Finest Practices For E-Commerce UI Web Design

When you visualize consumers moving through the e-commerce websites you build, you basically expect 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 zero in on the specific things they're trying to find.

• Step 3: Review the descriptions and other important purchase details for the products that pique their interest.

• Step 4: Customize the product specs (if possible), and after that add the products they want to their cart.

• Step 5: Check out.

There are deviations they might take along the method (like checking out associated products, browsing different categories, and conserving products to a wishlist for a rainy day). For the most part, this is the leading pathway you develop out and it's the one that will be most greatly traveled.

That holding true, it's particularly crucial for designers to zero in on the interface aspects that buyers encounter along this journey. If there's any friction within the UI, you will not just see an increase in unexpected discrepancies from the path, but 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 attractive, instinctive, interesting, and friction-free.

Let's analyze 3 parts of the UI that consumers will experience from the point of entry to checkout. I'll be utilizing e-commerce websites built 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 buyers had to sort through to find their preferred item categories, sub-categories and sub-sub-categories. While you might still run into them nowadays, the better option is a navigation that adjusts to the consumer's journey.

THE MAIN MENU #

The first thing to do is to streamline the main menu so that it has just one level below the primary category headers. For example, this is how United By Blue does it:

The item categories under "Shop" are all nicely organized underneath headers like "Womens" and website design gold coast "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 why "Gifts" is in a lighter blue font style and "Sale" is in a red typeface in the main menu. These are incredibly timely and relevant classifications for United By Blue's shoppers, 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 organized:

Instead of shrink down the desktop menu to one that shoppers 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 buyers should not have a problem with that given that the menu does not go unfathomable (once again, this is why we can't utilize mega menus anymore).

ON THE PRODUCT RESULTS PAGE #

If you're building an e-commerce site for a customer with an intricate inventory (i.e. great deals of items and layers of classifications), the item results page is going to need its own navigation system.

To help buyers limit how many items they see at a time, you can include these 2 aspects in the design of this page:

1. Filters to limit the outcomes by item requirements.

2. Arranging to buy the items based upon consumers' priorities.

I've highlighted them on this product results page on the Horne site:

While you might save your filters in a left sidebar, the horizontally-aligned style above the outcomes is a much better option.

This space-saving design permits you to reveal more items at the same time and is likewise a more mobile-friendly option:

Consistency in UI design is essential to buyers, especially as more of them take an omnichannel method to shopping. By presenting the filters/sorting options regularly from gadget to gadget, you'll produce 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 might need navigational assistance. There are 2 UI navigation aspects that will assist them out.

The first is a breadcrumb path in the top-left corner of the product pages, comparable to how tentree does:

This is best used on websites with classifications that have sub-categories upon sub-categories. The additional and further buyers move far from the product results page and the convenience of the filters and sorting, the more vital breadcrumbs will be.

The search bar, on the other hand, is a navigation element that should always be offered, regardless of which point in the journey shoppers are at. This chooses shops of all sizes, too.

Now, a search bar will definitely help shoppers who are short on time, can't find what they need or simply want a faster way to an item they currently know exists. An AI-powered search bar that can actively forecast what the shopper is looking for is a smarter option.

Here's how that deals with the Horne site:

Even if the consumer hasn't finished inputting their search phrase, this search bar starts serving up tips. On the left are matching keywords and on the right are top matching items. The supreme goal is to speed up shoppers' 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 right. The more time visitors need to spend digging around for important details about an item, the higher the possibility they'll simply give up and attempt another store.

Delivering alone is a substantial sticking point for lots of shoppers and, unfortunately, too many e-commerce sites wait until checkout to let them understand about shipping costs and hold-ups.

Since of this, 63% of digital shoppers wind up abandoning their online carts due to the fact that of shipping costs and 36% do so due to the fact that of the length of time it takes to get their orders.

Those aren't the only details digital buyers would like to know about ahead of time. They likewise wish to know about:

• The returns and refund policy,

• The regards to usage and personal privacy policy,

• The payment alternatives readily available,

• Omnichannel purchase-and-pickup choices available,

• 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 don't need to squeeze every detail about an item above the fold. The shop should be able to offer the item with only what's in that space.

Bluebella, for example, has a space-saving style that does not 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 varying size of the header font styles in addition to the hierarchical structure of the page, it's simple to follow.

Based upon how this is developed, you can inform that the most important details are:

• Product name;

• Product rate;

• Product size selector;

• Add-to-bag and wishlist buttons;

• Delivery and returns info (which nicely appears on one line).

The rest of the product details have the ability to fit above the fold thanks to the accordions utilized to collapse and expand them.

If there are other important details shoppers might require to comprise their minds-- like item reviews or a sizing guide-- construct links into the above-the-fold that move them to the pertinent sections lower on the page.

Quick Note: This layout won't be possible on mobile for obvious reasons. The product images will get leading billing while the 30-second pitch appears just below the fold.

MAKE EXTRA UI ELEMENTS SMALL #

Even if you're able to concisely provide the item's description, extra sales and marketing aspects like pop-ups, chat widgets and more can end up being just as frustrating as prolonged item pages.

Make sure you have them stored out of the method as Partake does:

The red symbol you see in the bottom left makes it possible for shoppers to manage the accessibility 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 consumers to join the commitment program.

Both of these widgets open only when clicked.

Allbirds is another one that consists of extra components, however 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 puts info 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 items, there is no decision that buyers have to make other than: "Do I want to add this item to my cart or not?"

For other products, shoppers have to specify product variations before they can add an item to their cart.