The Ultimate Guide to eCommerce Website Design

US eCommerce sales continue to reach new heights in 2018. Worldwide, eCommerce will continue to post solid gains to the tune of $2.3 trillion. But what makes one eCommerce site triumph over another?

Here is a comprehensive eCommerce UX design guide to creating great eCommerce websites, complete with examples.

First and foremost, it is important to design a website that shoppers feel they can trust. Most shoppers are concerned about privacy and whether the site will protect their personal data by providing a secure transaction. If the website does not feel trustworthy, they will simply choose to shop elsewhere.

Here are some methods that will communicate trustworthiness:

Here are some essential user interface design tips:

Friction-free is the way to be. Navigation is about how easy it is for people to move around the website, find what they’re looking for and finally take action. The eCommerce shopping experience should be seamless so shoppers don’t drop off halfway through the process.

The top level of navigation should show the set of categories that the site offers. Group products into categories and subcategories that make sense. Category labels work best as single words that describe the range of products, so shoppers can scan through them and instantly understand what they represent. It’s best to user-test site navigation as much as possible for great eCommerce UX as it’s a key make-or-break feature of the site.

Simply put, if shoppers cannot find the product, they cannot buy the product — build a search function that helps them easily find what they are looking for:

The more choices given, the harder it is to choose. Help shoppers find the right products by implementing filters. It will help them narrow their choices and jump to their desired product range directly.

A “quick view” reduces the time it takes for shoppers to find the right product by eliminating unnecessary page loads. Typically, the product details are displayed in a modal window over the viewed page. Do not try to show all the product details, instead, include a link to the full product page to view complete details. Also, be sure to include a prominently positioned “Add to Cart” button as well as a “Save to Wishlist” functionality.

For outstanding eCommerce UX when shoppers successfully find the product they want, let them find out about the product. Design a product page that creates an experience that is as similar to an in-person shopping experience as much possible, by including lots of images, detailed descriptions and any other useful and related information about the product. Let’s take an in-depth look at what this means.

With eCommerce, shoppers cannot touch, feel, or try out the product. Instead, everything depends on what they see online. This is why providing product images that clearly exhibit all aspects of the product is critical. Here is a checklist for perfect product images:

Give shoppers detailed information about the product so they can make an informed purchase decision. Show availability, options for different sizes or colors, dimensions, a size chart, materials used, total cost, warranties, and more. The fewer remaining questions they have about a product, the more likely they are to make a purchase.

Display similar products that shoppers might also like that work well with the current product, or products, that others have purchased. This can be displayed on a product detail page or in the shopping cart and will help guide shoppers to the products that meet their needs, potentially encouraging them to continue shopping — a great way to cross-sell related products.

The shopping cart is essential as it is where shoppers review their selected products, make the final decision, and proceed to checkout. The primary goal of the shopping cart is to lead shoppers to checkout. Below are tips on designing a shopping cart that is user-friendly, and will encourage shoppers to purchase further.

A stylish and trendy design does not determine a successful eCommerce website nor does it necessarily provide great eCommerce UX. eCommerce success is only measured by the number of completed purchases. Here are a few ways to build a well-designed checkout page, which will contribute to a successful conversion:

Online shoppers expect frictionless experiences no matter what. When designing an eCommerce site, it is not just about building a website but creating an online shopping experience that will convert passive shoppers into paying customers.

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