As a retail store owner, it can be difficult to handle both the daily duties of running a store and managing an ecommerce website. This is especially true if your ecommerce website is under performing or failing to convert at a high level. If that sounds familiar, have you considered that your site’s design may be missing the mark?
Why Web Design Matters
Web design matters for three primary reasons. First, it almost always sways a visitor’s first impression – one way or the other. While content certainly matters, the layout, images, color scheme, and logos are the first things consumers notice. Second, the usability of your website matters. If the site is overwhelming or has poor navigation, users will bounce at a much higher rate. Third, good web design matters because it’s one of your best tools for communicating with your customers. Nobody else can tell you what you can and can’t do, but that comes with heavy responsibilities.
3 Web Design Tips for Retail Stores
If you want to make an investment in the long-term health of your retail business, pay attention to web design. Regardless of which industry you’re in or what products you offer, the following tips should apply to your situation:
Keep it simple. There’s absolutely no reason to overcomplicate your design. It’s distracting, annoying, and ineffective. If you look at some of the most successful ecommerce websites, you’ll notice a common thread throughout the majority of them: simplicity. Users are much more likely to stick around if they don’t feel overwhelmed or bombarded with excess information. A good example of simplicity is Victoire Boutique’s website, which has the perfect balance of pertinent information and simplicity.
Use quality product images. The major downside of selling online versus a physical retail location is that customers aren’t able to touch, feel, and see products personally. They have to rely on descriptions and images. Keeping this in mind, you need to understand how important quality product images are. Take the time and effort to invest in crisp, vibrant images that attract and engage consumers. Pillow Perfect’s website offers a great example of how to make product images and thumbnails work.
Make checkout easy. Consumers enjoy shopping online because it’s easy and convenient, but as soon as you remove that convenience factor, you’re not really offering them anything they can’t find somewhere else. That’s why it’s incredibly important to have a seamless, fast, appealing checkout process. Use a simple layout that doesn’t overwhelm the user or encourage them to abandon their cart. Instead, go for a simple navigation that gently pushes the customer through the process, encourages them to add on complementary product offerings, and allows them to log in with a variety of different choices. Asos offers a great example of how to design a checkout process.
Maximize Your Website’s Value
You already have a website; there’s no point in wasting its potential with poor design and layout features. By using these tips and examples, you can make the most out of your virtual real estate and transform your website from a minor part of your business into an integral component.