E-commerce web design is crucial as it impacts how users view your business and determines whether they’ll stay or leave. It influences the first impression users have of your brand. This is why you need a properly designed e-commerce website. It helps establish credibility and trust. It’s the best way for your brand to stand out in the saturated e-commerce market. Web design mistakes can negatively impact your e-commerce’s success. Discussed below are eight common e-commerce web design mistakes.
1. Failure to make your e-commerce web design responsive
A responsive web design means your website can adapt and work flawlessly on all devices, regardless of size. This ensures a consistent, positive experience for all site visitors. Unresponsive e-commerce websites usually frustrate mobile users, forcing them to abandon your site. This leads to increased bounce rates. Search engines also prioritize responsive web designs, meaning unresponsive web design can affect your search rankings.
An unresponsive web design can also lead to slow website speed. This causes prospects to leave your site, which in turn leads to low sales. Ensuring your web design is responsive can lead to a better user experience. A dedicated web design company can help you create a responsive e-commerce web design that drives growth and revenue.
2. Complex or time-consuming checkout process
The checkout process is a crucial step in the customer journey. A bad checkout experience on your online store can lead to a massive drop in sales, with statistics indicating that roughly 87% of online shoppers will likely abandon their shopping carts if the checkout process is time-consuming or complex. Poor e-commerce checkout also results in:
- Lost revenue
- A negative brand perception
- Reduced customer loyalty
A lengthy checkout procedure and the requirement to create an account can be frustrating to potential customers. More often than not, this will cause these consumers to leave without completing their purchases. You don’t want customers to leave without buying because your e-commerce website pages load too slowly. Be sure to have a simple checkout process that isn’t time-consuming. It helps to create a good customer experience that motivates shoppers to complete their purchases instead of abandoning their carts.
3. Poor product photos
Customers and prospects want to view a product before purchasing. This is where product photos come in. They’re the first point of contact customers have with your products and can make or break a consumer’s buying decision. Product photos also set expectations for the consumer. A lack of pictures or poor product images is a turn-off for many customers. It negatively impacts your brand’s credibility and trust with customers.
Statistics suggest that high-quality product images have a 94% higher conversion rate than products with poor-quality images. In addition, 90% of buyers say photo quality is the most vital element in an online sale. Hiring a professional photography service can help ensure top-quality product photos, which help drive sales.
4. Slow loading pages
Website speed is crucial to your e-commerce business’s success. It influences not only your search engine rankings but also your conversion rate and repeat business. A slow e-commerce website can quickly frustrate online shoppers and create a bad first impression on your business.
Potential customers will likely abandon an e-commerce website if its loading lags, resulting in increased bounce rates and reduced engagement. Also, users have become habituated to fast-loading sites. They demand quick access to web content and don’t have much patience for slow-loading pages.
Search engines consider page speed when determining SERP rankings. Slow e-commerce websites rank low in SERPs, reducing organic traffic and website visibility. Website performance and speed can affect business conversions and sales. Unsatisfied customers establish a negative perception of your e-commerce business.
When these shoppers share their bad shopping experiences with prospective customers, they can leave lasting effects on conversions and sales. With the help of speed analysis tools, you can determine how fast your e-commerce site is so you can have a clear idea of how to optimize website speed.
5. Cluttered design
A cluttered e-commerce website has excess elements that can divert attention from the vital details on a page. These elements may include:
- Navigation menus
- Graphics
- Ads
- Pop-ups
- Images and more
A cluttered web design doesn’t have sufficient whitespace, resulting in an overwhelming design that makes it hard for users to find whatever they want. The confusion caused by web clutter can make shoppers abandon your e-commerce website, increasing bounce rates and conversions. A cluttered website can increase page load time, negatively impacting user experience and your placement on SERPs.
Also, essential CTAs may be lost in busy pages, hurting your e-commerce business’s success. Reducing clutter not only makes your website aesthetically pleasing but also gives visitors better access to vital information.
6. Inadequate or inaccurate product information
Online shoppers depend on detailed, correct, and dependable product details to make purchase decisions. Statistics suggest that 87% of consumers feel that product information is the most critical element when buying products online because they can’t physically touch or see them. If you have inaccurate or inadequate product information on your online store, it can lead to major disharmony between reality and consumer expectations.
Unclear or insufficient product specifications and descriptions on your website can create confusion and uncertainty among shoppers. This makes them abandon their carts, which leads to reduced conversions. Additionally, potential customers will quickly lose faith in your online store if you offer incomplete or inaccurate product information. This can negatively affect their purchase decision and your brand’s overall perception.
There are also missed sales opportunities because consumers will likely abandon you for competitors providing more comprehensive and reliable product information. Be sure to provide complete and accurate product details to make it easier for consumers to visualize your offerings, understand their use, and confidently make purchase decisions.
7. Hidden or missing CTAs
Clear CTAs tell users what to do, what to purchase, and where to click. If your CTAs are missing or hidden, consumers won’t take the desired action, which can impact your business’s success. Ensure your CTAs are compelling and strategically positioned on the e-commerce site to increase conversions.
8. Ignoring user friendliness
If your e-commerce website isn’t user-friendly, consumers will lose interest in your business, affecting conversion rates. It will also affect your search engine rankings. There are several reasons why your e-commerce site may not be user-friendly, including:
- The navigation isn’t intuitive: This means users find it challenging to locate and use your navigation menus, which can frustrate them and cause them to leave
- Your website isn’t accessible: When your e-commerce website isn’t accessible, users are unable to view the content
- A complicated website design: Complex web designs are hard to understand and force visitors to abandon your site
A skilled web developer can help create a user-friendly site that leads to a positive user experience.
A skilled web developer can help create a user-friendly site that leads to a positive user experience.
Endnote
E-commerce web design is crucial for your brand’s success. To avoid common e-commerce web design mistakes, familiarize yourself with these tips.