Designing any eCommerce site can be an overwhelming task. There are many factors to consider that are very challenging and rely heavily on other inputs like content strategy and platform selection. However, there are some basic design principles to employ that can help you on your way.
Focus on the target
Doing research and conducting focus groups is a proven method for honing in on the target audience but sometimes, you don’t have budget to dive that deep. Try instead to use personas and narrow your target audience to the 2-4 personas that best align with your business goals. You can ask questions like, “Will this persona come to the site no matter what?” If so, you probably don’t need to focus on them as much. Another example is “Which personas have the greatest possibility of new revenue?” Those would be key targets to focus on.
After you’ve narrowed down the personas, map them to the customer buying life cycle. Think about what they should be thinking, feeling and doing at each stage of the life cycle. Brainstorm on how to deliver them the best experience at each stage. And then craft a design that is not only appealing to them, but clearly communicates the user experience.
Make it simple and easy
Don’t overthink the site. eCommerce sites should be clean, clear and consistent. Use navigation and site search in tandem to help users find what they want. Allow users to create orders in multiple ways, like previous order history or best sellers. Once in the purchase funnel, don’t distract them — if you want to pitch related products, use quick views and add to cart buttons that don’t force them to navigate to a new page.
Use imagery
Humans are visual beings. Use it to your advantage. Offer product thumbnails and larger size images. Use multiple views when you can. Not only will this increase the appeal of your site, it will make the user feel more comfortable that they are seeing the product and won’t be shocked when it arrives.