E-commerce design is very different from traditional site design. An ecommerce site must be able to serve two unique purposes, the first one is to cater to the needs of your customers and the second one is to sell more products. Web users in general are easily distracted and quickly lose their patience. The key is to focus more on usability and less on interesting but complicated features. As soon as they arrive at your online store they should be able to get a good idea of what to look for, your job is to let them find it in as little steps as possible. Finally your product page text and images should convey a clear message of how wonderful the product is, its features and benefits.
The homepage is definitely one of the most prominent pages on an e-commerce site. There might be a number of pages on the site that serves as the landing page, however none of them can be used as effectively for announcements and promotions as the homepage. E-commerce design for a homepage has to be both clean and simple. Fancy flash animation and other animated images will only frustrate visitors. The main content area should have either one large image, separate areas for images or text or a slideshow to display more than one images. This area is ideal for featured products, top sellers, new arrivals, promotions, discounts or special offers. Vivid images, striking colors, catchphrases and an urgent message can all be found on the homepage. Use your imagination to make the most out of this area.
The header, sidebar and footer make up the frame of a web site and they can be effectively used for branding, usability and navigation purposes. This entire area is a critical part of e-commerce design, because it shows up no matter which page the visitor is on. When online shoppers have the urge to navigate away from a particular page, they will generally rely on these sections to help them decide where to go. Here are a few of the most common features that can be found in each of the main areas:
Header
E-commerce design can very easily be achieved without having advanced technical skills or a lot of money to hire someone who does. Many ecommerce solutions are offering tools to customize the design of your online store. Basic features you should look for include:
The homepage is definitely one of the most prominent pages on an e-commerce site. There might be a number of pages on the site that serves as the landing page, however none of them can be used as effectively for announcements and promotions as the homepage. E-commerce design for a homepage has to be both clean and simple. Fancy flash animation and other animated images will only frustrate visitors. The main content area should have either one large image, separate areas for images or text or a slideshow to display more than one images. This area is ideal for featured products, top sellers, new arrivals, promotions, discounts or special offers. Vivid images, striking colors, catchphrases and an urgent message can all be found on the homepage. Use your imagination to make the most out of this area.
The header, sidebar and footer make up the frame of a web site and they can be effectively used for branding, usability and navigation purposes. This entire area is a critical part of e-commerce design, because it shows up no matter which page the visitor is on. When online shoppers have the urge to navigate away from a particular page, they will generally rely on these sections to help them decide where to go. Here are a few of the most common features that can be found in each of the main areas:
Header
- Name, logo and tagline for your store
- A link to 'My Account' if this feature is available
- Link to shopping cart and checkout
- Search box
- Top navbar featuring company details, faqs, contact information and more
- Link to product listings pages by category, brand or price
- Subscription opt-in box for email list
- Search box
- Featured product with price and image
- Links to specific category pages for featured products, top sellers, promotions and new arrivals
- Copyright message
- Link to information pages such as about us, contact, shipping & return policy, privacy policy and terms & conditions
- Additional links for my account, shopping cart and checkout
- E-commerce privacy and security logos
E-commerce design can very easily be achieved without having advanced technical skills or a lot of money to hire someone who does. Many ecommerce solutions are offering tools to customize the design of your online store. Basic features you should look for include:
- Large selection of templates for users with no html knowledge
- Ability for those with html knowledge to upload their own design
- Ability to customize pages with built-in WYSIWYG editor
- Gives you complete control of online store design
- Use selection of e-commerce call to action buttons
- Build thumbnails with automatic image resize function while keeping image quality
Having the ability to create great e-commerce design depends largely on the e-commerce solution you choose. Look for features and tools that allow for customization to design an online store that is entirely unique instead of a generic one. Add easy navigation and usability functions to create your customers with the best shopping experience.
What you need is a full service all-in-one hosting, design, and marketing software made specifically for e-commerce businesses. One that lets you set up a store in minutes, and provides powerful tools to help with not only e-commerce design, but also SEO, product marketing and mobile commerce. Check out the best possible e-commerce solutions available at http://www.makeanonlinestore.com and try them out yourself absolutely free, no credit card required!
What you need is a full service all-in-one hosting, design, and marketing software made specifically for e-commerce businesses. One that lets you set up a store in minutes, and provides powerful tools to help with not only e-commerce design, but also SEO, product marketing and mobile commerce. Check out the best possible e-commerce solutions available at http://www.makeanonlinestore.com and try them out yourself absolutely free, no credit card required!