First things first. The conceptualization of an eCommerce website is starkly different from that of a normal website. In fact, everything from the design to the SEO strategies differs according to the experts. If you are looking to create a highly functional and performance-oriented eCommerce website we are going to help you.
There are three words that have in many ways become the buzzwords when it comes to designing eCommerce websites-
- Interactive
- Engaging
- Original
Every business looking to rake up sales, grow a customer base, and attract sellers needs to focus on these three words on their eCommerce website. In this article, we are going to list down some of the top mistakes that businesses need to avoid when designing an eCommerce website.
Mistake 1- All Form and No Function on the Design of an eCommerce Website-
When it comes to a great eCommerce website design, functionality is as important as aesthetics. Paying too much attention to the aesthetics and losing touch with the functionality, and usability is a compromise you do not want to be making.
This is primarily because while the design would allow you to attract customers if the user experience is not great, it will not culminate into sales. People want a simple, clean, and understandable experience on eCommerce websites.
In other words, they want the purchase experience to be as fuss-free as possible. The layout, mentions, and flow need to allow for everyone to make the most use of the eCommerce website. Right from browsing to the buying process, functions are very important.
Mistake 2- No Optimizations for Mobile Phones and Tablets-
Many businesses make the mistake of not checking for 100% optimizations on cell phones and tablets. This is important as more than 80% of all eCommerce sales take place from a smartphone or a tablet. Hence, optimizing for different devices is of great urgency.
It should also be pointed out that the web version of the site on the smartphone needs to be the same as the desktop version. If you are losing out on features, functionalities, and experience, you will immediately see a negative effect, not only from customers but also from search engines.
If you are creating an app, the challenges will become different. You need a high-performing app that is fast to load, mimics the desktop experience, and provides great functionality. You can switch to first creating the mobile version and then transition to the desktop one.
Mistake 3- Ignoring Basic eCommerce Functionalities on the website-
To help you understand this mistake better, we have created the following list:
- Sort and Filter Options
- Inadequate descriptions for products
- Complicated Checkouts
- Insufficient Payment Options
- Bad and Improperly placed Search
- Blurred Product Images
- No Chat Options
- Hidden Terms and Condition Pages
- Forgotten Social Media Integrations
- No Blog
While these ten things mentioned on the list are important, there are many more that you need to consider. However, the above ten are a good starting point. It is important to understand that you create a checklist of items to share with your web development and design agency.
With so many options in the market, users are now far too well acquainted to not notice that your platform misses out on one or many of the eCommerce essentials.
The Bottom Line
Every time you test your eCommerce website, you need to do it from the point of view of the customer and not what you as a brand feel is right. Run as many beta tests as possible with a wide cross-section of the audience. It is only after you are able to iron out the problems and issues on the design and development front will you have on your hands a properly functioning and performance-oriented eCommerce platform.