Whether selling a home or promoting yourself online, curb appeal is important. A website that makes a great first impression is essential to the survival and expansion of your business, particularly when it comes to E-commerce. While home-buyers may consider the possibilities of a house that is bleak and uninviting — or at least pretend to — website visitors will not be so polite.

When designing a website for E-commerce, every decision from background to content must be made with customer care in mind. A site that is poorly designed and hard to navigate will turn visitors away and cost you valuable sales.

Here are a few ideas to help you make a great first impression.

Design Tips for an Eye-Catching Site

  1. Use the “three-click rule”. When it comes to creating simple navigation, a good rule of thumb is whether customers can find what they are searching for in three clicks or less. Be sure to apply this to all areas of your site so that customers have quick and easy access to all your products.
  2. Keep clutter at bay. Do not crowd your pages with content, preventing customers from easily finding what they want. Provide easy-to-find tabs, appropriate categories and a search bar. This will also help you implement your “three-click rule”.
  3. Remember the beauty of a search bar. This is one little detail that you do not want to forget on an E-commerce site. This is the simplest way for visitors to find what they are looking for without wading through pages of content.
  4. Create a product page that passes the blink test. Any site has a mere three seconds to convince visitors to stay. This is known as the “blink test”. If you do not have a perfectly designed, eye-catching product page, potential buyers will hit the back button within their first blink. Be sure to include these three things in your product page:• Product name
    • Price
    • “Buy Now” ButtonThings not to include on your product page are clutter and wordy content. Be as concise as possible on your product page.
  5. Be persuasive. Offer meaningful content that helps to identify your unique selling position and clearly defines your products. Engage visitors and those wavering on their choices by using good call to actions. Promote the latest trends and show your top selling products.
  6. Use secure pages. Identity theft is a significant concern for online customers, so it is essential that you implement secure pages for the entire E-commerce website. If your visitors do not feel comfortable handing over information, they won’t.

Use a Fresh Perspective

Once you have completed your design, it is important to step back and view your site from the perspective of the customer. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is the site easy to navigate? Will customers have a pleasant experience searching the site?
  • Can visitors find what they need in a reasonable amount of time?
  • Is the site secure so that customers are not worried about providing confidential information?

If you answered yes to each of the above, you are well on your way to a prosperous E-commerce site!

Let us know if we can help you build your next online store.