Top 10 Design Tips for e-commerce sites

Have you ever walked into a store where you immediately turned and walked out? Was your departure due to merchandise on the floor, long checkout lines, out of stock items, or the lack of customer service? In the case of an online store, the same principles apply. Customers will leave an online store for the very same reasons they would leave a traditional store.

It is extremely important to present your online store as you would present a traditional store. The same principals that apply offline are necessary online when it comes to creating a lasting impression with your consumers via your online storefront. It only takes one unsatisfactory experience for a shopper to never return to an online store.

Let's start where the shopping experience originates: the main, or "welcome" page. It's necessary to portray the online store on the site's main page to be as friendly and professional as possible in order to pull your consumers into the shopping experience.

The Commerce Designer's Top Ten

Here are the top ten essential points which will help online merchants to create a homepage that will bring consumers beyond first impressions and to the checkout:

1. Appropriate Appearance. Create a welcome page that draws the shopper into the site. Keep colors appropriate and avoid unnecessary clutter. Maintain an organized layout with plenty of "call to action" tactics such as promoting products and registration.



2. Direct the Consumer. Tell your customer where to go or what to do in order to shop your site. Don't leave them floating on the first page in uncertainty! Doing so causes visitors to shop at another site. Invite the consumers into the store with a welcoming statement and a clear point at which shopping may begin. Also, possibly provide a link to a "First Time Shopper" area that will include specific directions on how to shop the online store.



3. Efficient Navigation. It has become a standard in design that online stores include a navigation bar on the left-hand side of their Web pages. Due to the number of sites offering this navigational functionality, consumers have become accustomed to this layout and are lost when it isn't present. Also, online merchants need to include a menu of their product categories on the main page. For a consumer to successfully shop for products on the site, merchants need to give them the most direct route to the merchandise that most interests them. It also helps to cut down on shopper frustration if they are unable to find the product that they are looking for, as they will be able to immediately find out if what they want is available.



4. Content is Everything. Any new content must be promoted on the main page. This illustrates to the consumer that the site is more than just an online store. Content can encourage repeat visits that often result in purchases. When content and products are well-integrated, this can drive consumers to a purchase decision more effectively.



5. Offer Community. It's important to inform the site's visitors at the outset of the site's online community. This encourages loyalty and drives repeat business, as there is a grouping of consumers that thrive on the community aspects of online stores as a means to gather information and socialize.



6. Provide Personalization and Registration. Let your customers know up front that they may become members of the site. If the site requires membership in order to checkout, push for sign up directly on the homepage so you won't inconvenience customers with the registration process while checking out. Also, inform your consumers of the benefits of becoming a member by explaining the different tools and personalization that will be available to them. Let them know about any interactive features that they may customize to improve their shopping experience. Keep the registration process relevant: Do not survey your consumers in an attempt to aid your marketing efforts.



7. Use Iconography. Develop icons to represent the different areas or services of your site. The Web is an extremely visual medium, most consumers will remember an icon over a text link. This also enhances the appearance of the store and gives it personality.



8. Add Promotions and Incentives. Utilize contests, sweepstakes, and polls on the page to build a consumer database for future email promotions. Encourage impulse buying opportunities with sales, seasonal promotions, clearances, and featured products. This entices the consumer to venture deeper into the online store and explore some of your other great offerings.



9. Build Credibility/Promote Security. Become involved with appropriate trust organizations and display related icons on the main page. This conveys to consumers that they are shopping at a legitimate online store. Also provide a link to your privacy policy on the main page to assure shoppers that their information is kept confidential and will not be sold to third parties.



10. Provide Customer Service. Provide a direct route to the customer service or "help" area of your online store with a prominent link on the left navigation bar. Highlight "Live Operator" and other unique customer service features on the homepage to attract leery consumers.

It's important to realize the potential of first impressions. In the case of an online store, first impressions drive revenue and repeat business. If a shopper cannot figure out how to enter the online store via the homepage, then the shopping experience will end before it has begun. The standards listed above are essential in jump starting the customer into the shopping experience.

Make sure your customer's entire shopping experience is satisfactory. The experience a customer has the first time he or she shops an online store will determine whether or not they will return to shop again. It's difficult for an online merchant to overcome a reputation of having a frustrating shopping experience.

Design Checklist

Designers can use the quick checklist below to help calibrate how satisfactory the shopping experience of their online store will be to site visitors.

• Availability. Is your site available to shoppers 24 hours, 7 days a week?



• Customer Service. Do you have enough staff to handle the volume of email and phone inquires? Will they be available 24 hours or at least the majority of the extended day?



• Fulfillment. Will you be able to process orders and deliver merchandise on time?



• Inventory. Will you have every single item offered on your site in stock?



• Merchandising. Have you promoted any sales, specials, or incentives that might drive customers to your site? Keep in mind, free shipping is a competitive benefit that encourages shoppers to buy online.



• Navigation. Is your store's shopping process self-explanatory? Does the site's navigation ensure that your customers won't get lost in the product categories?



• Performance. Does your site offer a satisfactory shopping experience? Is it fast and user friendly?



• Reliability. Do your applications and order processes handle each order & inquiry every time?



• Scalability. Will your site perform well during peak traffic volume?



• Security. Is the speed or reliability of the site unaffected by the security features?

If you answered no to any of the above questions, you are very likely to have some unhappy customers. My advice would be to fix the problem areas and if it's too late to remedy the situation, try to compensate customers with free gift certificates and excellent customer service. If you are unable to evaluate any item on this checklist, you might want to enlist the help of an outside service provider.

This set of standards is meant to act as a guide in developing an online store that will go beyond first impressions and pull consumers into the shopping experience. I do not think this list is set in stone: The opportunities are limitless in driving traffic beyond the homepage. I see this grouping of standards as a starting point for online merchantsăbasic guidelines for successful e-commerce sites. There are exceptions and every situation needs to be carefully evaluated to determine what measures are necessary.

As with anything, first impressions make lasting impressions, which in the end could create loyal customers.

Erica has her own e-commerce marketing venture, called Ideasfly.com

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