When executed well, technology should make your life easier. We expect to be able to purchase a device, take it out of the box and start using it right away.
The same can be said about shopping online. An ecommerce store should be as straightforward as possible, and make the buying experience for customers easy.
Today we’re going to cover how to improve your ecommerce store user experience.
What’s the Difference Between User Experience & User-Focused Design?
User Experience design involves the elements that create an interface: layout, visual design, images, text, and interaction.
A User-Focused design incorporates these elements in a way that gives a user the best possible experience.
Ecommerce Store User Experience
Let’s discuss a few User Experience Ecommerce Tips to help you structure your store for success.
User-Friendly Homepage
Use a simple, focused design
Refrain from getting too wordy – remember, less is more!
Guide a customer (use arrows, colors & focus attention on one main call to action)
Feature a value proposition – why are you different?
Have a chat option available, but don’t be too pushy
Ecommerce Navigation
Think of your navigation as a funnel, so customers start broad & can drill down from there
Include store information & policies
Limit navigation menu choices to 9
Make navigation prominent
Recommended Navigation Structure
Pre-Header: Include promotions & my account links in the pre-header
Header: Logo, unique selling prop, search bar & shopping cart graphic
Main Nav: Categories
Search
Faceted search available
Filter by price, size, color etc.
Autocomplete search
Shopping Cart
Show price total and the number of items in the cart
Include related products or promotions
Make sure price & coupons is updated in real time
Why Does UX Matter?
Chances are you’ve walked into a brick and mortar stored, couldn’t find what you were looking for, and didn’t receive any help from the store employees. If that store did have what you needed, they messed up.
Delivering a user-friendly, pleasant buying experience encourages your customers to return and share their experience with others. It’s also a great way to increase your conversion rates, because customers can find what they are looking for quickly. This means a reduced bounce rate and an increase in sales.
Key Takeaways for Improving Your Ecommerce Store User Experience
Keep it simple
Guide a customer each step of the way
Make sure technology is helping, not hindering
Show don’t tell (visuals over heavy text)
The buying process should be quick & easy
Questions to Consider:
How easily can a user complete a task on your store?
How well does your ecommerce site satisfy your customer’s needs?
Does your site easily adapt to different mediums?
Is your site appealing and engaging to your customers?
When did you last test your store to make sure everything works?
If you’d like to learn more about how to best plan content for your website, click here.
