Best Practices For E-Commerce UI Web Design
When you envision shoppers moving through the redirected here e-commerce sites you develop, you more or less expect them to follow this journey:
• Step 1: Enter on the homepage or a classification page.
• Step 2: Use the navigational aspects to orient themselves to the store and zero in on the specific things they're looking for.
• Step 3: Review the descriptions and other pertinent purchase details for the products that ignite their interest.
• Step 4: Customize the item requirements (if possible), and then add the items they want to their cart.
• Step 5: Check out.
There are deviations they might take along the method (like checking out related items, perusing various categories, and conserving items to a wishlist for a rainy day). But, for the a lot of part, this is the top path you build out and it's the one that will be most greatly taken a trip.
That holding true, it's especially crucial for designers to zero in on the user interface components that buyers come across along this journey. If there's any friction within the UI, you won't simply see an increase in unexpected discrepancies from the path, however more bounces from the website, too.
So, that's what the following post is going to concentrate on: How to ensure that the UI along the buyer's journey is attractive, intuitive, interesting, and friction-free.
Let's examine three parts of the UI that consumers will come across from the point of entry to checkout. I'll be using e-commerce websites developed with Shopify to do this:
1. Develop A Multifaceted Navigation That Follows Shoppers Around #
There once was a time when e-commerce websites had mega menus that consumers needed to sort through to find their wanted item categories, sub-categories and sub-sub-categories. While you may still run into them nowadays, the much better option is a navigation that adjusts to the shopper's journey.
THE MAIN MENU #
The very first thing to do is to streamline the primary menu so that it has just one level beneath the primary category headers. For example, this is how United By Blue does it:
The product classifications under "Shop" are all nicely arranged beneath headers like "Womens" and "Mens".
The only exceptions are the categories for "New Arrivals" and "Masks & Face Coverings" that are accompanied by images. It's the very same reason why "Gifts" remains in a lighter blue typeface and "Sale" is in a red font in the primary menu. These are super timely and pertinent classifications for United By Blue's buyers, so they should have to be highlighted (without being too distracting).
Going back to the site, let's look at how the designer was able to keep the mobile site arranged:
Rather than diminish down the desktop menu to one that consumers would need to pinch-and-zoom in on here, we see a menu that's adapted to the mobile screen.
It requires a few more clicks than the desktop site, however shoppers should not have a problem with that because the menu does not go unfathomable (again, this is why we can't utilize mega menus any longer).
ON THE PRODUCT RESULTS PAGE #
If you're building an e-commerce site for a customer with an intricate inventory (i.e. lots of products and layers of classifications), the product results page is going to need its own navigation system.
To help shoppers narrow down how many products they see at a time, you can include these two components in the style of this page:
1. Filters to limit the results by product requirements.
2. Sorting to purchase the items based on buyers' concerns.
I've highlighted them on this item results page on the Horne website:
While you could keep your filters in a left sidebar, the horizontally-aligned style above the results is a better choice.
This space-saving design enables you to show more items at the same time and is likewise a more mobile-friendly option:
Remember that consistency in UI design is necessary to consumers, specifically as more of them take an omnichannel technique to shopping. By presenting the filters/sorting options consistently from device to gadget, you'll produce a more predictable and comfortable experience for them in the process.
BREADCRUMBS & SEARCH #
As buyers move deeper into an e-commerce website, they still may need navigational help. There are two UI navigation elements that will help them out.
The first is a breadcrumb path in the top-left corner of the product pages, similar to how tentree does:
This is best used on sites with categories that have sub-categories upon sub-categories. The further and more buyers move away from the item results page and the convenience of the filters and sorting, the more crucial breadcrumbs will be.
The search bar, on the other hand, is a navigation element that should always be readily available, regardless of which point in the journey shoppers are at. This opts for stores of all sizes, too.
Now, a search bar will definitely help buyers who are brief on time, can't discover what they need or just desire a faster way to a product they currently know exists. An AI-powered search bar that can actively predict what the consumer is looking for is a smarter option.
Here's how that deals with the Horne website:
Even if the shopper hasn't ended up inputting their search phrase, this search bar starts serving up ideas. On the left are matching keywords and on the right are top matching products. The supreme objective is to speed up buyers' search and reduce any tension, pressure or aggravation they may otherwise be feeling.
2. Show The Most Pertinent Details At Once On Product Pages #
Vitaly Friedman just recently shared this pointer on LinkedIn:
He's best. The more time visitors need to spend digging around for significant details about a product, the greater the opportunity they'll simply quit and attempt another shop.
Delivering alone is a big sticking point for lots of shoppers and, regrettably, too many e-commerce sites wait up until checkout to let them understand about shipping expenses and delays.
Because of this, 63% of digital shoppers wind up deserting their online carts due to the fact that of shipping expenses and 36% do so since of for how long it requires to receive their orders.
Those aren't the only details digital buyers need to know about ahead of time. They also wish to know about:
• The returns and refund policy,
• The regards to use and personal privacy policy,
• The payment options offered,
• Omnichannel purchase-and-pickup options readily available,
• And so on.
But how are you expected to fit this all in within the very first screenful?
PRESENT THE 30-SECOND PITCH ABOVE THE FOLD #
This is what Vitaly was talking about. You do not have to squeeze each and every single information about an item above the fold. But the shop must have the ability to sell the product with only what's in that space.
Bluebella, for instance, has a space-saving style that doesn't jeopardize on readability:
With the image gallery relegated to the left side of the page, the rest can be dedicated to the product summary. Since of the varying size of the header font styles along with the hierarchical structure of the page, it's easy to follow.
Based on how this is designed, you can tell that the most crucial information are:
• Product name;
• Product cost;
• Product size selector;
• Add-to-bag and wishlist buttons;
• Delivery and returns info (which neatly appears on one line).
The rest of the item details have the ability to fit above the fold thanks to the accordions utilized to collapse and broaden them.
If there are other important information buyers might require to make up their minds-- like item evaluations or a sizing guide-- construct links into the above-the-fold that move them to the appropriate areas lower on the page.
Quick Note: This design will not be possible on mobile for obvious reasons. So, the item images will get prominence while the 30-second pitch appears just listed below the fold.
MAKE EXTRA UI ELEMENTS SMALL #
Even if you're able to concisely provide the product's description, extra sales and marketing aspects like pop-ups, chat widgets and more can end up being simply as bothersome as lengthy item pages.
Make sure you have them kept out of the method as Partake does:
The red symbol you see in the bottom left allows consumers to control the availability features of the website. The "Rewards" button in the bottom-right is really a pop-up that's styled like a chat widget. When opened, it welcomes shoppers to join the loyalty program.
Both of these widgets open just when clicked.
Allbirds is another one that consists of extra aspects, but keeps them out of the method:
In this case, it includes a self-service chat widget in the bottom-right that has to be clicked in order to open. It likewise places information about its present returns policy in a sticky bar at the top, freeing up the item pages to strictly concentrate on product details.
3. Make Product Variants As Easy To Select As Possible #
For some products, there is no choice that shoppers need to make aside from: "Do I wish to add this product to my cart or not?"
For other items, shoppers have to define item variants before they can add a product to their cart. When that's the case, you wish to make this process as pain-free as possible. There are a few things you can do to ensure this takes place.
Let's state the store you design offers ladies's undergarments. Because case, you 'd have to use variations like color and size.
But you would not want to simply produce a drop-down selector for each. Think of how tiresome that would get if you asked consumers to click on "Color" and they had to sort through a lots approximately options. Likewise, if it's a standard drop-down selector, color swatches might not appear in the list. Rather, the buyer would have to choose a color name and await the item picture to upgrade in order to see what it looks like.
This is why your variants must determine how you design each.
Let's use this item page from Thinx as an example:
There are 2 variants readily available on this page:
• The color variation shows a row of color examples. When clicked, the name of the color appears and the item image adjusts appropriately.
• The size alternative lists sizes from extra-extra-small to extra-extra-extra-large.
Notice how Size includes a link to "size chart". That's because, unlike something like color which is quite specific, sizing can alter from store to shop as well as region to region. This chart provides clear guidance on how to pick a size.
Now, Thinx utilizes a square button for each of its variants. You can switch it up, however, if you 'd like to develop a distinction between the options shoppers have to make (and it's probably the better style option, to be sincere).
Kirrin Finch, for instance, positions its sizes inside empty boxes and its color swatches inside filled circles:
It's a little distinction, but it should suffice to help buyers transition smoothly from choice to choice and not miss any of the needed fields.
Now, let's state that the store you're building does not offer clothes. Rather, it offers something like beds, which certainly won't consist of choices like color or size. At least, not in the exact same way as with clothes.
Unless you have popular abbreviations, symbols or numbers you can utilize to represent each version, you ought to utilize another kind of selector.
This is a product page on the Leesa site. I've opened the "Pick your size" selector so you can see how these options are displayed:
Why is this a drop-down list as opposed to boxes?
For starters, the size names aren't the exact same length. Box selectors would either be inconsistently sized or some of them would have a heap of white area in them. It really wouldn't look good.
Leesa sensibly uses this small area to provide more info about each bed mattress size (i.e. the regular vs. sale price). So, not only is this the very best design for this particular alternative selector, but it's likewise a great method to be effective with how you provide a great deal of information on the product page.
A NOTE ABOUT OUT-OF-STOCK VARIANTS #
If you want to remove all friction from this part of the online shopping procedure, make sure you come up with an unique style for out-of-stock versions.
Here's a more detailed look at the Kirrin Finch example again:
There's no mistaking which alternatives are offered and which are not).
Although some shoppers might be frustrated when they recognize the t-shirt color they like is only available in a few sizes, think of how frustrated they 'd be if they didn't discover this until after they selected all their versions?
If the product selection is the last action they take previously clicking "add to haul", do not hide this information from them. All you'll do is get their hopes up for an item they took the time to read about, take a look at, and fall in love with ... just to find it's not offered in a size "16" till it's far too late.
Wrapping Up #
What is it they state? Excellent design is unnoticeable?
That's what we require to keep in mind when designing these key user interfaces for e-commerce websites. Naturally, your client's shop requires to be appealing and memorable ... But the UI components that move consumers through the site ought to not provide stop briefly. Simpleness and ease of usage need to be your leading concern when designing the main journey for your customer's consumers.
If you're interested in putting these UI style philosophies to work for brand-new customers, consider signing up with the Shopify Partner Program as a store designer. There you'll be able to make recurring profits by developing new Shopify shops for clients or migrating stores from other commerce platforms to Shopify.