Ecommerce web design: Designing websites that sell!

What is ecommerce?

Electronic commerce or ecommerce is a term used to describe a business or commercial transaction that involves the purchasing of products or services using the Internet. It covers a range of different types of businesses, from consumer based retail sites, wholesale product sites to business exchanges trading goods and services between corporations.

Ecommerce is shopping in the 21st Century. It is window shopping at your fingertips with a sprawling online marketplace that means comparison and choice is practically limitless.

Bonjour Mon Coussin – This website lets the products do the talking

Ecommerce allows consumers to electronically purchase goods and services with little or no barriers of time or distance. Ecommerce websites allow your business to be available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, with the only variable being the shipping and postage of the goods.

Ecommerce has expanded rapidly over the past few years and is continuing to accelerate with large brands and businesses gaining a large percentage of their income from ecommerce. Network solutions state that ‘In the near future the boundaries between “conventional” and “electronic” commerce will become increasingly blurred as more and more businesses move sections of their operations onto the Internet.’

Designing an ecommerce site that works

• • Clear Logo
    Clear and recognisable logo design is key to a strong brand identity. When it comes to online shopping, a recognisable logo is is a reassuring symbol and an element of trust of the company or organisation. If you have a strong online identity a consumer or client is more likely to think of you as a reputable business offering quality services or products. This is why is it important to work with a web designer and developer who understand your company and business ethos.

 

• • Easy Navigation & usability
    Before people can buy, they need to find the information they are looking for. Unfortunately an online business removes the whole ‘try before you buy’ mantra so you must offer an ecommerce site that offers clarity, choice and simplicity in order for you to actually close that sale. With online retail alone generating more than £700m every week in the UK it’s understandable that more businesses are jumping on the ecommerce bandwagon. But the limitless choice means that if your ‘buy’ button isn’t easy to find, someone else’s will be.

 

• • Clear CTA and shipping information
    In order for people to trust your site and to understand the way you work, you must ensure that your call to actions, shipping information and delivery/returns policies are very clearly displayed and within reach from the homepage. Statistics have shown that if a customer cannot find this information within 3 clicks, then they will shop elsewhere.

 

• • Social Media Links
    It’s said that almost 20% of online purchases are accomplished after surfing through social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Social media accounts bring excellent opportunities for self-promotion: online communities can help to identify the most active and influential customers, or find new ones who are not familiar with the web store yet. Online shops should offer ‘share this product’ information that can be shared between profiles in order to promote their products and to also allow customers to share with their networks when they have purchased something.

 

• • Store Finder
    A store finder tab is a must-have option for web stores that have several local or national retailers. Many customers still prefer to check out the products for real in a store so it is important to use your site to continue to promote your business and brand.
    Include GEO IP in your ecommerce web design to offer tailor made directions to each visitor.

 

• • Extras
    If you have products that need instructions or if you could include any additional information, then you may think to include ‘how-to’ or general product guides. You might also think to add a section that allows your customers to have a ‘wish list’ so that when they revisit your site on pay-day. This will provoke them to indulge their fantasy purchases from earlier on in the month. People really enjoy a personal touch to their online shopping experience and these are simple but effective ways to keep your customers coming back to your website.

 

Top 5 reasons Why shoppers choose ecommerce over conventional shopping

1. 1. User reviews: Studies have shown that user reviews can increase sales by 18% on average. This adds a realistic, human and therefore trusted response to your product and also keeps people interacting with your business even after purchase.

 

1. 1. More choice: Due to limited physical space in shops many people prefer to visit ecommerce sites as they often have a wider choice of products. Ecommerce sites also offer the ability to search for individual items, which means customers do not have to waste valuable shopping time sifting through the racks.

 

1. 1. Images and video showing the product in use: Apparently people are 160% more likely to buy a product when there is a visual showing the product in use on the ecommerce site. Many clothing websites now offer photographs and videos which not only allow you to see the clothes on a model but also allow you to experience the texture of the fabrics through visual interpretation.

 

1. 1. Prominent calls-to-action: Ecommerce sites make it easy to contact the company should you need to make an enquiries or log an issue. This is something that also puts the consumer at ease and gives the impression of a trusted site.

 

1. 1. Detailed product descriptions: For a lot of consumers or clients there is a desire to know additional information regarding a product or service. An ecommerce site may have the online space to offer detailed information about where and how the product was made, what exact materials were used to make the product and any additional info required. This can often be things that are dismissed in a face-to-face shopping environment.

 

Launching an ecommerce website

The growth of ecommerce has increased the opportunity for people to start a business quite quickly without a massive lump sum investment. The internet and the advancements of web design and development techniques are making it increasingly more possible for you to have an ecommerce business that can thrive. Other factors that contribute to a successful ecommerce business are:

Low Startup Costs
Before the Internet, starting a business from scratch was extremely expensive. Business owners can now register a domain name for a low annual price, which means they can afford to use their budget for important aspects of setting up an ecommerce site like web design and development.

Flexibility
One of the greatest advantages to starting an ecommerce business is that it can be operated from anywhere at any time. Setting up an ecommerce business can iron out some of the logistical problems that come with owning a business.

Scale-ability
Ecommerce websites are very effective in allowing you to determine which products are selling successfully and visa versa. This will allow you to grow your business in terms of sales, customer base and profits. This means that you can begin to understand who your consumers are and what their requirements are meaning you can tailor make your business to the market.

No opening time restrictions
With ecommerce websites you are not restricting your potential customers, as they can view your website at any time of day. This means as a business, you are maximising your sales and profits. How can your sales be further maximised? You can do this through a range of sales initiatives such as special offers and online marketing initiatives. For more information on creating special offers read our articles 20 Special offer ideas for marketing your business and How to increase conversion rates for your special offers.

Manageable statistics
You may be thinking how do I know it will be successful, how will I measure the results? Ecommerce websites are in fact extremely measurable and trackable through systems such as Google Analytics. You can view statistics including how many orders are processed through your site, average cart total, cart abandonment rate and percentage of total revenue your website has achieved at regular intervals.

Secure payment
There are several reliable payment systems you can have for your ecommerce website including; Paypal, Google Checkout, Sage Payment Solutions, WordPay and more. This will ensure all your payment transactions are processed successfully, so your business receives the payments efficiently.

Examples of awesome ecommerce websites

We designed this bespoke ecommerce website for Ambican that runs on a highly modified version of Magento. The website displays all of their products in clean, concise information boxes that the customer can easily navigate.

Hard Graft ecommerce site displays beautiful hi res images of their products in use. The quirky glimpse into the the functionality of their bags, offers a sense of life to the products making them much more appealing. Plus there is no unneccessary ‘bumf’ occupying the page.

This is a different kind of ecommerce site. Here you can build your very own bespoke, one of a kind bicycle. The easy to follow instruction lead you through each component of the bicycle allowing you to edit and view what a mock-up of your product would look like with additional prices presented on a calculated total next to the product.

Blue velvet shoes is a ecommerce site we created to mirror the brand of the high-end shoe shop in Chelsea. The site displays each pair of shoes in a high resolution image with the product information clearly displayed next to it. This is simple, sleek and offers you all you the information you need to find the perfect pair of shoes.

Amazon is the daddy of ecommerce. With customer reviews, easy comparisons and a list view with priority choice selection makes for a vast amount of choice for the consumer. The design could however be sleeker and at times navigation is a little complex but all in all Amazon offers all the answers to your consumer questions.

To view more of our ecommerce website designs please click here.

Or for any other enquiries please contact us here.

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