras and are often overlooked by most business owners. Leverage the quality of these phones to take clear and clean photos of your products. Here is a Shopify article on product photography.

Remember to try to be consistent with the layout and the dimensions of the photos, especially with product photos. You don't want a really small photo next to a large tall photo - that provides an inconsistent experience for the user and looks unprofessional. We usually recommend our clients use 1040x1040 (that's 1040 pixels wide, and 1040 pixels tall). This square dimension is great for product photo shots. When "B roll", this is where you can opt for a vertical or landscape photos.

4 – Streamlined Checkout Process

Simplify the checkout process to reduce cart abandonment rates. Minimize the number of steps required to complete a purchase, offer guest checkout options, and provide multiple payment methods to cater to different preferences. One quick way to do this is by allowing the customer to buy directly from the homepage of your site. For example, you can display a featured collection, with a Buy Now button underneath each product. By doing so, the user doesn’t have to click into each product to Add to cart. Making it one click faster to get to checkout. Another great way to do this is by have a clear Shopping call to action on the hero banner of your homepage, which is the first thing the user sees when they land on your page.

5 – User-Friendly Navigation

A well-organized website with intuitive navigation can enhance the user experience and encourage visitors to explore more products. Use clear categories, filters, and search functionality to help users find what they're looking for quickly and easily. Most site builders come with a prebuilt search feature, but if yours is not missing that, you should consider adding it. This is especially applicable of you have a large SKU list. If you only have three products on your store, the search function is likely not needed. But if you have 200 different products, then adding it will help the user find what they are looking for and shop quickly. Make sure to also group your products into categories. It’s like having labels and sections at the store. When you walk into the grocery store, you can quickly find the groceries and dairy products in their own sections.

Summary

By implementing these web design tips, ecommerce brands can create a visually appealing, user-friendly website that drives conversions and boosts sales. Remember, a well-designed website not only attracts customers but also keeps them coming back for more.