Best Practices For E-Commerce UI Web Design
When you imagine consumers moving through the e-commerce sites you construct, you more or less anticipate them to follow this journey:
• Step 1: Enter on the homepage or a classification page.
• Step 2: Use the navigational elements to orient themselves to the shop and no in on the specific things they're searching for.
• Step 3: Review the descriptions and other essential purchase details for the items that stimulate their interest.
• Step 4: Customize the product specifications (if possible), and then add the products they want to their cart.
• Step 5: Check out.
There are deviations they might bring the way (like exploring related products, perusing different classifications, and saving items to a wishlist for a rainy day). However, for the most part, this is the top path you build out and it's the one that will be most heavily traveled.
That holding true, it's particularly important for designers to zero in on the interface elements that consumers experience along this journey. If there's any friction within the UI, you won't simply see an increase in unexpected variances from the course, however more bounces from the website, too.
So, that's what the following post is going to concentrate on: How to make sure that the UI along the buyer's journey is appealing, user-friendly, appealing, and friction-free.
Let's examine 3 parts of the UI that buyers will come across from the point of entry to checkout. I'll be utilizing e-commerce sites built 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 had to arrange through to find their wanted item classifications, sub-categories and sub-sub-categories. While you may still encounter them nowadays, the much better choice is a navigation that adapts to the shopper's journey.
THE MAIN MENU #
The very first thing to do is to simplify the primary menu so that it has just one level below the main classification headers. For instance, this is how United By Blue does it:
The product categories under "Shop" are all neatly arranged underneath 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 exact same reason why "Gifts" is in a lighter blue typeface and "Sale" remains in a red font style in the main menu. These are super timely and relevant classifications for United By Blue's shoppers, so they should have to be highlighted (without being too distracting).
Returning to the site, let's look at how the designer had the ability to keep the mobile website organized:
Instead of shrink down the desktop menu to one that buyers would require to pinch-and-zoom in on here, we see a menu that's adjusted to the mobile screen.
It requires a few more clicks than the desktop site, but consumers shouldn't have a problem with that given that the menu doesn't go too deep (again, this is why we can't use mega menus anymore).
ON THE PRODUCT RESULTS PAGE #
If you're developing an e-commerce website for a client with a complex inventory (i.e. great deals of items and layers of categories), the item results page is going to need its own navigation system.
To help buyers narrow down how many products they see at a time, you can include these 2 elements in the design of this page:
1. Filters to limit the results by product specification.
2. Arranging to buy the items based on buyers' priorities.
I've highlighted them on this product results page on the Horne site:
While you might store your filters in a left sidebar, the horizontally-aligned style above the results is a much better option.
This space-saving design permits you to show more products at once and is likewise a more mobile-friendly option:
Remember that consistency in UI design is important to consumers, specifically as more of them take an omnichannel method to shopping. By providing the filters/sorting choices consistently from gadget to gadget, you'll develop a more foreseeable and comfortable experience for them at the same time.
BREADCRUMBS & SEARCH #
As consumers move deeper into an e-commerce website, they still may need navigational assistance. There are two UI navigation aspects that will help them out.
The first is a breadcrumb path in the top-left corner of the item pages, comparable to how tentree does:
This is best used on sites with classifications that have sub-categories upon sub-categories. The additional and additional buyers move far from the item results page and the convenience of the filters and arranging, the more crucial breadcrumbs will be.
The search bar, on the other hand, is a navigation element that need to always be offered, no matter which point in the journey shoppers are at. This chooses stores of all sizes, too.
Now, a search bar will certainly help shoppers who are brief on time, can't discover what they need or just desire a shortcut to a product they already know exists. Nevertheless, an AI-powered search bar that can actively anticipate what the buyer is looking for is a smarter choice.
Here's how that works on the Horne website:
Even if the shopper hasn't ended up inputting their search expression, this search bar starts serving up tips. Left wing are matching keywords and on the right are top matching items. The ultimate goal is to accelerate consumers' search and cut down on any stress, pressure or disappointment they might otherwise be feeling.
2. Program The Most Pertinent Details At Once On Product Pages #
Vitaly Friedman recently shared this pointer on LinkedIn:
He's best. The more time visitors need to invest digging around for significant details about an item, the higher the chance they'll simply give up and try another store.
Shipping alone is a huge sticking point for lots of buyers and, regrettably, too many e-commerce websites wait until checkout to let them understand about shipping expenses and hold-ups.
Since of this, 63% of digital buyers end up abandoning their online carts because of shipping expenses and 36% do so because of how long it requires to receive their orders.
Those aren't the only details digital shoppers need to know about ahead of time. They also would like to know about:
• The returns and refund policy,
• The regards to usage and personal privacy policy,
• The payment options available,
• Omnichannel purchase-and-pickup alternatives 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 discussing. You don't need to squeeze every detail about a product above the fold. But the store should have the ability to offer the product with just what's in that space.
Bluebella, for example, has a space-saving design that doesn't jeopardize on readability:
With the image gallery relegated to the left side of the page, the rest can be devoted to the item summary. Because of the varying size of the https://247creative.com.au/ header fonts as well as the hierarchical structure of the page, it's easy to follow.
Based on how this is designed, you can inform that the most crucial information are:
• Product name;
• Product cost;
• Product size selector;
• Add-to-bag and wishlist buttons;
• Delivery and returns info (which nicely appears on one line).
The rest of the item information are able to fit above the fold thanks to the accordions used to collapse and broaden them.
If there are other essential information shoppers may 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 relevant sections lower on the page.
Quick Note: This design won't be possible on mobile for apparent reasons. So, the item images will get prominence while the 30-second pitch appears simply below the fold.
MAKE EXTRA UI ELEMENTS SMALL #
Even if you're able to concisely deliver the product's description, extra sales and marketing components like pop-ups, chat widgets and more can become simply as bothersome as prolonged product pages.
So, make certain you have them stored out of the way as Partake does:
The red symbol you see in the bottom left allows consumers to control the ease of access functions of the site. The "Rewards" button in the bottom-right is really a pop-up that's styled like a chat widget. When opened, it welcomes buyers to join the commitment program.
Both of these widgets open only when clicked.
Allbirds is another one that consists of additional components, but keeps them out of the method:
In this case, it consists of a self-service chat widget in the bottom-right that has to be clicked in order to open. It also positions details about its present returns policy in a sticky bar at the top, maximizing the item pages to strictly focus on product details.
3. Make Product Variants As Easy To Select As Possible #
For some items, there is no choice that consumers have to make besides: "Do I want to include this item to my cart or not?"
For other items, shoppers need to define item variations before they can include an item to their cart. When that's the case, you want to make this process as pain-free as possible. There are a couple of things you can do to guarantee this happens.
Let's say the shop you design offers ladies's underwears. Because case, you 'd need to provide variations like color and size.
You would not desire to simply produce a drop-down selector for each. Picture how tedious that would get if you asked buyers to click "Color" and they had to arrange through a dozen or two choices. If it's a standard drop-down selector, color examples may not appear in the list. Rather, the consumer would need to choose a color name and wait on the product picture to upgrade in order to see what it appears like.
This is why your versions need to dictate how you design each.
Let's use this item page from Thinx as an example:
There are 2 variants offered on this page:
• The color version reveals a row of color examples. When clicked, the name of the color appears and the product photo adjusts accordingly.
• The size variant lists sizes from extra-extra-small to extra-extra-extra-large.
Notification how Size includes a link to "size chart". That's because, unlike something like color which is pretty specific, sizing can alter from shop to store along with area to region. This chart offers clear guidance on how to choose 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 choices consumers have to make (and it's probably the much better style choice, 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 must be enough to assist buyers shift smoothly from decision to choice and not miss any of the needed fields.
Now, let's say that the store you're developing does not offer clothes. Instead, it sells something like beds, which clearly won't include options like color or size. At least, not in the exact same way as with clothing.
Unless you have well-known abbreviations, signs or numbers you can use to represent each version, you need to utilize another kind of selector.
For instance, this is an item page on the Leesa site. I've opened the "Pick your size" selector so you can see how these alternatives are shown:
Why is this a drop-down list as opposed to boxes?
For beginners, the size names aren't the same length. So, box selectors would either be inconsistently sized or some of them would have a ton of white space in them. It actually would not look great.
Leesa wisely uses this little area to supply more details about each mattress size (i.e. the typical vs. sale cost). Not just is this the best style for this specific variant selector, but it's likewise an excellent way to be efficient with how you provide a lot of details on the product page.
A NOTE ABOUT OUT-OF-STOCK VARIANTS #
If you want to eliminate all friction from this part of the online shopping process, make sure you develop a distinct design for out-of-stock versions.
Here's a closer take a look at the Kirrin Finch example again:
There's no mistaking which alternatives are available and which are not).
Although some buyers might be frustrated when they realize the shirt color they like is only offered in a couple of sizes, think of how irritated they 'd be if they didn't learn this up until after they chose all their variations?
If the product selection is the last step they take in the past clicking "add to cart", don't hide this details from them. All you'll do is get their hopes up for an item they put in the time to read about, 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 style is unnoticeable?
That's what we need to bear in mind when designing these crucial interface for e-commerce sites. Of course, your customer's shop needs to be appealing and unforgettable ... But the UI components that move consumers through the site should not give them stop briefly. So, simplicity and ease of usage require to be your top concern when developing the main journey for your client's buyers.
If you're interested in putting these UI design viewpoints to work for new consumers, think about joining the Shopify Partner Program as a shop designer. There you'll be able to earn recurring profits by developing brand-new Shopify stores for clients or migrating shops from other commerce platforms to Shopify.