Best Practices For E-Commerce UI Web Design
When you envision shoppers moving through the e-commerce websites you build, you more or less anticipate them to follow this journey:
• Step 1: Enter on the homepage or a category page.
• Step 2: Use the navigational components to orient themselves to the store and no in on the particular things they're trying to find.
• Step 3: Review the descriptions and other significant purchase information for the items that pique their interest.
• Step 4: Customize the product requirements (if possible), and after that add the products they want to their cart.
• Step 5: Check out.
There are discrepancies they might bring the method (like exploring related products, browsing various classifications, and conserving items to a wishlist for a rainy day). For the a lot of part, this is the top path you develop out and it's the one that will be most heavily traveled.
That being the case, it's especially crucial for designers to absolutely no in on the user interface components that consumers come across along this journey. If there's any friction within the UI, you will not just see an increase in unexpected variances from the path, however more bounces from the website, too.
That's what the following post is going to focus on: How to ensure that the UI along the purchaser's journey is appealing, instinctive, interesting, and friction-free.
Let's examine 3 parts of the UI that consumers will encounter from the point of entry to checkout. I'll be using e-commerce websites constructed with Shopify to do this:
1. Develop A Multifaceted Navigation That Follows Shoppers Around #
There as soon as was a time when e-commerce websites had mega menus that shoppers needed to arrange through to find their preferred product classifications, sub-categories and sub-sub-categories. While you may still encounter them nowadays, the much better option is a navigation that adapts to the shopper's journey.
THE MAIN MENU #
The very first thing to do is to simplify the main menu so that it has only one level beneath the primary classification headers. This is how United By Blue does it:
The item categories under "Shop" are all nicely organized 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 very same reason why "Gifts" is in a lighter blue font and "Sale" remains in a red font style in the primary menu. These are very prompt and relevant categories for United By Blue's buyers, so they deserve to be highlighted (without being too disruptive).
Going back to the site, let's look at how the designer had the ability to keep the mobile site organized:
Rather than diminish down the desktop menu to one that shoppers would require to pinch-and-zoom in on here, we see a menu that's adjusted to the mobile screen.
It requires a couple of more clicks than the desktop site, however consumers should not have a problem with that considering that the menu does not go too deep (again, this is why we can't use mega menus any longer).
ON THE PRODUCT RESULTS PAGE #
If you're developing an e-commerce website for a customer with an intricate stock (i.e. lots of items and layers of categories), the item results page is going to need its own navigation system.
To help buyers narrow down the number of products they see at a time, you can consist of these two components in the design of this page:
1. Filters to narrow down the results by item spec.
2. Arranging to purchase the items based on shoppers' priorities.
I've highlighted them on this product results page on the Horne site:
While you could save your filters in a left sidebar, the horizontally-aligned design above the results is a better choice.
This space-saving design permits you to show more products at the same time and is also a more mobile-friendly option:
Consistency in UI style is important to shoppers, especially as more of them take an omnichannel method 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 require navigational help. There are 2 UI navigation components that will help them out.
The very first is a breadcrumb trail in the top-left corner of the item pages, similar to how tentree does:
This is best utilized on sites with categories that have sub-categories upon sub-categories. The additional and more buyers move away from the item results page and the benefit of the filters and sorting, the more vital breadcrumbs will be.
The search bar, on the other hand, is a navigation component that should always be available, regardless of which point in the journey consumers are at. This opts for shops of all sizes, too.
Now, a search bar will definitely help consumers who are short on time, can't find what they need or merely want a shortcut to a product they currently know exists. An AI-powered search bar that can actively forecast what the buyer is looking for is a smarter option.
Here's how that deals with the Horne website:
Even if the consumer hasn't completed inputting their search phrase, this search bar starts dishing out 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 reduce any stress, pressure or frustration they may otherwise be feeling.
2. Program The Most Pertinent Details At Once On Product Pages #
Vitaly Friedman recently shared this tip on LinkedIn:
He's. The more time visitors have to invest digging around for essential information about a product, the higher the chance they'll simply quit and attempt another shop.
Shipping alone is a substantial sticking point for lots of shoppers and, regrettably, too many e-commerce websites wait till checkout to let them learn 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 because of how long it takes to get their orders.
Those aren't the only details digital buyers want 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 available,
• Omnichannel purchase-and-pickup choices readily available,
• And so on.
How are you anticipated to fit this all in within the first screenful?
PRESENT THE 30-SECOND PITCH ABOVE THE FOLD #
This is what Vitaly was discussing. You do not have to squeeze every single detail about an item above the fold. But the shop must be able to offer the product with only what's in that area.
Bluebella, for example, has a space-saving style that doesn't compromise 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 differing size of the header fonts as well as the hierarchical structure of the page, it's easy to follow.
Based upon how this is developed, you can tell that the most crucial details are:
• Product name;
• Product rate;
• 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 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 reviews or a sizing guide-- build links into the above-the-fold that move them to the relevant areas lower on the page.
Quick Note: This layout will not be possible on mobile for obvious reasons. The product images will get leading billing 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, additional sales and marketing elements like pop-ups, chat widgets and more can end up being simply as frustrating as lengthy product pages.
Make sure you have them stored out of the method as Partake does:
The red sign you see in the bottom left allows shoppers to control the accessibility functions of the site. The "Rewards" button in the bottom-right is in fact a pop-up that's styled like a chat widget. When opened, it invites shoppers to join the commitment program.
Both of these widgets open only when clicked.
Allbirds is another one that includes extra elements, however keeps them out of the method:
In this case, it includes a self-service chat widget in the bottom-right that needs to be clicked in order to open. It also positions info about its existing returns policy in a sticky bar at the top, freeing up the product pages to strictly concentrate on item information.
3. Make Product Variants As Easy To Select As Possible #
For some items, there is no decision that buyers have to make besides: "Do I want to include this item to my cart or not?"
For other products, shoppers have to specify product variations before they can include an item 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 shop you design offers women's underwears. In that case, you 'd need to use variations like color and size.
But you wouldn't want to simply develop a drop-down selector for each. Envision how tiresome that would get if you asked consumers to click on "Color" and they had to arrange through a dozen or two choices. Also, if it's a standard drop-down selector, color swatches may not appear in the list. Rather, the buyer would need to pick a color name and await the product photo to upgrade in order to see what it looks like.
This is why your versions must dictate how you design each.
Let's utilize this product page from Thinx as an example:
There are 2 variants available on this page:
• The color variant shows a row of color swatches. When clicked, the name of the color appears and the product image changes appropriately.
• The size alternative 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 quite well-defined, sizing can change from shop to store as well as area to area. This chart offers clear assistance on how to pick a size.
Now, Thinx uses a square button for each of its variants. You can change it up, however, if you 'd like to produce a difference in between the choices consumers have to make (and it's most likely the better design option, to be honest).
Kirrin Finch, for example, positions its sizes inside empty boxes and its color examples inside filled circles:
It's a small difference, but it must suffice to assist consumers shift efficiently from decision to decision and not miss any of the required fields.
Now, let's say that the store you're developing doesn't sell clothes. Instead, it sells something like beds, which obviously will not consist of choices like color or size. At least, not in the same way as with clothes.
Unless you have well-known abbreviations, signs or numbers you can utilize to represent each version, you ought to use 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 alternatives are shown:
Why is this a drop-down list instead of boxes?
For beginners, the size names aren't the same length. So, box selectors would either be inconsistently sized or a few of them would have a lots of white area in them. It truly would not look great.
Also, Leesa carefully utilizes this little space to supply more info about each bed mattress size (i.e. the typical vs. sale price). So, not just is this the very best style for this particular variant selector, but it's also a terrific way to be effective with how you provide a lot of info on the item 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 create an unique style for out-of-stock variants.
Here's a more detailed look at the Kirrin Finch example once again:
There's no mistaking which choices are available and which are not).
Some consumers might be annoyed when they recognize the shirt color they like is only readily available in a couple of website gold coast sizes, picture how frustrated they 'd be if they didn't discover this till after they chose all their variations?
If the item selection is the last step they take before clicking "add to haul", do not conceal this details from them. All you'll do is get their hopes up for an item they took the time to check out, take a look at, and fall in love with ... only to find it's not readily available in a size "16" till it's too late.
Concluding #
What is it they say? Good style is unnoticeable?
That's what we need to bear in mind when creating these crucial user interfaces for e-commerce sites. Naturally, your customer's shop needs to be appealing and memorable ... But the UI aspects that move buyers through the site should not provide stop briefly. Simplicity and ease of use need to be your top concern when developing the primary journey for your customer's shoppers.
If you're interested in putting these UI style philosophies to work for new customers, consider joining the Shopify Partner Program as a store developer. There you'll be able to make repeating revenue by constructing brand-new Shopify stores for clients or moving stores from other commerce platforms to Shopify.