Crafting an exceptional UX design is vital for all websites, but in e-commerce, it goes beyond aesthetics. From optimizing site speed to simplifying checkout, every aspect of the customer journey matters.
A seamless user experience can realistically boost conversions and revenue of any e-commerce site—big or small. For instance, Amazon’s one-click ordering and personalized recommendations are UX elements that keep customers coming back for more.
The point is that creating a great shopping experience isn’t optional anymore for online businesses. With so many options for shoppers, standing out is key. To succeed, e-commerce companies need to provide a hassle-free and enjoyable shopping experience that keeps customers coming back for more.
In the following article, we’ll be discussing 10 simple tips on how you can take your e-commerce website’s user experience to the next level and grow your business.
Let’s dive into our UX design for e-commerce tips.
Tip #1: Use Clear and Distinct CTAs
Think of calls-to-actions as the friendly tour guides of your e-commerce website. Just like a guide points out the must-see sights and ensures you don’t miss out on anything, CTAs help users navigate your site and showcase the products you want them to discover.
By strategically placing these signposts, you can boost the chances of visitors taking action and making a purchase.
Now, maximizing your CTAs requires more than just catchy copy. A little design magic goes a long way—try bold typography, strategic placement, and colors that stand out. The goal is to make that button impossible to ignore.
When it comes to effective CTAs, clarity is key. Which means, you’ll need to ditch the generic “Click Here” and “Learn More” phrases and opt for specific, action-oriented language like “Add to Cart” or “Claim Your Discount”. Not only will this improve user understanding, but will also increase the likelihood of users taking the desired action.
Just make sure to not overdo any of it. Bombarding your audience with too many CTAs is like splashing paint all over the canvas—it’s messy and confusing.
Work on simplifying the process by strategically placing fewer, clearer CTAs that guide users towards a single, defined action. By doing so, you’ll enhance the user experience and in the process increase conversion rates.
Tip #2: Give Your Visitors the Gift of Speed
Slow-loading pages are the quickest way to lose potential customers. Research shows that a mere 1-second delay in page load speed can lead to a 7% reduction in conversions. Shoppers have no patience for sluggish sites and will quickly click away to find faster alternatives.
For fast load times and seamless checkout experiences, it’s crucial to optimize your website’s code. By streamlining and trimming down your codebase, you can significantly reduce load times, which is a critical factor for user retention and conversion.
For instance, reducing the size of product images, minimizing HTTP requests, and caching resources can significantly improve load times and increase user engagement.
Responsive design is another essential element that adapts your website’s layout and functionality to provide the best possible user experience on any device, whether it’s a mobile phone, tablet, or desktop.
Bottomline: your e-commerce site will do more business if you optimize it for speed.
Tip #3: Leverage the Power of Intuitive Navigation
Did you know that a whopping 60% of online purchases are pre-planned? That means your customers already have a clear idea of what they’re looking for when they visit your site. As an e-commerce business owner, it’s crucial to understand this behavior and optimize your website accordingly.
When it comes to seamless user experience, intuitive navigation is a key factor. By prioritizing ease of use and simplicity, you can empower your customers to effortlessly complete their desired actions without encountering any confusion/frustration along the way.
Here are a few principles you can apply to lead your customers to the products they desire:
- Make your homepage about your customers, and tailor it to their interests and needs.
- Try out different navigation styles and test them to see which ones are easiest for your customers to use.
- Use smart search and filtering tools to help customers find what they’re looking for quickly and easily.
- Keep track of how customers are using your website and make changes to improve their experience and keep them engaged.
Figuring out navigation for your e-commerce site can be a little tricky, but as long as you’re focused on improving your customer’s experience, you can’t go wrong.
Tip #4: Make Your On-Site Search Bar More Intuitive
You should never underestimate the power of a well-designed search bar on your website. It’s not just a tool for finding products, but also a way to delight and surprise your customers with personalized recommendations.
Take a page out of Amazon’s book. Their search box is a shining example of simplicity and ease-of-use, making it a breeze for customers to find what they’re looking for. With a remarkable score of 84.0, it’s clear that they’re doing something right.
Improving your on-site search becomes easier when you try to:
- Analyze user behavior to optimize search results
- Make the search bar easy to find
- Use natural language processing for more relevant results
- Offer auto-suggestions for related content/products
- Give extensive filters that help users narrow down results
- Make search mobile-friendly
- Don’t sweat typos; implement tolerance
With the right approach, you can create a search experience that is intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable for your customers.
Tip #5: Efficiently Define Each of Your Products
When it comes to online shopping, product information is everything. Detailed descriptions, high-quality visuals, and engaging videos can make or break a sale.
Take the time to showcase your products in the best possible light to increase your chances of conversion. For example, if you’re selling clothing, include multiple images from different angles and highlight key features like material, sizing, and care instructions.
Nike’s website is a great example of how to showcase products with high-quality images. By displaying their shoes and clothing in detailed, engaging visuals, they create a more immersive shopping experience and increase the likelihood of a purchase.
So, consider showing your products in use, highlighting unique details, and providing multiple angles to give customers a full understanding of what they’re buying.
Here are three quick ways you can do this better:
- Experiment with interactive product visuals, such as 360-degree images or augmented reality features. These can create a more immersive shopping experience and help customers visualize your product in their own space.
- Use storytelling to make your product page more engaging and memorable. For example, tell the story of how your product was developed, highlight the people behind your brand, or showcase how your product has helped others.
- Utilize data and personalization to tailor your product page to each customer’s unique interests and needs. Use browsing history, purchase history, and other data points to recommend products that are likely to resonate with each customer. This can help increase engagement and conversions.
Tip #6: Use Social Proof Strategically
Social proof is a powerful tool for driving sales and boosting customer confidence. When making a purchase decision, people often look to the experiences of others for guidance. That’s why including product reviews and ratings on your website is so important.
By leveraging genuine customer reviews, you can effectively showcase the worth and excellence of your products. Ratings and feedback also offer invaluable insights into your product’s strengths and shortcomings, empowering you to make enhancements and cater better to your customer’s requirements.
Take the example of Best Buy—their ‘user reviews’ performance is a standout feature, with an impressive score of 88.1. By prioritizing the customer voice, they’ve created an experience that’s not only informative but also engaging, ultimately leading to a better overall user experience.
Here are 3 actionable steps for leveraging social proof to boost sales and customer confidence in your products:
- Encourage customers to leave reviews and ratings on your website and other platforms. You can offer incentives or simply make it easy for customers to share their experiences.
- Display customer reviews prominently on your product pages, and include star ratings or other visual cues to highlight the most positive feedback.
- Respond to both positive and negative reviews, showing that you value customer feedback and are committed to improving your products and services.
Tip #7: Tap Into How People Read Information
Understanding how users read and scan your pages can guide you to place key information strategically, like along the top and left-hand side. By doing so, you can enhance visitors’ browsing and shopping experience, making it easier for them to find what they’re looking for.
According to research, web page visitors tend to scan pages in an ‘F’ pattern. That is, they start by reading across the top of the page, then move down the left-hand side, and finally scan the rest of the content horizontally.
So, it’s essential to strategically place your most important information, like your unique selling proposition, special offers, or product categories.
Tip #8: Simplify the Process of Discovering Products
To determine the most important product categories for your target audience, conduct consumer research. Once you’ve identified these categories, create clear and logical subcategories that make it easy for customers to find what they want.
For instance, a sports apparel retailer might conduct research to identify ‘Running’ as a top category and create subcategories like ‘Shoes’, ‘Clothing’, and ‘Accessories’ for a seamless shopping experience.
Also, declutter your product pages with some color and size variations. Not only will it make navigation a breeze for your customers, but it’ll also help streamline their decision-making process. Plus, it’s a win-win for you too—you get to showcase more product options without overwhelming your audience.
Tip #9: Streamline Your Product Page for Ease of Use
In the world of e-commerce, a streamlined product page is key. By simplifying the design and layout, you create an effortless user experience that boosts conversions and customer satisfaction.
Keep your product page layout clean and organized with the following elements placed above the fold:
- Product code: Make it easy for customers to identify the product they are interested in.
- Price: Display the price clearly and prominently.
- Brief description: Use concise and engaging language to describe your product.
- Color/size options: Make sure customers know all the available options.
- Photo and video gallery: Include high-quality visuals to showcase your product.
- Ratings summary/link to reviews: Provide social proof to build trust with potential customers.
Once you have these essentials in place, you can use the rest of the page to provide more detailed information, such as:
- Customer reviews: Feature reviews from previous customers to show the quality of your product and improve credibility.
- Ratings: Display star ratings or other types of ratings to highlight your product’s popularity and quality.
- Shipping options: Include information on shipping rates, delivery times, and other relevant details to help customers make informed decisions.
Remember, a clean and well-organized product page can make a huge difference in attracting and converting potential customers.
Tip #10: Deliver a Frictionless Checkout Experience
Every e-commerce site needs to understand the importance of a better checkout. A poor experience can be a major stumbling block for customers. Complexity and confusion often cause drop-offs.
So, what can you do to enhance it? Try reducing the number of steps required to make a purchase.
One way to achieve this is by enabling users to preview items without leaving the main page, and allowing them to add products to the cart directly from category sections.
By streamlining the buying journey, you can improve user experience and get more people to convert.
UX Design for E-commerce – Conclusion
In e-commerce, creating a great shopping experience is essential for online businesses. With so many options for shoppers, standing out is key, and providing a hassle-free and enjoyable shopping experience is vital.
Optimizing site speed, simplifying checkout, and making your website more intuitive are just a few ways to take your e-commerce website’s user experience to the next level and grow your business.
Crafting a user journey that drives action is an art, and with these ten simple tips, you can enhance the user experience and increase conversion rates.
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