UX for E-Commerce Stores: Tips to Make Your Customers Keep Coming Back for More

E-commerce trends may be dynamic, but one thing remains constant in the world of design: the importance of UX for e-commerce stores. The thing about selling products online is that you can’t solely count on your products selling by themselves. You’ve got to encourage your customers to make a purchase through an exceptional user experience.

Did you know that more than 75% of all online shoppers abandon their carts? 56% of them abandon the cart at checkout due to hidden fees and unexpected taxes. Can you imagine acquiring a customer only to lose them at the final stages of the transaction? This is tragic!

This post will cover tips on UX for e-commerce stores that can help SMBs achieve greater success. We’ll also discuss the overall importance of UX in e-commerce and effective UX strategies that will make customers want to buy from your store. 

4 Reasons Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore UX for E-Commerce Stores

Prioritizing the experience of shoppers at your e-commerce store ultimately results in business growth and a revenue increase. Other benefits include the following:

1. UX Improves the Usability of Your Online Shop

How easy is it for shoppers to find products in your store? Is there a navigation system that allows them to keep track of their location on your site? E-commerce UX enables shoppers to locate products with ease and make purchases without spending a lot of time and effort. 

If your website has some form of intuitive navigation, then your customers will have no difficulty shopping and enjoying your site. 

2. UX for E-Commerce Stores Enhances User Engagement

75% of online users judge a site based on how it looks. In fact, 38% of online shoppers will leave a website if they feel that the design is unattractive. 

One of the most significant aspects of UX is how your website’s design connects with the users and makes them feel. For example, your e-commerce store should be consistent with your branding guidelines and give shoppers the same experience they would get in your physical store. This will encourage them to interact with your site. 

3. It Establishes the Credibility of Your Store

Your products might meet the needs of your target audience. But do the shoppers perceive you as trustworthy? 

To build credibility, all user interactions and translations need to be consistent, and this takes time. If your shoppers are unable to navigate your store or feel as though they can’t trust you with their private information, then they will leave your site. Good UX design principles shine a flattering light on your brand and boost the integrity of your products. It makes it easy for shoppers to trust you and your products, ultimately increasing conversions. 

4. Good UX for E-Commerce Stores Builds Customer Loyalty

Based on their prior interactions, are your shoppers likely to visit your store for subsequent purchases? Your retention rates are directly related to customer loyalty. If you satisfy the needs of your shoppers at various stages of the buyer cycle, you’ll be able to anticipate their needs and fulfill those using UX-based design — thereby creating a connection. 

For example, assuming a customer is browsing the clothing section, you can design your website so that other related products show up at the bottom of the page. This will make it more convenient for them to complete the purchase, in turn making them more likely to make repeat orders. 

5 UX Tips That Will Drive More Sales

1. Simplify Navigation

Make it easy for your shoppers to navigate your site! Think of it this way: how frustrated would you be if you visited grocery stores that didn’t have aisle banners that showed you where products were located? You’d probably leave and never come back!

The same applies to e-commerce stores. You need to simplify your site structure so that your customers can find everything they need with ease.

2. Maintain Consistency

Your e-commerce store is an online representation of your brick and mortar shop, so the experience shouldn’t be any different from that of your physical location. Incorporate your brand colors into your site, use the right font, and most importantly, make the experience seamless. (One great way of achieving this is by making it possible for online shoppers to return faulty products to your physical store.)

You should also make your website mobile-friendly so that the experience is the same on both desktop and mobile devices. 

3. Make the Important Elements Eye-Catching

The best way of drawing attention to the most important elements is by making them easy to find. This includes CTA buttons, product imagery, and social media icons. Study your ideal target audience and find out what elements they are mostly drawn to. Then capitalize on them. 

Pro Tip: 

Get rid of the hamburger menu. It is more distracting than engaging, especially on mobile devices. 

4. Streamline the Checkout Process

Studies have shown that around 56% of online shoppers expect the checkout page to contain multiple payment methods. The checkout process is often the last part of an online transaction, and you can’t afford to lose shoppers at this stage. 

Here are some tips for simplifying this process;

• Make the CTA clear.
• The checkout fields should be minimal.
• Avid forcing people to create an account before they can place their order.
• Don’t divert shoppers to another site to make payments. 

5. Show Your Customers How Awesome You Are

Instead of diverting all your efforts towards marketing, how about you build some social proof? Online shoppers tend to trust reviews more than they do direct marketing, so make sure you highlight your customer reviews. This is a great way of letting your customers speak for you!

Leverage the UX of Your E-Commerce Store to Drive Conversions

The UX of your e-commerce store can either break or make your sales. It’s all about giving your shoppers the best digital experience possible so that they’ll come back and make more purchases. Don’t forget to personalize your website and to sustain high standards of customer service — it’s the best way to build customer loyalty.  

Are you looking for a creative digital agency to partner with? Check out our full suite of services at Zen Agency here! You can also learn more about how we improve UX for e-commerce stores in our portfolio of case studies.