10 Ecommerce Web Design Mistakes You Might Be Making

Numerous factors come into play when striving for success in today’s business landscape. If you want your business to be around for the long run, a standalone ecommerce website is vital.

Eventually, owning your slice of the digital landscape with a killer ecommerce website is your ticket to ecommerce domination. Think of it as your dynamic hub, where your brand blossoms, loyal fans flock, and innovative marketing ideas emerge. It’s not just about selling; it’s about crafting an experience that captivates, enlightens, and leaves your competition far behind.

However, having a website is not enough. If you want your customers to return repeatedly, your ecommerce site must be well-designed. After all, web design accounts for 94% of initial impressions.

Again, crafting an ecommerce web design is no simple feat. Every day, online retailers make numerous mistakes. But yes, all of those are avoidable with careful planning. Below, we will discuss the most common ecommerce design errors businesses make when planning an ecommerce website.

And before that, check out an overview of ecommerce website design first.

What is ecommerce website design?

Ecommerce web design encompasses the visual appeal and functionality of your online store. It involves integrating various elements to establish a seamless and efficient digital platform for your business. This includes organising elements like menus, product displays, payment methods, and security features to make shopping easy and enjoyable.

What are the principles of ecommerce website design?

Ecommerce website design basics:

• Keep it user-friendly
• Show off your brand identity
• Build trust and security
• Make it easy to find stuff
• Describe your products well
• Keep it simple and clean
• Encourage action
• Let customers share their thoughts
• Make sure it works well on mobile

How does web design affect your ecommerce website?

Imagine walking into a physical store where the aisles are cluttered, the shelves are disorganised, or the signage is confusing. You struggle to find what you’re looking for, and the checkout process is a hassle. Frustrated, you leave empty-handed, vowing never to return.

This scenario parallels the importance of ecommerce web design. Your online store is like a digital storefront, and just like a physical store, it needs to be inviting, intuitive, and easy to navigate.

A poorly designed ecommerce website can drive potential customers away before they even have a chance to explore your products or services. If the layout is confusing, the navigation is unclear, or the checkout process is cumbersome, visitors will likely abandon their shopping carts and seek a competitor with a more user-friendly website.

10 ecommerce web design mistakes you should be avoiding

1. Low-quality images

Eye-catching images are crucial for your online store. They help showcase your products effectively. Since customers can’t physically interact with the items, compelling visuals are essential to encourage them to proceed to checkout. Otherwise, fuzzy or pixelated images discourage potential customers and convey an unprofessional image.

Some tips:

• Try to use the singular image as shoppers look for a detailed image of the standalone product.
• Minimise post-production and filters and use professional indoor lighting during the primary photoshoot for accurate product representation.
• Incorporate lifestyle images of people to create a narrative around the product.
• Use a pure white background to make the product details stand out.

2. Inconsistent branding

Inconsistencies in ecommerce website design can lead to confusion, frustration, and a lack of trust among users. For example, using different fonts or colour schemes on different pages can create a disjointed user experience. Even having different placement or styles for navigation menus (e.g., changing between horizontal and vertical menus) can make it difficult for users to find their way around the website.

Some tips:

• Establish a unified design language that reflects your brand’s personality and values.
• Create comprehensive brand guidelines that outline your brand’s visual identity, including logo usage, colour palette, typography, imagery style, and tone of voice.
• Develop customised templates for various website elements, such as product or category pages.
• Use consistent photography styles, backgrounds, and editing techniques to maintain a cohesive visual identity.

3. Excessive pop-up usage

Pop-ups can be a source of irritation for users, potentially diverting their attention from the seamless shopping journey they expect. Although pop-ups serve useful functions, such as gathering email addresses, their overuse can lead to visitor frustration. Thus, employing them with clear strategic intent is crucial to prevent overwhelming your audience and maintaining a positive user experience throughout their online interactions.

Some tips:

• Use eye-catching colours, high-quality images, and clear typography to grab attention.
• Include a clearly visible close button to make it easy for visitors to close or dismiss the pop-up if they’re not interested.
• Time your pop-ups strategically to avoid irritation. Consider triggers like exit intent, time on the page, or scrolling percentage.

4. Ignoring mobile friendliness

With the increasing prevalence of mobile devices for browsing and shopping online, users expect websites to be optimised for mobile viewing. When a website is not mobile-friendly, users may abandon the site due to frustration with navigation, slow loading times, or difficulty accessing content.

Some tips:

• Simplify mobile users’ navigation using a hamburger or collapsible navigation menu.
• Use responsive design techniques to adjust the layout, content, and navigation elements for optimal viewing on mobile devices.
• Consider how people hold their phones when designing your website. Make sure important stuff is easy to reach with your thumb to make it easier to use.
• Make buying stuff simpler by having fewer boxes to fill out. Use features that guess what you’re typing to make it quicker when using a phone.

5. Confusing user experience

A confusing user experience can reflect poorly on your brand and credibility. Users may perceive your website as unprofessional or unreliable if they encounter difficulties in finding information or completing tasks, leading to a negative impression of your brand.

Some tips:

• Organise content and products logically, consistently placing elements throughout the website.
• Keep the homepage clean and uncluttered, focusing on key messaging, featured products, and promotions.
• Use visual cues such as arrows, icons, and buttons to indicate clickable elements and guide users through the shopping process.
• Design a straightforward navigation menu with clearly labelled categories and subcategories. Use familiar terminology.

6. Limited calls to action

CTAs play a crucial role in encouraging users to take specific actions that contribute to conversions, such as adding items to the cart, initiating the checkout process, or signing up for newsletters. When CTAs are limited or poorly implemented, potential conversion opportunities may be missed.

Some tips:

• Determine the most important actions you want users to take on each page and prioritise those CTAs.
• Use action-oriented language that instils a sense of urgency or excitement, such as Shop Now, Add to Cart, Buy Now, or Get Started.
• Ensure that CTAs stand out visually on the page by using contrasting colours, bold typography, or prominent placement.
• Tailor CTAs based on user behaviour, preferences, or demographics to personalise the shopping experience.

7. Complicated checkout procedure

A difficult checkout experience reflects poorly on the brand. Users may perceive the brand as unprofessional, unreliable, or outdated if they encounter issues during the checkout process. As a consequence, negative brand perception can damage the brand’s reputation and credibility, leading to decreased customer trust and loyalty.

Some tips:

• Provide an option for guest checkout to allow users to make purchases without having to create an account.
• Implement auto-fill features to populate form fields with user information whenever possible.
• Clearly indicate each step of the checkout process and provide progress indicators to keep users informed about where they are in the process.

8. A lack of hierarchy

Hierarchy is essential for guiding users’ attention, prioritising information, and creating a logical flow that facilitates navigation and decision-making. When important elements such as product categories, featured products, and promotional offers are not given appropriate emphasis, or content, images, and elements are scattered randomly across the page without a clear structure, it makes it challenging for users.

Some tips:

• Identify the most important information and elements on each page, such as product categories, featured products, promotions, and calls to action (CTAs).
• Showcase featured products, best sellers, or promotions prominently on the homepage and category pages.
• Group related content and elements together logically to create a cohesive structure.

9. Poor search feature

If the search feature is ineffective or returns irrelevant results, users may struggle to find the products they seek. And when users can’t find the products they want quickly and easily, they are less likely to make a purchase. Whereas an effective search feature not only helps users find specific products but also presents opportunities for upselling and cross-selling related items.

Some tips:

• Provide users with advanced search options such as filtering by price, brand, size, colour, and other relevant attributes.
• You can incorporate spell-checking functionality to correct typos and recognise synonyms.
• Ensure that search results are relevant and accurately match users’ queries.
• Implement autocomplete suggestions in the search bar to assist users in typing and to provide real-time suggestions based on popular search terms.

10. No trust signals

Trust signals such as customer reviews, testimonials, security badges, and SSL certificates help establish credibility and reassure visitors about the safety and reliability of the website. Without these signals, users may perceive the website as less trustworthy, leading to scepticism and hesitancy to purchase. Even they may hesitate to enter sensitive information such as credit card details.

Some tips:

• Showcase positive feedback and testimonials from satisfied customers prominently on your product pages.
• Incorporate social proof elements such as the number of satisfied customers, followers on social media, or endorsements from influencers or industry experts.
• Clearly outline your return policy and any guarantees offered, such as money-back guarantees or hassle-free returns.
• If your business partners with reputable organisations or is a member of industry associations, mention these partnerships and affiliations on your website.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the aforementioned are among the most common errors observed in ecommerce website design. So, try to avoid these typical website design blunders as much as possible to enhance your site’s credibility and provide visitors with an experience they’ll be eager to revisit.

After all, be it about increasing sales, creating a strong first impression, or attracting new customers, it is always a good web design that your business website needs. An attractive, intuitive, and well-functioning website draws in more visitors and ensures a higher likelihood of conversions. Investing in professional ecommerce design services for professionally crafted websites is also advisable.