Finest 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 classification page.
• Step 2: Use the navigational aspects to orient themselves to the store and zero in on the specific things they're looking for.
• Step 3: Review the descriptions and other relevant purchase details for the items that pique their interest.
• Step 4: Customize the item specifications (if possible), and then include the items they want to their cart.
• Step 5: Check out.
There are variances they might take along the way (like checking out related items, browsing various categories, and saving items to a wishlist for a rainy day). But, for the a lot of part, this is the leading path you build out and it's the one that will be most heavily taken a trip.
That holding true, it's specifically essential for designers to no in on the interface components that consumers come across along this journey. If there's any friction within the UI, you won't simply see a boost in unexpected deviations from the course, however more bounces from the site, too.
So, that's what the following post is going to focus on: How to ensure that the UI along the purchaser's journey is appealing, intuitive, engaging, and friction-free.
Let's examine 3 parts of the UI that shoppers will encounter from the point of entry to checkout. I'll be utilizing e-commerce websites constructed with Shopify to do this:
1. Create A Multifaceted Navigation That Follows Shoppers Around #
There once was a time when e-commerce websites had mega menus that buyers had to sort through to find their desired product classifications, sub-categories and sub-sub-categories. While you might still run into them nowadays, the much better choice is a navigation that adjusts to the buyer's journey.
THE MAIN MENU #
The very first thing to do is to simplify the main menu so that it has only one level below the main classification headers. For example, this is how United By Blue does it:
The product categories under "Shop" are all neatly arranged below 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 same reason "Gifts" remains in a lighter blue font style and "Sale" is in a red font in the main menu. These are incredibly prompt and pertinent classifications for United By Blue's shoppers, so they should have to be highlighted (without being too disruptive).
Returning to the website, let's take a look at how the designer was able to keep the mobile website arranged:
Rather than shrink down the desktop menu to one that consumers would need 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 website, however buyers should not have an issue with that considering that the menu does not go unfathomable (again, this is why we can't utilize mega menus any longer).
ON THE PRODUCT RESULTS PAGE #
If you're constructing an e-commerce website for a client with a complicated stock (i.e. lots of items and layers of categories), the product results page is going to require its own navigation system.
To assist buyers narrow down how many items they see at a time, you can consist of these two elements in the design of this page:
1. Filters to limit the outcomes by item specification.
2. Arranging to buy the items based upon shoppers' top priorities.
I've highlighted them on this the original source product results page on the Horne website:
While you might keep your filters in a left sidebar, the horizontally-aligned style above the results is a better choice.
This space-saving style allows you to show more items at the same time and is also a more mobile-friendly choice:
Consistency in UI design is essential to shoppers, particularly as more of them take an omnichannel approach to shopping. By presenting the filters/sorting alternatives regularly from gadget to device, you'll create a more predictable and comfy experience for them at the same time.
BREADCRUMBS & SEARCH #
As buyers move deeper into an e-commerce site, they still might require navigational support. There are 2 UI navigation components that will help 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 sites with classifications that have sub-categories upon sub-categories. The additional and further shoppers move away from the item results page and the benefit of the filters and arranging, the more important breadcrumbs will be.
The search bar, on the other hand, is a navigation component that must constantly be offered, no matter which point in the journey shoppers are at. This opts for stores of all sizes, too.
Now, a search bar will certainly help consumers who are short on time, can't find what they need or merely desire a faster way to an item they already understand exists. Nevertheless, an AI-powered search bar that can actively predict 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 phrase, this search bar begins serving up recommendations. On the left are matching keywords and on the right are leading matching items. The supreme goal is to speed up consumers' search and reduce any tension, pressure or aggravation they might otherwise be feeling.
2. Show The Most Pertinent Details At Once On Product Pages #
Vitaly Friedman just recently shared this tip on LinkedIn:
He's best. The more time visitors have to invest digging around for essential information about an item, the greater the opportunity they'll simply give up and try another shop.
Shipping alone is a big sticking point for many shoppers and, sadly, a lot of e-commerce sites wait till checkout to let them understand about shipping expenses and delays.
Because of this, 63% of digital shoppers end up deserting their online carts since of shipping costs and 36% do so since of for how long it takes to receive their orders.
Those aren't the only information digital buyers need to know about ahead of time. They likewise want to know about:
• The returns and refund policy,
• The terms of usage and personal privacy policy,
• The payment alternatives available,
• Omnichannel purchase-and-pickup choices readily available,
• And so on.
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 information about a product above the fold. The store needs to be able to offer the item with only what's in that area.
Bluebella, for example, has a space-saving style 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 differing size of the header font styles in addition to the hierarchical structure of the page, it's easy to follow.
Based upon how this is created, you can inform that the most crucial information are:
• Product name;
• Product rate;
• Product size selector;
• Add-to-bag and wishlist buttons;
• Delivery and returns information (which nicely appears on one line).
The rest of the product details are able to fit above the fold thanks to the accordions utilized to collapse and expand them.
If there are other essential information buyers might need 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 areas lower on the page.
Quick Note: This design will not be possible on mobile for obvious reasons. So, the product images will get prominence while the 30-second pitch appears simply listed below the fold.
MAKE EXTRA UI ELEMENTS SMALL #
Even if you're able to concisely deliver the item's description, extra sales and marketing aspects like pop-ups, chat widgets and more can end up being just as irritating as lengthy product pages.
So, ensure you have them saved out of the way as Partake does:
The red sign you see in the bottom left enables shoppers to manage the ease of access features of the site. The "Rewards" button in the bottom-right is actually a pop-up that's styled like a chat widget. When opened, it welcomes consumers to sign up with the commitment program.
Both of these widgets open only when clicked.
Allbirds is another one that consists of extra 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 places info about its current returns policy in a sticky bar at the top, maximizing the item pages to strictly concentrate on product details.
3. Make Product Variants As Easy To Select As Possible #
For some products, there is no decision that shoppers have to make aside from: "Do I wish to add this item to my cart or not?"
For other items, shoppers have to define item variations prior to they can include an item to their cart. When that's the case, you want to make this procedure as pain-free as possible. There are a few things you can do to guarantee this takes place.
Let's say the shop you design offers females's underwears. In that case, you 'd have to use variations like color and size.
You would not want to just develop a drop-down selector for each. Imagine how tedious that would get if you asked consumers to click "Color" and they needed to sort through a lots or two options. Also, if it's a basic drop-down selector, color examples may not appear in the list. Rather, the shopper would need to select a color name and wait for the item picture to upgrade in order to see what it looks like.
This is why your variations need to determine how you design each.
Let's utilize this item page from Thinx as an example:
There are 2 versions offered on this page:
• The color variation reveals a row of color swatches. When clicked, the name of the color appears and the product picture adjusts accordingly.
• The size alternative lists sizes from extra-extra-small to extra-extra-extra-large.
Notification how Size comes with a link to "size chart". That's because, unlike something like color which is pretty well-defined, sizing can alter from shop to store as well as region to region. This chart supplies clear guidance 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 develop a difference in between the options consumers need to make (and it's probably the better design choice, to be honest).
Kirrin Finch, for instance, positions its sizes inside empty boxes and its color examples inside filled circles:
It's a little difference, but it should be enough to help consumers shift smoothly from decision to choice and not miss out on any of the needed fields.
Now, let's say that the store you're developing doesn't sell clothing. Rather, it sells something like beds, which undoubtedly will not consist of choices like color or size. At least, not in the exact same method similar to clothing.
Unless you have well-known abbreviations, signs or numbers you can utilize to represent each variation, you should utilize another kind of selector.
This is a product page on the Leesa website. I've opened the "Pick your size" selector so you can see how these choices are displayed:
Why is this a drop-down list rather than boxes?
For starters, the size names aren't the same length. So, box selectors would either be inconsistently sized or some of them would have a lots of white space in them. It truly would not look great.
Also, Leesa sensibly uses this little area to supply more info about each mattress size (i.e. the regular vs. list price). So, not only is this the very best design for this specific variant selector, but it's also a fantastic way to be effective with how you provide a great deal of information on the item page.
A NOTE ABOUT OUT-OF-STOCK VARIANTS #
If you want to remove all friction from this part of the online shopping process, ensure you develop an unique design for out-of-stock variations.
Here's a more detailed take a look at the Kirrin Finch example once again:
There's no mistaking which options are offered and which are not).
Although some shoppers might be annoyed when they realize the shirt color they like is only offered in a few sizes, envision how irritated they 'd be if they didn't learn this until after they picked all their variants?
If the product choice is the last action they take before clicking "add to cart", don't 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 ... just to find it's not available in a size "16" up until it's far too late.
Wrapping Up #
What is it they state? Good style is unnoticeable?
That's what we require to keep in mind when designing these crucial user interfaces for e-commerce websites. Naturally, your client's shop needs to be appealing and unforgettable ... But the UI components that move shoppers through the site must not give them pause. So, simplicity and ease of usage need to be your top priority when creating the main journey for your customer's shoppers.
If you're interested in putting these UI design approaches to work for new customers, think about signing up with the Shopify Partner Program as a shop developer. There you'll be able to earn repeating income by building new Shopify stores for clients or moving shops from other commerce platforms to Shopify.