Finest Practices For E-Commerce UI Web Design
When you picture shoppers moving through the e-commerce sites you build, you more or less expect them to follow this journey:
• Step 1: Enter on the homepage or a classification page.
• Step 2: Use the navigational components to orient themselves to the shop and no in on the specific things they're looking for.
• Step 3: Review the descriptions and other pertinent purchase information for the products that stimulate their interest.
• Step 4: Customize the product specs (if possible), and after that add the items they want to their cart.
• Step 5: Check out.
There are variances they might take along the method (like exploring associated products, perusing different categories, and conserving items to a wishlist for a rainy day). For the many part, this is the top pathway you construct out and it's the one that will be most greatly traveled.
That holding true, it's specifically essential for designers to zero in on the interface components that shoppers experience along this journey. If there's any friction within the UI, you won't simply see a boost in unforeseen deviations from the course, however more bounces from the website, too.
That's what the following post is going to focus on: How to make sure that the UI along the buyer's journey is appealing, instinctive, interesting, and friction-free.
Let's analyze 3 parts of the UI that buyers will experience from the point of entry to checkout. I'll be utilizing e-commerce websites built with Shopify to do this:
1. Create A Multifaceted Navigation That Follows Shoppers Around #
There when was a time when e-commerce sites had mega menus that shoppers needed to arrange through to discover their wanted product classifications, sub-categories and sub-sub-categories. While you might still face them nowadays, the much better option is a navigation that adapts to the buyer's journey.
THE MAIN MENU #
The first thing to do is to simplify the primary menu so that it has only one level beneath the main category headers. This is how United By Blue does it:
The item categories under "Shop" are all neatly arranged underneath headers like "Womens" and "Mens".
The only exceptions are the categories for "New Arrivals" and "Masks & Face Coverings" that are accompanied by images. It's the very same reason "Gifts" remains in a lighter blue font style and "Sale" is in a red font style in the primary menu. These are very timely and pertinent classifications for United By Blue's buyers, so they are worthy of to be highlighted (without being too disruptive).
Going back to the site, let's look at how the designer was able to keep the mobile Find out more website arranged:
Rather than shrink down the desktop menu to one that shoppers would need to pinch-and-zoom in on here, we see a menu that's adapted to the mobile screen.
It requires a couple of more clicks than the desktop site, but consumers should not have an issue with that since the menu doesn't go unfathomable (again, this is why we can't utilize mega menus anymore).
ON THE PRODUCT RESULTS PAGE #
If you're building an e-commerce website for a client with an intricate stock (i.e. lots of products and layers of categories), the item results page is going to require its own navigation system.
To assist consumers narrow down the number of products they see at a time, you can include these two elements in the design of this page:
1. Filters to limit the results by item requirements.
2. Sorting to order the items based on shoppers' concerns.
I've highlighted them on this item results page on the Horne website:
While you might keep your filters in a left sidebar, the horizontally-aligned design above the results is a better choice.
This space-saving design enables you to reveal more items simultaneously and is also a more mobile-friendly option:
Remember that consistency in UI style is essential to consumers, particularly as more of them take an omnichannel technique to shopping. By providing the filters/sorting options regularly from device to gadget, you'll create a more foreseeable and comfy experience for them at the same time.
BREADCRUMBS & SEARCH #
As buyers move deeper into an e-commerce website, they still may require navigational support. There are 2 UI navigation elements that will assist them out.
The first is a breadcrumb path in the top-left corner of the product pages, comparable to how tentree does:
This is best utilized on sites with classifications that have sub-categories upon sub-categories. The further and additional consumers move far from the item results page and the benefit of the filters and arranging, the more crucial breadcrumbs will be.
The search bar, on the other hand, is a navigation aspect that need to always be available, no matter which point in the journey shoppers are at. This chooses shops of all sizes, too.
Now, a search bar will certainly assist consumers who are brief on time, can't discover what they require or merely want a shortcut to an item they currently know exists. An AI-powered search bar that can actively forecast what the shopper is looking for is a smarter choice.
Here's how that deals with the Horne website:
Even if the buyer hasn't finished inputting their search expression, this search bar starts providing suggestions. Left wing are matching keywords and on the right are top matching items. The supreme goal is to speed up buyers' search and reduce any tension, pressure or disappointment they may otherwise be feeling.
2. Program The Most Pertinent Details At Once On Product Pages #
Vitaly Friedman just recently shared this pointer on LinkedIn:
He's ideal. The more time visitors need to spend digging around for pertinent details about a product, the higher the opportunity they'll just quit and try another store.
Delivering alone is a big sticking point for lots of shoppers and, sadly, a lot of e-commerce websites wait up until checkout to let them learn about shipping expenses and hold-ups.
Because of this, 63% of digital consumers wind up deserting their online carts due to the fact that of shipping expenses and 36% do so since of for how long it takes to receive their orders.
Those aren't the only information digital consumers wish to know about ahead of time. They also want to know about:
• The returns and refund policy,
• The regards to use and personal privacy policy,
• The payment alternatives offered,
• Omnichannel purchase-and-pickup alternatives readily available,
• And so on.
However how are you expected to fit this all in within the very first screenful?
PRESENT THE 30-SECOND PITCH ABOVE THE FOLD #
This is what Vitaly was talking about. You do not have to squeeze every detail about an item above the fold. But the shop must have the ability to offer the item with just what's in that space.
Bluebella, for example, has a space-saving style that doesn't jeopardize on readability:
With the image gallery relegated to the left side of the page, the rest can be dedicated to the item summary. Since of the differing size of the header font styles along with the hierarchical structure of the page, it's simple to follow.
Based on how this is designed, you can tell that the most essential information are:
• Product name;
• Product cost;
• Product size selector;
• Add-to-bag and wishlist buttons;
• Delivery and returns information (which nicely appears on one line).
The rest of the item information are able to fit above the fold thanks to the accordions used to collapse and broaden them.
If there are other important information consumers might need to comprise their minds-- like item reviews or a sizing guide-- build links into the above-the-fold that move them to the pertinent areas lower on the page.
Quick Note: This design won't be possible on mobile for obvious factors. The item images will get leading billing while the 30-second pitch appears just listed below the fold.
MAKE EXTRA UI ELEMENTS SMALL #
Even if you're able to concisely provide the product's description, additional sales and marketing aspects like pop-ups, chat widgets and more can become simply as irritating as lengthy product pages.
So, make certain you have them stored out of the method as Partake does:
The red sign you see in the bottom left enables shoppers to control the ease of access functions of the website. The "Rewards" button in the bottom-right is actually a pop-up that's styled like a chat widget. When opened, it invites buyers to sign up with the commitment program.
Both of these widgets open just when clicked.
Allbirds is another one that consists of additional elements, however keeps them out of the way:
In this case, it consists of a self-service chat widget in the bottom-right that needs to be clicked in order to open. It also places information about its present returns policy in a sticky bar at the top, freeing up the item pages to strictly focus on item information.
3. Make Product Variants As Easy To Select As Possible #
For some items, there is no decision that buyers need to make aside from: "Do I want to include this product to my cart or not?"
For other items, shoppers have to specify item variations prior to they can include an item to their cart. When that's the case, you wish to make this procedure as pain-free as possible. There are a couple of things you can do to guarantee this occurs.
Let's state the store you create sells ladies's undergarments. In that case, you 'd need to use variations like color and size.
You would not desire to simply produce a drop-down selector for each. Envision how tedious that would get if you asked shoppers to click on "Color" and they needed to sort through a lots or so alternatives. If it's a basic drop-down selector, color swatches might not appear in the list. Rather, the buyer would have to pick a color name and wait for the item photo to update in order to see what it appears like.
This is why your variants should dictate how you create each.
Let's use this item page from Thinx as an example:
There are two variants readily available on this page:
• The color variation reveals a row of color swatches. When clicked, the name of the color appears and the product image changes appropriately.
• The size alternative lists sizes from extra-extra-small to extra-extra-extra-large.
Notification how Size comes with a link to "size chart". That's because, unlike something like color which is pretty precise, sizing can alter from store to store in addition to area to region. This chart provides clear assistance on how to pick a size.
Now, Thinx uses a square button for each of its versions. You can change it up, however, if you 'd like to develop a difference between the options buyers have to make (and it's probably the better design choice, to be truthful).
Kirrin Finch, for instance, positions its sizes inside empty boxes and its color examples inside filled circles:
It's a little distinction, but it should be enough to assist consumers shift efficiently from choice to decision and not miss any of the required fields.
Now, let's say that the shop you're building doesn't offer clothing. Instead, it offers something like beds, which certainly will not consist of options like color or size. A minimum of, not in the same way just like clothes.
Unless you have popular abbreviations, signs or numbers you can use to represent each variant, you must use another type of selector.
This is an item page on the Leesa website. I've opened the "Pick your size" selector so you can see how these options are shown:
Why is this a drop-down list instead of boxes?
For beginners, the size names aren't the same length. Box selectors would either be inconsistently sized or some of them would have a lot of white space in them. It really wouldn't look good.
Leesa wisely utilizes this small area to provide more info about each bed mattress size (i.e. the regular vs. sale cost). So, not just is this the best design for this specific alternative selector, however it's likewise a great way to be effective with how you present a lot of information on the item page.
A NOTE ABOUT OUT-OF-STOCK VARIANTS #
If you wish to remove all friction from this part of the online shopping process, make certain you develop an unique style for out-of-stock variations.
Here's a more detailed look at the Kirrin Finch example once again:
There's no mistaking which choices are available and which are not).
Some shoppers might be annoyed when they realize the shirt color they like is just available in a couple of sizes, think of how frustrated they 'd be if they didn't discover this until after they chose all their variations?
If the product choice is the last action they take in the past clicking "contribute to haul", don't conceal this information from them. All you'll do is get their hopes up for a product they put in the time to read about, look at, and fall for ... just to discover it's not available in a size "16" till it's too late.
Concluding #
What is it they state? Great design is unnoticeable?
That's what we require to keep in mind when developing these essential user interfaces for e-commerce websites. Naturally, your customer's shop requires to be attractive and unforgettable ... But the UI elements that move consumers through the website need to not give them pause. So, simplicity and ease of use need to be your top concern when developing the main journey for your customer's consumers.
If you're interested in putting these UI design approaches to work for new customers, consider joining the Shopify Partner Program as a shop developer. There you'll be able to earn repeating revenue by constructing new Shopify stores for clients or migrating stores from other commerce platforms to Shopify.