The biggest challenge of eCommerce websites is converting visitors into buyers and making them come back for more and so UX is one of the most crucial parts of increasing revenue. But more often than not, many small business owners pay very little to no attention to user experience.
Now this will result in the users turning away from your site to one that’s easier and more convenient to use. Secondly, this can also affect the SERP rankings of your website.
That’s why, in this article, we’ll go over 10 eCommerce user experience best practices which in turn will multiply sales.
1 : Create a customer-centric search
Your search experience power to make or break online sales? According to the Connected Shoppers’ report by Salesforce, 40% of customers use intelligent assistants before making a purchase. So how can we implement a customer-centric search?
Place a search bar in a visible place on the website, Preferability inside the header on the top.
So that users are able to quickly find a search bar.
Suggest results as the user types.
By suggesting matching results when the user is typing, you significantly lower the time needed to complete the search activity and the number of mistakes.
Support query mistakes.
People tend to make spelling mistakes all the time. Sometimes they don’t remember the exact product name and so they try to guess. Therefore the search result should take mistakes into account too. There’s nothing worse than a user looking at not results, so your job is to never allow this situation to happen.
2 : Keep product information at a minimal
People tend not to read massive texts; it’s best to make it brief and comprehensible for every customer. Here are some tips on how you can make your description stand out.
Think about your target audience.If your message is clear and creates a deep connection with your target customer, you’ll keep them interested.
Make your descriptions scannable. Users tend not to read every word on the page, so it’s best to create scannable descriptions with clear headings, subheadings, and bullet points.
3 : Design user-friendly Product Pages
It’s usually at the product page which can make or break the buying decision. Therefore, it’s extremely important to keep the page minimal and easy to read and at the same time have detailed information if the customer opts to read them.
Only critical information should be visible at first glance. Some users are fine with making a purchase decision based only on the brief information, while a few others want to know everything there is about their purchase before buying.
Elements that support good product pages:
- Clear pictures of the product from various angles (sometimes even with a 360° view if needed)
- Overview of the product
- Visible product price
- Eye-catching call-to-action button
4 : Choose the right words
People don’t like complex phrases. They appreciate it when they understand what they are currently reading on your site.
The easier the experience you provide to your users, The better the chance to attract potential customers.
5 : Use vivid buttons
A call to action button should be very attractive so that customers click or tap it. Don’t be frightened to make buttons big with eye-catching colors. Additionally, to make newsletter signups easier, provide buttons to sign up with social media like Facebook and Twitter.
6: Newsletter signup form
Email newsletters are a very essential tool for engaging with customers. Using newsletter signup to your online store allows you to collect user emails that you can use for email marketing campaigns.
People see lots of newsletter signup forms when browsing the internet. With a thoughtful approach and user experience design, you can create the best signup form that will encourage anyone to sign up for your newsletter.
7 : Use a pop-up window
Eye-catching pop-up windows can grab the attention of your user’s eyes.
In order to make a pop-up less annoying, give the user some time frame to look around the website. Don’t interrupt them from the beginning with a form. This method is considered one of the best methods to get more subscriptions when implemented correctly.
8 : Support Helpful Filters
Some e-commerce stores have thousands of products. It’s very hard for users to go through, so these stores use filters. Filters should be easily visible on the product list.
When you start designing the filters, it’s crucial to not only take into consideration their order, but also the input type. For filters where precision counts, it’s better to provide text inputs rather than the use of sliders. Always select the input type that allows for the fastest use depending on the data and user’s context.
9 : Have a Distraction-Free Checkout
The checkout can make or break your conversion rate. So it must be as easy as possible.
Breaking the checkout process into smaller parts/steps allows for easier progression estimation, which makes the process seem much easier and faster to complete. For checkouts with a high average-basket value, it’s crucial to display an order summary at every step, because your customers may feel anxious about making any mistakes if they have to pay a lot.
After the order is placed, send an email with the order details. In the order summary, it’s good to include information like the ordered product, the amount paid, estimation of the product arrival date, and also the delivery address.
10 : Use quality photos and videos
As the products cannot be felt IRL, their picture/video representations are everything a visitor has to depend on. This is a point where the retail stores have a considerable advantage. At least, for now. That is why for e-commerce websites it’s crucial that photos and other media should be of quality. This includes high-res pictures, 3D models, and also videos.
Another thing that’s becoming the new norm is the ability to zoom photos and so it lets users get all the necessary information about the product.
Final Thoughts
Improving the e-commerce UX comes with several perks. Along with an obvious advantage like growing your sales, a better e-commerce UX leads to significantly reduced customer acquisition costs, increased customer happiness, reduced customer support cost.
Wondering how to identify the issues on your e-commerce website and get started? Reach out to our e-commerce experts at Kilowott and let our consultants help you.
