With the growing number of retailer becoming available to online shoppers, it is difficult to argue the influence of design on a customer’s decision to make a purchase or shop elsewhere. There are many aspects of an online store that will make it succeed or fail when considering online conversions. A designer will have the major task of ensuring that the store has the perfect design that is on brand, works well with the products displayed, and is simplistic and streamlined. Below are some major issues to consider.

Site Navigation

Navigation is the most important aspect of an online store. A lost customer that has trouble navigating through the store results in a lost sale and negatively impacts the store conversions. Customers need to find exactly what they are looking for and well-organized product navigation ensures this.  The designer of an online store needs to consider the demographics of the shoppers that will be interacting with this store and how they generally explore a website. A well-designed store incorporates the main navigation near the top of the page above other page elements making it easy to locate. Typically the navigation will incorporate a few select major product categories with a secondary menu with more specific options – usually a dropdown menu. The Pottery Barn is one online retailer that utilizes a well-structured drop down menu that not only breaks the main categories into more focused groups, but also by featured and sale items.

Product Imagery vs. Site Design & Layout

Unlike a typical web design project, it is important that the design fits well with the products that are featured. Designers can still be creative and showcase their skills while ensuring that visitors are not overwhelmed by the design elements and loses focus on the product imagery. The more product images for the shopper, the more likely an online transaction will take place. The designer has an important decision to make regarding the sizing and positioning of the product main images with alternate view thumbnails. Javascript tools such as a lightbox or zooming feature allow the designer a variety of layout possiblities while also giving the shopper the ability to get a detailed view of the product. The Northface online store is a great example of a beautifully designed and structured store that keeps the product images at the forefront. The products are all organized within a clean page body while there are still several stunning design elements integrated, as well. Once the customer has reached a particular product page, they have numerous product photos to aid their decision to buy. If the customer wishes to zoom in on the product image, a zoomed view replaces the product details on the right.

Featured, Popular & Related Products

It is important for any eCommerce store to immediately present featured and popular products to the visitor. Online stores usually devote large regions of the home page to a frequently updated section devoted to featured or special items that are attractive to a large group of buyers. Image slideshows are popular for presenting this information on a store home page. It is also beneficial for stores to incorporate areas that make purchasing suggestions to the shopper based on the products they have viewed or recent purchasing trends in the store. This could be a Top Sellers or Related Products section. These slideshows and product lists do an effective job of helping the customer quickly find something they are likely to buy, therefor increasing conversions.

These are just three aspects of an online store that have a direct influence on sales conversions. Stores that are difficult to navigate or have an interface design that overpowers the products will cause visitors to shop elsewhere. Showcasing popular and new items whenever possible, even during the checkout process, can only help sales. At Unleashed Technologies, we are constantly researching the most effective design techniques for an eCommerce environment to implement into our projects. Click here to learn more about our services pertaining to eCommerce and the platforms that we utilize.