Best Practices For E-Commerce UI Web Design
When you picture shoppers moving through the e-commerce websites you build, you more or less expect them to follow this journey:
• Step 1: Enter on the homepage or a category page.
• Step 2: Use the navigational aspects to orient themselves to the store and zero in on the particular things they're searching for.
• Step 3: Review the descriptions and other important purchase details for the products that ignite their interest.
• Step 4: Customize the product specifications (if possible), and after that add the products they wish to their cart.
• Step 5: Check out.
There are deviations they may bring the method (like exploring associated items, perusing different categories, and saving products to a wishlist for a rainy day). But, for the a lot of part, this is the leading path you develop out and it's the one that will be most greatly taken a trip.
That being the case, it's especially essential for designers to absolutely no in on the interface aspects that consumers encounter along this journey. If there's any friction within the UI, you won't just see an increase in unexpected deviations from the path, however more bounces from the site, too.
That's what the following post is going to focus on: How to make sure that the UI along the purchaser's journey is appealing, intuitive, interesting, and friction-free.
Let's examine 3 parts of the UI that buyers will experience from the point of entry to checkout. I'll be utilizing e-commerce sites developed with Shopify to do this:
1. Produce A Multifaceted Navigation That Follows Shoppers Around #
There when was a time when e-commerce websites had mega menus that buyers needed to sort through to find their wanted item classifications, sub-categories and sub-sub-categories. While you might still encounter them nowadays, the better choice is a navigation that adapts to the shopper's journey.
THE MAIN MENU #
The first thing to do is to simplify the primary menu so that it has only one level underneath the main classification headers. For example, this is how United By Blue does it:
The item categories under "Shop" are all neatly organized beneath headers like "Womens" and "Mens".
The only exceptions are the classifications for "New Arrivals" and "Masks & Face Coverings" that are accompanied by images. It's the exact same reason "Gifts" remains in a lighter blue font and "Sale" remains in a red font in the primary menu. These are incredibly timely and relevant classifications for United By Blue's consumers, so they deserve to be highlighted (without being too disruptive).
Going back to the website, let's take a look at how the designer had the ability to keep the mobile site arranged:
Rather than shrink down the desktop menu to one that consumers would require to pinch-and-zoom in on here, we see a menu that's adapted to the mobile screen.
It needs a few more clicks than the desktop website, however shoppers shouldn't have a problem with that since the menu does not go unfathomable (again, this is why we can't use mega menus any longer).
ON THE PRODUCT RESULTS PAGE #
If you're constructing an e-commerce site for a client with a complicated inventory (i.e. lots of products and layers of classifications), the item results page is going to need its own navigation system.
To help shoppers narrow down how many items they see at a time, you can include these two components in the style of this page:
1. Filters to narrow down the outcomes by item requirements.
2. Sorting to buy the products based on shoppers' 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 better choice.
This space-saving design enables you to show more products at the same time and is also a more mobile-friendly option:
Consistency in UI style is crucial to shoppers, especially as more of them take an omnichannel approach to shopping. By presenting the filters/sorting choices consistently from gadget to gadget, you'll create a more foreseeable and comfy experience for them at the same time.
BREADCRUMBS & SEARCH #
As consumers move deeper into an e-commerce website, they still may need navigational support. There are two UI navigation elements that will assist them out.
The very first is a breadcrumb path in the top-left corner of the product pages, comparable to how tentree does:
This is best used on sites with categories that have sub-categories upon sub-categories. The additional and additional consumers move away from the product results page and the convenience of the filters and arranging, the more important breadcrumbs will be.
The search bar, on the other hand, is a Learn more navigation component that should always be readily available, despite which point in the journey consumers are at. This opts for stores of all sizes, too.
Now, a search bar will definitely assist shoppers who are brief on time, can't discover what they need or just want a faster way to an item they already understand exists. An AI-powered search bar that can actively predict what the shopper is looking for is a smarter option.
Here's how that works on the Horne site:
Even if the shopper hasn't ended up inputting their search expression, this search bar begins serving up recommendations. On the left are matching keywords and on the right are leading matching items. The ultimate objective is to speed up shoppers' search and cut down on any tension, pressure or aggravation they may otherwise be feeling.
2. Show The Most Pertinent Details At Once On Product Pages #
Vitaly Friedman recently shared this pointer on LinkedIn:
He's. The more time visitors need to spend digging around for important details about a product, the greater the possibility they'll just quit and try another store.
Delivering alone is a substantial sticking point for many shoppers and, unfortunately, too many e-commerce websites wait up until checkout to let them know about shipping costs and hold-ups.
Because of this, 63% of digital buyers end up deserting their online carts because of shipping expenses and 36% do so since of for how long it takes to get their orders.
Those aren't the only details digital consumers want to know about ahead of time. They also wish to know about:
• The returns and refund policy,
• The terms of use and personal privacy policy,
• The payment options offered,
• Omnichannel purchase-and-pickup options offered,
• And so on.
But how are you expected to fit this all in within the first screenful?
PRESENT THE 30-SECOND PITCH ABOVE THE FOLD #
This is what Vitaly was speaking about. You do not have to squeeze every information about a product above the fold. The store must be able to sell the product with only what's in that area.
Bluebella, for example, has a space-saving design that doesn't compromise on readability:
With the image gallery relegated to the left side of the page, the rest can be devoted to the product summary. Due to the fact that of the differing size of the header typefaces in addition to the hierarchical structure of the page, it's simple to follow.
Based on how this is designed, you can inform that the most essential details are:
• Product name;
• Product rate;
• Product size selector;
• Add-to-bag and wishlist buttons;
• Delivery and returns details (which nicely appears on one line).
The remainder of the item details have the ability to fit above the fold thanks to the accordions used to collapse and expand them.
If there are other crucial information shoppers might need to comprise their minds-- like item evaluations or a sizing guide-- develop links into the above-the-fold that move them to the appropriate sections lower on the page.
Quick Note: This design will not be possible on mobile for obvious factors. So, the product images will get top billing while the 30-second pitch appears just listed below the fold.
MAKE EXTRA UI ELEMENTS SMALL #
Even if you're able to concisely deliver the product's description, additional sales and marketing elements like pop-ups, chat widgets and more can become just as frustrating as prolonged product pages.
So, make certain you have them saved out of the method as Partake does:
The red sign you see in the bottom left enables consumers to manage the accessibility features of the website. The "Rewards" button in the bottom-right is actually a pop-up that's styled like a chat widget. When opened, it welcomes buyers to join the loyalty program.
Both of these widgets open only when clicked.
Allbirds is another one that consists of extra aspects, but keeps them out of the way:
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 places information about its present returns policy in a sticky bar at the top, freeing up the item pages to strictly concentrate on product information.
3. Make Product Variants As Easy To Select As Possible #
For some products, there is no decision that consumers have to make aside from: "Do I want to add this item to my cart or not?"
For other items, consumers have to specify product versions prior to they can include a product to their cart. When that's the case, you wish to make this procedure as pain-free as possible. There are a couple of things you can do to ensure this happens.
Let's state the shop you create sells females's underwears. Because case, you 'd need to provide variations like color and size.
You would not want to just develop a drop-down selector for each. Picture how laborious that would get if you asked consumers to click "Color" and they had to arrange through a dozen or two alternatives. If it's a standard drop-down selector, color swatches may not appear in the list. Instead, the consumer would have to choose a color name and wait for the item photo to upgrade in order to see what it appears like.
This is why your variations ought to dictate how you create each.
Let's utilize this item page from Thinx as an example:
There are 2 versions available on this page:
• The color variation shows a row of color swatches. When clicked, the name of the color appears and the item photo changes 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 precise, sizing can change from store to shop as well as region to area. This chart offers clear assistance 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 produce a difference between the options consumers have to make (and it's probably the better design option, to be truthful).
Kirrin Finch, for example, puts its sizes inside empty boxes and its color swatches inside filled circles:
It's a little distinction, but it ought to suffice to help consumers shift efficiently from choice to choice and not miss any of the needed fields.
Now, let's say that the store you're constructing does not sell clothing. Rather, it offers something like beds, which clearly won't include choices like color or size. A minimum of, not in the very same way just like clothing.
Unless you have popular abbreviations, symbols or numbers you can utilize to represent each variant, you must use another type 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 choices are displayed:
Why is this a drop-down list as opposed to boxes?
For starters, the size names aren't the same length. Box selectors would either be inconsistently sized or some of them would have a lot of white space in them. It truly wouldn't look great.
Leesa sensibly utilizes this little area to supply more details about each mattress size (i.e. the typical vs. sale price). Not only is this the best design for this particular variant selector, however it's likewise an excellent method to be effective with how you provide a lot of info on the item page.
A NOTE ABOUT OUT-OF-STOCK VARIANTS #
If you wish to get rid of 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 once again:
There's no mistaking which choices are offered and which are not).
Although some buyers might be annoyed when they realize the shirt color they like is only available in a few sizes, picture how frustrated they 'd be if they didn't discover this until after they selected all their variations?
If the item selection is the last step they take previously clicking "add to haul", don't hide this information from them. All you'll do is get their hopes up for a product they took the time to check out, look at, and fall for ... only to find it's not available in a size "16" till it's far too late.
Finishing up #
What is it they say? Great style is undetectable?
That's what we require to keep in mind when developing these key interface for e-commerce sites. Obviously, your customer's shop requires to be attractive and memorable ... But the UI aspects that move shoppers through the website need to not give them stop briefly. So, simplicity and ease of usage need to be your top priority when developing the main journey for your customer's consumers.
If you're interested in putting these UI design philosophies to work for new customers, think about signing up with the Shopify Partner Program as a store developer. There you'll be able to make recurring earnings by building brand-new Shopify stores for clients or moving shops from other commerce platforms to Shopify.