Successful website layout ideas that you can adopt to drive eCommerce sales in 2016

Sellers get only five to ten seconds of the online shopper’s time who otherwise jump to one of their competitors if they don’t get what they want.

Therefore, the usability of your selling website will determine the engagement level and conversion rates for your online business.

In use-cases when your product does not pop out visually, website features, layout go a long way to market your product with a lesser visual appeal successfully.

As we have entered into a new year, many eCommere business owners are seen to revamp their website design in an effort to churn better results. If you haven’t done so, with this blog you can focus on those important elements that matter the most for online shoppers across the globe.

Key website layout ideas and examples from successful brands that you can consider for your ecommerce store in 2016

I- For new customer

Shoppers, who browse your online store for the first time, will be curious to know about your brand before they take any action.

What are those crucial elements that you would like to focus in your website design for engaging new customers?

1- Informative category menu

Online shoppers would not mind spending time in your store if it provides them easy access to their favorite product category. This will make it easy for them to jump directly to their main product line, clearing the first step to converting them into your customers.

L.L. Bean offers a wide range of products but their uncluttered images and precise content helps its customers to immediately trace their favourite products category and take actions on-the-go.

Here’s what you can do:

– Use simple and uncluttered fonts and colour to make category easily accessible.

– Don’t make your category list look overcrowded, while you can create multiple category pages.

2- Appropriate description in your sub-categories

Following the above step, you’ll make it easy for your customers to quickly land on the main product page. This is a place that will decide the conversion rate for your online store.

Bellroy allows their customers to know more about their products in a fun way. Offering insights about products via a short video, they also allow online shoppers to compare their product size with other products to get an exact idea.

Here’s what you can do:

– Explain product features via a video to increase engagement level.

– Offer product size comparison chart to enhance purchase decision.

3- Success indicators

Feedback, reviews, success indicators- one and the same, has already proved to be a crucial element for any eCommerce store. Unable to feel or touch the product, online shoppers will tend to quickly trust and engage with brands that have a good word of mouth.

Macy’s displays success indicators, by displaying product reviews as highlighted in the image below.

Here’s what you can do:

– Offer review indicators for every product to increase trust.

– Encourage more and more feedback from existing customer to increase positive reviews.

– For existing users

Your existing customers will not expect to see to same content and information every time they land on the site. Updating your site on a regular basis will decide your customer’s purchase rates and loyalty with your online store.

What are those crucial elements that you would like to focus in your website design for engaging existing customers?

4- Effective call-to-action-buttons

Every eCommerce business owner will want convert maximum number of visitors to shoppers for their store. However, with the multiple options available online it becomes hard to encourage your visitors to take action on-the-go.

ASOS entices customers with innovative call-to-action triggers that will want them to click and take benefits of it.

Here’s what you can do:

– Focus only on those required keywords.

– Keep call-to-action button short and well placed, usually at the top of the site.

5- More of visuals

Today, online shoppers expect a fun shopping experience rather that those standard website templates making it complicated to look up for information they want. Offering information in the form of only content will increase bounce rates as it will look too boring.

Mango can be a good example that offers online shoppers with more of visual content, making it encouraging and exciting to browse and stay on the site for long.

Here’s what you can do?

– Offer more visuals with crisp description across your online store.

– Promote expressive images to capture emotion, and avoid cheesy stock photos.

6- Personalized content

Content is important to increase curiosity and stay in search engine results, however, of a sales-pitch description is no more helping eCommerce business owners. Also, more of standard content and product description will automatically make your online store less engaging.

ModCloth is one of the best examples in offering personalized content to online shoppers.  Apart from be visually-oriented leading online store, it uses unique phrases that will want its visitors to click on the link and take actions.

Here’s what you can do?

– Focus on creative taglines and humorous keywords relevant to your product line.

– Bring a life to your content by connecting it to an online shopper’s routine.

7- Traceable social share buttons

Today, social media is considered to be the king while eCommerce the queen. Yet, many sellers overlook the importance of integrating their online stores with leading social media sites where online shoppers are able to even make purchases.

J.Crew integrated social share buttons to its product pages is a good example. Doing so will automatically encourage social networkers to share their favourite purchases for gaining appreciation and likes. Offering shoppers an ability to connect with their favourite social media accounts from your online store will increase engagement level and visibility for your online store.

Here’s what you can do?

– Ensure you, at least, integrate leading social share buttons that include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

– Try and offer social share buttons across your online website.

8- Useful resources

Online shoppers will prefer brands that educate and keeps them updated with the latest fashion and trends. Gone are those days when a customer would cling to a specific online store for making purchases, as it allowed them an ability to shop at their own convenience. Today, offering customers more than a shopping experience is what you should focus on.

ModCloth offers a “Blog page” that educates fashionistas with the information they would like while it’s “From Our Community” page encourages their existing customer to be a part of the brand.

Here’s what you can do?

– Create an informative and interesting blog page.

– Announce a page that can allow your existing customers to engage.

9- Secondary call-to-action button

Many times it may happen that your customers land on the products page, however, did not add a product to the cart. This may happen due to many reasons that can include high product pricing or shipping charges.

Macy offers an additional discount percentage for most of the product across their selling website. So, if a shopper is not happy at the first go, can surely get motivated to continue their purchase because of the additional discount opportunity available.

Here’s what you can do?

– Try and offer special discounts or perks, does not have to be a big one.

– Offer such discounts on fast-moving products to stay competitive.

10- Ensure prompts and spell-check, in your search bar

A large number of online shoppers don’t spend time in browsing information. They directly look-up for the search bar as they feel it can save them time by immediately bringing up content or product they want.

However, there are times when your customers may type in the wrong spelling, which in turn, will not show up results. So even if you have that particular product/brand, the customer would think you don’t; just because it didn’t show up in the search result.

Zappos.com search bar makes it easy for customers to find products or category they are looking for. By just typing the initial letters, its search bar offers suggestions that encourage the user to take actions on-the-go.

Here’s what you can do?

– Feed maximum keywords that are relevant to your brand and products.

– Try and offer spell-check option.

Wrapping up

With the above, I’m sure you can expect an increase in conversion rates, however, constantly experimenting and updating information will result in a steady and successful growth of your online store in 2016.

Godspeed!!