The design of any website is important. No matter how great your content, if the site itself isn’t designed well, people won’t want to return time and time again.
That’s especially the case when it comes to ecommerce stores.
It doesn’t matter how great your products, if your site doesn’t meet customer expectations, your virtual doors won’t be open very long. Here are a few must-follow tips that will ensure your online store is a place where people actually want to shop.
Take your time on the mechanics
Nothing is more important than getting the mechanics of your website right.
Wise Merchant says, “A large part of the success of your store is actually behind the scenes. The code and design visible to search engines can make or break your store, and it’s best to get those details right from the beginning.”
If you don’t have the mechanics of your site right, it doesn’t matter what it looks like or what you’re trying to sell. It’s no big deal if a link doesn’t direct readers to the right blog article, but it’s an entirely different story if a link doesn’t ensure what is being purchased ends up on your customer’s doorstep.
To make sure you’re doing it all right, it’s a good idea to hire a professional programmer to help, even if they just get started and you take over once everything is established. It’s the best way to make sure everything works exactly the way it should.
An intuitive, responsive design
The code behind your site is important, but even the best code can’t make up for an ugly, hard-to-use website. That’s why an intuitive design should go hand-in-hand with good programming.
A few tips to follow when designing a high-quality website include:
- An easy-to-follow navigation bar.
- Filter and search options.
- A clean, uncluttered design.
- Thoughtful color choices.
An intuitive, responsive website design means making sure it works on desktop and laptop computers, but it also means making sure your site shows up properly on mobile devices.
Less Is More When It Comes to Content
The traditional advice when it comes to content is that more is more, as long as it’s high-quality content. Although this advice can be true, it’s also true that less can be more when it comes to content.
Ecommerce sites are one example.
Products should be accompanied by content and product specs, but that doesn’t mean people want to read hundreds, or even thousands, of words about a single product.
Instead, ecommerce sites should go easy on the content. That means streamlining the content on each product page, but it means streamlining the products on the website as well.
There’s no need to list every product you’ve ever made in an extensive catalogue that no one will look at anyway. Instead, only list products you’re currently offering, and look for ways you can condense product listings. For example, if a cardigan comes in three colors, list them together instead of creating separate pages for each one.
More is more when it comes to images
Less may be more when it comes to content on ecommerce websites, but that’s not the case when it comes to images. More is more!
People want to know exactly what they’re ordering, and one way to make them feel confident is by posting plenty of high-quality images.
The keyword is “high-quality.”
That means following product photography tips that include:
- Using diffused, natural light.
- Using a neutral backdrop.
- Capturing all the details, front and back.
- Showing the scale of the item, if necessary.
- Eliminating camera shake with a tripod.