Today, with the help of a small group of experts, it is possible to launch an online store in just a few days. Specialists will create a platform that technically works flawlessly. But what about its functionality and design? Here UX designers come to the rescue, which developers should have on their team.
At a glance
According to research, we have only a few seconds to make a user who visits our website curious and keep their attention for a longer period of time. How do we achieve this? There are several ways to do it.
In many cases, in the first contact with the store, the user is attacked with many messages that are not directly related to the products or services we offer: RODO, information about cookies or a discount for the first purchases when signing up for a newsletter (although the user does not yet know whether he will complete any purchases at all). An experienced designer will help us plan these messages in such a way that they are unobtrusive, written in understandable language, and displayed at optimal moments during the user's journey through the site. The specialist will also make sure that their content complies with current laws.
Information architecture and its visual hierarchy are also particularly important. Based on scientific knowledge and years of experience, UX designers have the ability to arrange interface elements in such a way that moving through them by eye is natural, and the layout of the content does not create the impression of chaos. The use of optimal sizes of individual elements, the definition of primary and complementary color palettes, and the selection of appropriate types of buttons for main and side actions are activities in which UX is essential.
A UX designer's skill that is valuable for business is also text editing, or UX writing. The power of communicating a properly constructed message cannot be overestimated when it comes to attracting interest to our business website, especially an e-commerce site.
Time to go mobile
At the dawn of the third decade of the 21st century, a mobile first approach should in principle be obvious, but this is often not the case. Gemius research from the second half of 2019 indicates that more than 60% of traffic registered on websites in Poland is focused on the mobile channel. Surprisingly, many businesses launching online focus exclusively on desktop solutions, while the above display statistics indicate a significant migration of users to mobile devices.
As UX designers, we are armed with the knowledge and tools to design mobile views in such a way that will maintain the highest possible conversion rate. We know how and which elements to deploy on the mobile view so that nothing distracts our customers and they can effectively finalize their purchases and the process of making them is satisfying for them. We also have in store techniques that, when implemented, can gently encourage the customer to add an additional product to the shopping cart, which we will effectively recommend to him.
Product card
It is a key element of an online store. Its task is to show the functionality of the product, its advantages and context of use. Visually appealing photos or the ability to use a comparison of products from within a given category or segment will help the user make a choice. A photo alone, a short description and a "buy now" button nowadays are not a solution that will help you stand out from the ever-growing competition.
Presenting the assortment of an online store in an inviting way is also a task for an experienced UX specialist. Even if we have to deal with building a store on off-the-shelf engines, we know their limitations and how to navigate within them: every system needs an effective message!
Virtual consultant
You often come across a chatbot at your competitors' and start wondering if such a solution would work for your e-business? No problem. We will conduct an analysis and research to verify your doubts. If the idea actually turns out to be the right one, we will help you design the chatbot engine and all the scenarios that could potentially occur when interacting with the user. Fast and effective communication, is the basis of customer trust, especially if it also takes place at unusual times of the day. Using such a solution, you take the burden off the customer service department of answering frequently repeated questions, redirecting their resources to solving more complex customer problems.
Quick shopping
During my usability audits of e-commerce platforms, I often come across incomprehensible solutions. The absolute necessity to create a store account, the forced filling of complicated data forms, validations that require unnecessary information. Sound familiar? An optimized and fast shopping path, allowing the transaction to be finalized in a few simple steps, is the key to the success of an e-shop and meeting customer expectations. A UX specialist is able to study these needs, analyze them and design an effective purchase path.
Meeting user needs very often translates into the success of our business in a measurable way. After all, the user is the key piece of the whole puzzle. So let's choose the right tools and optimize the buying process in such a way that we encourage the customer to revisit our site and recommend it to others.
