Today, we do practically everything online, including shopping, and when it comes to shopping websites and eCommerce sites, there is nothing more important than web design. An effective eCommerce web design helps give users a better experience when they’re on your site and possibly lead them to drive your sales by making purchases.Therefore, we recommend you integrating your website with WHMCS as doing this will benefit your business in two different ways; automate your operations and you can customize your WHMCS website easily.
The sites are meant to be an alternative to the real and physical retail stores and outlets to sell products and services, but since this is on a digital platform, it needs to stand out. Just like when you enter a physical retail store, you find everything in proper order instead of a messy, disorganized floor, and it makes your shopping experience much more convenient, easy and enjoyable.
You would want the same for your online shopping website. The layout should be neat, tidy, well organized with good high-quality images. All these aspects come under the design of the website, and hence it should not be ignored. The first and the most important phase for developing and growing your business online is having a good website. But the success of your eCommerce website depends on numerous factors and not just how appealing the product is.
From security to marketing to excellent customer service, you need a great web design too. So let’s dive in and see how you can improve your website design and other factors you should need to consider.
#1. Keep The Design Minimal & Simple
As an online business owner, when considering the design of your website, you need to keep in mind that it is a platform, and it should be treated like one. It would be best if you did not make it flashy or distracting so that the attention is diverted away from the product or service you are selling, it’s not a Christmas tree, and it does not need to be decorated like one.
An eCommerce website is a functional platform and needs to keep the design and the layout neat instead of cluttering it. A messy and chaotic website can and is often difficult for users to navigate, and they soon abandon their search on your website and visit your competition.
Your website may be packed with beneficial information, but if your users can’t find what they are looking for, they’ll leave. When designing an online shopping website or an eCommerce site, always remember to keep it simple. The more features and elements you put on your web page like different colours, offer banner ads and pop-ups, the more time it takes away from the entire point of your website, which is to make a sale.
#2. Do Not Compromise On Security
Online security is an important part when it comes to web designing. If your website is not secured, not only will it be a target for cyber crimes like hacking and data theft, but it could ruin your website’s appeal by getting flooded by spams, pop up and unwanted advertisements. Not just that, you also need to be mindful of your users and customers’ privacy too. If your website is not secure, the users will not trust you, resulting in them not shopping with you.
Creating an eCommerce website will not suffice as it’s important to keep your users safe and secure for them to trust your website. Protecting a website is crucial in eCommerce, and it is your responsibility to make sure that your website is secure and reliable from external attackers, spams and hackers. To build your website’s security, it is wise to have two-factor authentication instead of a simple access authenticator.
By having encryption like SSL certificates, you are building strong security for your website and re-enforcing it, making it difficult for malicious parties trying to gain access illegally. SSL certificate is a safe and secure transfer layer that acts between your website and the server.
This ensures that all the communication that happens between your website and the server is encrypted and safe. SSL certificate might sound quite basic, but it protects your website and your customer’s sensitive data like debit and credit card details, bank authorizations, usernames, and passwords from cybercriminals and spammers. But simply investing in an SSL certificate is not enough. You have to make sure to constantly update security protocols.
While single-domain SSL certificates are quite helpful for one domain, what if your business has multiple subdomains? Would one SSL certificate work for all your first-level subdomains?
The answer is no.
In case you have multiple subdomains, you are going to need a wildcard ssl certificate. While an SSL certificate offers encryption for just one domain, a wildcard SSL certificate helps secure those websites that have multiple first-level sub-domains under the chosen primary domain. So, if your online business has only one domain to secure and you possess no other subdomains, it is generally advisable to opt for a single-domain SSL certificate. But if you have multiple first-level subdomains, you should go for a wildcard SSL certificate.
#3. The Website Should Give Your Customers A Unique Experience
As an online business owner, you have to keep one thing in mind: not to be mundane and boring. In most cases, your product or service is not unique and would be similar to what your competitors might be offering, or it might be the other way around, and your competitors might have products that might be similar to what you are selling online.
But to stand apart and be different, you need to give your customers a unique shopping experience. Online businesses can impact a customer’s journey by giving them a shopping experience they have not experienced earlier. You can do this through stories, videos, and personalized marketing or content.
Doing something new and out of the box grabs your customer’s attention, but it also makes them stay on your website longer, which increases the chances of a sale. So when designing a website, you need to keep the customer’s shopping journey and experience in mind, and make sure your website is not dull. Try making it interactive and interesting for every visitor. In the long run, these experiences subconsciously convince your users that your business is where they should come to in the future.
#4. Be There For Your Customers
Having an eCommerce website means you have to be there for your customers and users when they’re online. Therefore, customer support online is very important. A live chat on your website can significantly enhance customer engagement as the users no longer feel confused and alone when they are on your site. By having someone they could interact with online, you are helping users solve their problems and assist them whenever and wherever they get stuck.
There are numerous instances when a customer cannot find what he or she is looking for, even though you have the product in your inventory. At such times, the customers usually feel lost, confused and irritated. But if you have a friendly staff to answer their questions, they become more comfortable and feel relevant.
#5. Make Navigating Easy For Your Audience
When designing your website, you need to be mindful about your customers browsing through your products and having an unorganized page could make things difficult for the shopper. If your visitor has to click around multiple different tabs and windows, they will soon get frustrated and leave. That is why your website should be easy to navigate. Categorize your products or services so that it is easier for the customers to find what they are looking for in the minimum number of clicks and windows. Remember, the easier you make your categories and webpages to navigate, the easier it will be for your users to find what they want, and they will make the purchase sooner.
#6. Social Media Integration
Having an online presence is crucial if you want to extend your reach. After all, you are in the business of online shopping and what better way to reach out to customers than having a social media personality. As an online business owner, you must frequently create and add to online discussions about your service or product on social media and other social platforms.
If a user has not heard about your business or if your brand is new to the eCommerce world, shoppers would begin with first researching extensively online about you. They usually look for testimonials and reviews of recent and past customers, and having a social media presence could help you stand out from all the clutter that exists in the digital marketplace.
#7. Make Sure Your Website Is Cross-Platform
Limiting your website to just a desktop platform is probably the worst mistake you could make. You need to understand that the internet has evolved a lot, and these days people do not access the web just through their PC or desktop.
Today anyone can log on to the web with a phone, tablet and laptop. Therefore, it is important that your website is flexible and available cross-platform and not just restricted to a web browser. Focus on developing a mobile and tablet-friendly website, or even better, work on designing an app!
#8. Have A ‘Filter’ Option On Your Website
We spoke about having a neat and clean website design earlier. By having a filter option, you are helping your customers find exactly what they are looking for easily and making their experience much more convenient.
When you are considering the filter system for your website, make sure the categories that you choose are comprehensive enough to accommodate all of your products or services but at the same time specific enough to be beneficial for the users.
#9. Be Fun & Creative!
Finally, make sure that your website is fun, quirky and creative. It should not look like a catalogue with just simple pictures. Let your creative juices flow and have some stark and artistic images with wonderful and playful descriptions that define the product or service you are offering. Just labelling it is not going to cut it. You have to be smart and show your users that you know everything there is about the product. It builds their trust in your business. As an online business owner, you want to entice and intrigue your audience and not bore them the obvious information. Make them WANT your product. Have content and images that make your product aspirational so that they would WANT to buy it and, most importantly, buy it just from you.
Conclusion
To conclude, while there might be several other means of improving your website design, we have covered above what we feel are most likely to be effective. We strongly believe that while you are focused on building a great eCommerce website, do not compromise on the safety and security of the same. Remember, it is better to stay protected before than suffer the consequences later.
If you are searching for the perfect yet cheap wildcard ssl certificate, we suggest buying one from reliable SSL providers such as ClickSSL, SSL2BUY, etc. We hope the points that we shared with you come in handy when you go ahead to make an eCommerce website of your own. If you already are an online business owner, we hope these points can help you improve your website even more.
