Optimizing Your Ecommerce Website Design to Boost Conversions

Writers and ecommerce web developers alike will be familiar with the “inverted pyramid” concept. This is essential in crafting an effective webpage that captures browsing customers and inspires them to pause, consume, and engage with your content. Following the inverted pyramid model, place the most eye-catching important message and desired action at the top, then follow with supporting content and secondary actions. Since most visitors rarely scroll past the first or second message presented to them, it is important to lead with something strong, leaving background details for the bottom of the page.

How you present your content is as important as the order in which you present it. Most people tend to quickly scan website pages, jumping from headline to image to text, and from page to page. The use of catchy headlines, images that engage directly with both the content and the user, and concise, action-oriented messaging are all great tricks to catch the user’s scanning eye and ensure that your message is read. Be careful not to go overboard — too many images, colors, headlines, and fonts can be as difficult to navigate as no variation at all.

Did you know that with every click, you lose a large percentage of your audience? Make sure that the journey to purchase is quick by minimizing the number of steps it takes to find a product and complete a transaction. It is also essential to make sure that your main call to action is featured prominently near the top of the page, with a clear purpose and destination. Try not to drown the page with links and buttons that compete for attention. Use thoughtful design to visually prioritize the clicks that are most important to both you and your customers.

Many ecommerce sites are not reaching their full conversion potential, but with personalized site content, that doesn’t have to be the case. Personalization puts customers at the heart of your site, allowing you to speak directly with all shoppers and tailor their experiences to every click they make. Personalization techniques include serving up different designs tailored to different target audiences, tailoring search results to each user’s individual shopping behavior, and providing personalized product recommendations through the power of AI.

Personalization extends beyond content. Social media platforms have made it possible for customers to engage with your brand conversationally. This creates a unique opportunity to build personal relationships and inspire brand loyalty and evangelism, provided that you are willing to take advantage of it.

Ensure that all your webpages have easy-to-find links to all your social media platforms, and be sure that your brand’s message is consistent across all channels. When clients reach out to you over social media, don’t let them go unanswered. Show them that you value them as individuals, and respond promptly and politely. Answer questions, address concerns, or even just chat. When shoppers see that your brand is willing to meet them on their turf, they’ll be more willing to do business.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming that your website visitors know everything you know about your products, services, and business. They’re likely encountering your brand for the first time, and they may have only the most basic knowledge going into the experience. First-time users can easily become overwhelmed and will not hesitate to leave your site if they are confused or cannot find the information they need to make confident purchasing decisions.

Level with them. Take an objective look at who you are and what you are offering, and try to anticipate the questions, objections, and concerns your targeted audience may have. Address these issues directly on your page using clear, concise language, and easy-to-consume formats. Your customers must be able to find what they need to make an intelligent decision without having to expend a lot of effort.

Not everyone who browses your site and fills an online shopping cart is going to end up completing their transaction. In truth, as many as 77.3% of online retail orders are abandoned prior to purchase. Why is this? While there may be any number of factors in play, the most likely explanation is that the checkout processes themselves are simply too complicated.

User experience is paramount in any retail business, but even more so in ecommerce. Users can abandon their cart, close their browser, or take their shopping elsewhere with no more than a click of a button. If any aspect of your page ends up confusing or slowing them down, you will lose them. 

The solution is to keep it simple. Cut out any unnecessary obstacles. Request only the information you need. Allow buyers to make purchases without having to set up an account. Offer multiple payment options. Make errors easy to fix, without forcing customers to restart the purchase or payment process. 

Shoppers who make it to checkout are nearly at the finish line. Make their last few steps straightforward and easy, and they’ll be much more likely to see it through.

Today’s shopper is connected and tech-savvy, and expects the latest and greatest website experiences from brands — including yours. That said, keeping up with the latest trends is a double-edged sword.

If you start relying too heavily on trends to drive your site design, you may find yourself scrambling as the latest feature quickly becomes obsolete. For example, website slide features are still a popular aspect on many ecommerce websites, but their effectiveness is in question — a recent study showed that only 1% of all website visitors clicked on a five-feature slider, 89% of whom only clicked on the first image.