Smart eCommerce Website Development Tips To Increase Sales

Online businesses have been dominating the market for the past few years. Online stores allow their customers to enjoy their products and services without leaving the comforts of their own home. This kind of convenience is something that is genuinely appreciated nowadays. Different factors make an online business successful, and one of them is its eCommerce website design.

You don't get to have a second shot at a first impression. Your first chance is your last chance. The way your website looks contributes to how legitimate your business would seem to your visitors. The more "legit" you look, the more people are encouraged to do business with you. So, investing in a premium website design makes sense.

The Challenge

Keep in mind that established online stores like eBay and Amazon exist, you need to give people a good reason for them to buy from your standalone site. Trust is hard to earn, but you can start by convincing people with your site's aesthetics.

How Can Your eCommerce Website Design Help

Online services are gaining popularity due to their convenience. People now have the chance to enjoy services like shopping and banking using their phones. It is the reason why it is the best time to get into the online business industry if you are just starting, or expand if you have been running a business in a physical store.

There is a saying that you should not judge a book by its cover, but when your credit card details are on the line, bet you would tear a site apart for every single thing that you find suspicious. Well, you are not the only one who is cautious about sharing your sensitive information. If you are looking to start or expand your business to an online platform, then you need to consider that your concerns are also your target market's worries.

A great eCommerce website design can help you make an excellent first impression, and it can help you hand in hand with SEO efforts to establish a strong online presence. It also enables you to build your brand identity, connect with more clients and reach a broader range of audience. Your website does not only have to look great, but you also want it to drive visitors to trust you, your products and services.

How to Increase Sales with Your eCommerce Website

You need an engaging, clean and functional web page design to convince your visitors to stay on your page and trust you. Here are some web design tips to help your website increase traffic and sales:

1. Do not overcomplicate your design.

You must keep your web design simple. Simple is always better. Overcomplicating your design can cause some issues. Adding too much element on one page will distract your visitors from the primary objectives of the site. You don't need to make your eCommerce website design to fancy. Keep it nice and clean. Make sure that you only put the essentials on the site to ensure that the attention goes to the right places.

2. Focus on branding.

If your branding is good, it will work for you even when you're not working at all. Even in physical stores, people tend to lean towards products from known brands. The same principle applies to online shopping. You can increase your sales and gain more clients by creating a brand that they can trust.

Aside from your company logo and colours, branding also applies to your marketing materials and eCommerce website design decisions. Big eCommerce companies did not establish their brand in one night; it is an ongoing marketing process. You need to come up with marketing campaigns and make design decisions that reflect the essence of your company.

3. Put yourself in your target market's shoes.

For sure, you have lots of ideas on how to make your website look amazing or what features would be cool to have. However, before you ask your designer to bring your idea to life, ask yourself if those features are something you will need as a visitor. You need to put yourself in your visitor's shoes. For example, if you find your page layout confusing-- your visitors will probably will too. So you need to think like your customers.

4. Use colours wisely.

This tip goes back to your branding. Picking your company colours is more than just asking yourself what your favourite colour is. Colours are more complicated than that. They are fundamental assets that can make or break your brand. If you know the psychology behind colours, you will be able to utilise them further. Colours can bring out specific emotions and encourage certain activities. You should think of that before deciding that your logo should be yellow because it's your favourite colour.

5. Use high-quality images, but be mindful of the size.

Again, the aesthetic of your website plays a significant role in looking trustworthy and legitimate. Using low-quality images does not exactly say "trustworthy". Usually, only spammy sites use low-quality images, cramped layout and questionable content. Spammy pages do not really care much about their visitors, but you do. So make sure that your website shows that you care enough to make your page pretty.

On top of that, if you are running an online store, then adding pictures make sense. Would you personally buy an item without seeing it? You probably wouldn't do that so your potential customers wouldn't either.

6. Make sure that your content is scalable.

Make your content readable. Make sure that it is written for people first. For product descriptions, make sure that you use some keywords and phrases that your target market might be looking for in your products.

7. Go for a professional look.

Your eCommerce website design should look professional. A professional aesthetic will help persuade visitors to trust you and your products/services. If you want to gain your visitor's trust, then investing in a professionally designed website is a good idea.

8. Use a rating system or any social proof on your website.

It is a good idea to add in some social proof like ratings and reviews on your website. These features allow your potential clients to see that other people trust you too and to show them the positive feedback that you've got from your past clients.

9. Make navigating the site simple and easy.

Make it easier for your visitors to find the items that they need. Nothing kills a shopping mood like having to check fifteen pages before finding the right item.

10. Make the checkout process safe, secure and comfortable.

It's all about making the user experience a breeze. Let's say that you did ensure that navigation is easy, but if you make the checkout process difficult-- then chances are high that your potential customer would abandon their cart.

11. Go responsive.

Nowadays, people spend more time on their phones than on their laptops or desktops. If you want to attract potential customers who shop on their smartphones, then you need to ensure that your eCommerce website design is responsive. A responsive website will allow your visitors to have a seamless experience regardless of whether they are on their desktop or on their other devices.

12. Be transparent about pricing.

Buying an item or proceeding with an online service is already considered as a risk by your potential client. The last thing you want to do is to hide data or information and be seemingly suspicious. Be as transparent as you can with your content.

13. Add a search bar.

In the spirit of making things easier for your visitors, add a search bar in your eCommerce website design. This feature is useful, especially for visitors who are looking for a specific item and for online stores that carry a broad range of products. As mentioned previously, giving your potential customers a hard time finding what they need can hurt your business.

In case your visitor has not figured out your navigation and product categories yet, for sure they'd lean on a search bar to look for the product they need. Not everyone will understand your layout right away, but they'd know how to use a search bar.

14. Guide your visitors with your layout.

Human eyes absorb information visually instead of perceiving it as blocks of data. Visually recognising information means that people rely on the eyes' natural tendencies even when looking at websites. You should utilise effective visual hierarchy when organising your content on our eCommerce website design so that it follows natural eye movement patterns.

Your layout should follow the natural eye movement so that items and information are easy for your potential customers to find and buy.

15. Use a grid layout.

Grid style layouts are recommendable for eCommerce websites. This kind of layout ensures that outlines and segments sort the elements on your site-- giving your website an organised and professional look. You also want to make sure that you are not cramming too many items in one line. Three to four items per line is enough to look engaging.

Final Thoughts

It's time to ride with the tides of time and go online. You can either drown in the sea of competitors or surf with the waves of success. You can achieve wonders if you know how to manage your resources right, but you should start with investing in an amazing eCommerce website.