As an ecommerce business, it’s easy to focus your efforts solely on your products. After all, those are what bring in the money, right?
But connecting with customers and generating sales isn’t that simple, especially in today’s crowded market. That’s why your website matters more than you might think.
It’s your window to the world – how people learn about you, see your products, and connect with your brand. A good site can help form relationships and turn browsers into buyers. But a bad one can push people away.
Shopify makes it easier to create a solid online store, but it still takes effort on your part. Let’s break down 5 key things you can do to set your Shopify store up for success.
Why Design Matters
First impressions matter, and your website is often people’s first glimpse at your store, brand, and products. A bad first impression is hard to overcome, but a good one increases the likelihood that people will browse around.
Having a poorly designed site can create negative attitudes toward your brand as a whole. This means lower engagement, more abandoned carts, and fewer sales. But having a strong, natural design flow makes it easier for people to follow and process all you’re showing them, leading to more understanding and trust in your brand.
Tip #1: Optimize for Speed & Performance
The saying time is money is a real thing. If people want to look at your site and your products, but getting to them takes longer than they want, they’re more likely to just walk away all together. The faster your site loads, the more likely they are to keep scrolling through multiple pages and actually see all you have to offer.
A key part of performance is also how well your site responds to various screen sizes. Most people search the web on their phones now, so if your site only looks good and works properly on a desktop, you’re going to be in trouble. Make sure your site is built so no matter what kind of device a potential customer goes to shop from, they can still easily find key information, navigate products, and make purchase.
To help keep your site running well, make sure your theme is compatible with all screen sizes and only includes features and plugins you’re actually using. Same with media – by compressing images and videos and only storing things you need on the site in the backend, your site will load faster. This also helps keeps bugs from getting in and causing problems.
Tip #2: Simplify Navigation
Most of the time, when people land on your shop they got there on purpose. They likely saw something they wanted to check out, heard about a specific product, or maybe wanted to browse around. Having clean, easy-to-follow menus make it easier for them to find what they came for.
Breaking down your menu into the most logical categories for your products makes it easier to show off what you offer, while still being user friendly. Sub menus are a great tool for this as well. But be careful about overloading lists. Focusing on categories rather than every product you offer makes it so customers get a glimpse of what they’re searching for, while still making sure the menu is readable from any screen size.
Another beneficial tool for users is a search functionality. This way if they’re looking for something specific – a certain print, product name, etc. – they can pull it up without having to wade through tons of options first. The same goes for filters – giving people the ability to narrow down their search to what fits their criteria makes it easier for them to find the best options and make a purchase.
Tip #3: Design Your Product Pages
Once you’ve loaded all your products onto the site, it can be easy to forget about the individual product pages themselves. But this is a prime opportunity to show off your products and your brand. From images and videos to overall layout, these pages are great for consistency to highlight what you’re offering.
When it comes to the usability of the pages, make sure it’s easy to find the typical information people would be looking for when shopping – pricing, size and material descriptions, user guides, etc. Having all the product’s relevant information in one place is an easy thing to do for customers that they might not even realize they want until they don’t have it.
Tip #4: Think Mobile
It’s no secret that mobile device usage continues to rise, and part of that includes online shopping. So, if your store isn’t set up for mobile shopping, you’re likely missing a key piece of your audience. When designing, you want your pages to look nice and function properly on a smaller screen size, just as they do on a desktop.
Part of this includes being “thumb friendly,” meaning the main elements and action buttons are in the middle and lower portions of the screen – easily accessible when scrolling with your thumb.
You also want your actual shopping and purchasing process to be simple so people can do it quickly and with ease on a smaller device. This includes having an easy-to-access cart page, simple one-page checkout process, and incorporating autofill categories when possible.
Tip #5: Encourage Repeat Purchases
If you want people to shop with you more than once, you have to give them a reason to. Your overall store setup and design play a key part in this. If they like your branding and how your store is arranged, they’re more likely to keep coming back because they what to expect.
You can also create pages to encourage loyalty and repeat business – allow customers to setup accounts where they can select favorites, see previous purchases, and save their info for faster checkouts. This makes shopping with your brand easier and more enjoyable.
Design Mistakes that Hurt Sales
While there are many things you can do to help boost sales through your design, there are also things you might inadvertently be doing that can cause damage to your store’s success. Some key design flaws you want to avoid include:
By paying attention to these things and fixing them if they’re a problem, you’re setting your business up for more success online.
A successful Shopify store is about more than just listing products. It’s about creating an experience that’s fast, easy to navigate, and enjoyable for users on any device. Thoughtful design choices can directly impact how customers interact with your brand and whether they choose to buy from you or not.
By focusing on these key areas and avoiding common design mistakes, you’ll be better positioned to build trust, boost conversions, and turn first-time visitors into repeat customers.
How We Can Help
As a Shopify partner, we understand the ins and outs of the ecommerce platform – and how to use its features to your benefit. Whether you’re starting a new store and need help getting setup and running, an established shop that needs a refresh, or maybe just have some questions you want outside opinions on, our team is here for you!
Our experience in branding, design, development, and web maintenance means we have the knowledge and capability to be your full-service web partner. No matter what industry you’re in, we’re ready to support you.
If you’re looking for a Shopify design team, check out our services then send us a message to schedule your free consult meeting.
