Virtual storefronts now provide access to the global market. Online retail has revolutionized shopping by making it more convenient and accessible. As businesses try to navigate the digital world, the nuances and complexities of ecommerce platforms are more than just the ability to add items to the cart.
Users should be able to quickly find the products they are looking for as soon as they land on your store page. This objective may seem straightforward, but achieving it is the foundation for an enjoyable user experience. You don’t just want to satisfy your customers — you want the shopping experience to blow them away.
We’ll review some user experience (UX), which outlines a few mistakes that are often overlooked but can be the difference between a successful e-commerce store and utter failure.
The Key Elements to a Positive E-Commerce Experince
What motivates you to make another purchase from the same virtual storefront? What makes you want to tell others about your online experience? E-commerce companies that use user-centered design are making an effort empathize and make shopping as pleasant as possible for their customers.
Here are some characteristics that will help you to create a good UX in an online store.
Details of the Product
Most e-commerce sites rely on the products that they offer to make money. You are there because of your product offering. They want to buy something — ideally, something you offer. This alone should make you want as much information as possible about your offering. The following are all part of a fully fleshed out product listing:
- A unique, descriptive product name
- High-quality images that are clear
- Size and specifications — with a sizing chart, if necessary
- Features described in detail
- Discounts and pricing
- Review or star ratings of past purchasers
- Choose from a variety of colors and variations
Breadcrumb Navigation
The user may not find the product they were looking for after reviewing all the information. They are often willing to browse the site for other products. If they use the “back button”, they should be taken back to where they were when they last left their shopping. This is the purpose of breadcrumb-based navigation: If a user changes their mind, it’s easy to find their way back.
Tests of User Experience
Checklists for accessibility are an invaluable tool for businesses looking to optimize their website or test the UX of a storefront. You can use any of the many free checklists available, including those provided by accessiBe, will help you achieve Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Users can be asked to take part in a moderated test of the interface, complete surveys or a UX audit.
Maximum Accessibility
It is important to conduct rigorous user testing because ecommerce websites must create the ideal online shopping environment for as many people as possible. An accessible website is one that allows users of all abilities to navigate and use its pages. Its content can be read by anyone. Users with hearing or sight impairments, or those who speak another language should be able to fully experience your UI.
E-Commerce Companies Commit Common UX Errors
What obstacles cause you to abandon a cart when you are planning to buy something online? Although these mistakes might seem minor, they have the power to ruin your store’s user experience.
Lack of Image Diversity
To fully understand your product’s use cases and applications, potential customers must be able see it in different settings. E-commerce businesses should once again strive to provide as much information as possible about their product, so that buyers have every reason to add it into their cart. Represent the product accurately with images taken from various angles and contexts. If possible, also consider using dynamic formats such as videos or GIFs.
Confusing Navigation
The architecture and design should be easy to use, even if this is the first time someone visits your website. Finding something is not something anyone wants to do. The path they take should be easy and predictable. Many sites have a search bar or chatbot that answers certain questions to help the user in their customer journey.
Complicated Checkout
For ecommerce sites that want to offer a seamless UX, the checkout should be a top priority. Checkout is the final step for a user before they make a purchase. Customers need to have the ability to edit their carts, be it to change the quantity, size or color. The checkout process should be smooth, starting with the address of shipping and ending when they hit “Place Order.”
Paying Options
Multiple payment options are a great way to increase conversions, and accessibility is often overlooked. To avoid limiting the number of buyers, ecommerce companies should give customers multiple payment methods, including PayPal, Apple Pay, or Venmo.
Meta Tags are missing
Meta tags and alternative text should be descriptive instead of presumptive. The use of thoughtful naming standards not only improves SEO, but also the accessibility of a website. It is not recommended to use file names or meta tags as alt text.
E-Commerce UX Design: Trends and Emerging Designs
Merchants can ensure the best possible customer experience by staying up-to-date with the changing trends in the industry. These trends include:
WCAG Standards Become More Strict
Today’s website designers prioritize creating content that is accessible to everyone, regardless their cognitive or physical abilities. This cultural shift shows how more websites pay attention to the quality of content and its impact on user experience.
Website hosts today must consider many accessibility factors — yet another reason free usability checklists are such a valuable tool. These standards are updated constantly, so it is important to stay up-to-date on the most recent criteria.
AI adoption is widespread in E-Commerce
AI’s advanced automation abilities have enabled businesses in the ecommerce industry to achieve more in less time. AI is being used in new ways every day, especially for sales and retail. In order to support their bottom lines, brands need to actively research and integrate technologies into their tech stack.
Marketing teams use AI-generated smart modules, for instance, as automation tools to nurture leads or make product recommendations. These modules display the content that buyers may be interested in, based on actions taken on the website. This encourages additional conversions.
User Behavior Tracking and Lifecycle Optimization
Virtually all marketing and sales teams struggle to understand their unique customer’s lifecycle. It is important to determine the experiences that customers have in your particular industry. Then, you can use this information in order to encourage more productive interactions between your brand and your customers online and in person.
Tracking the behaviors of those who visit your site can provide you with some valuable information. This data is being used by modern businesses to determine where their customers are experiencing friction. Are any of these problems due to a poor UX? By observing your current customer base’s behaviors, you can capture additional value (and hopefully more sales), and then apply it to future updates for the entire customer lifetime.
Bottom line: Always empathize with the user
It’s obvious when e-commerce and digital storefronts do not understand the needs of their users. It’s happened to all of us: we visit an online shop, but the site doesn’t function as expected or how we would like it to. We get frustrated, and we bounce — likely to a direct competitor. The best way to avoid that scenario is by implementing a user-centered approach. This will encourage the customer to make a purchase.
