Tip#26 – Design for ease, not for coolness

When it comes to designing a website where users are ultimately expected to register or purchase a product or service, I strongly recommend that you use technology and programming skills as a means to that end and not as an end in itself.

Great user experiences are simple, and simple is defined by users being able to understand and use your service with little difficulty. Stay out of people’s way, and don’t set obstacles or interrupt the user experience with bells and whistles that do not have a clear purpose. Don’t be creative for creativity’s sake, make sure that every element on your website moves you closer to your goals.

Tip#24 – Add to cart button

The “Add to Cart” button is without a doubt the most important call to action prompt on an e-commerce website. At the end of the day, everything else you do should be geared towards improving overall conversion ratios and this button is a critical aspect of performance. 

There are essentially two different types of people that create these buttons: the programmer (who if left alone will typically implement something functional and simple) and the web designer (who if left alone will tend to favour a more flashy design that stands out from other “add to cart” buttons found online). What you really need is something in between. First, the button should clearly be designed to look like a button; the ultimate goal is usability, and therefore users must clearly understand the purpose of that button. Prettier buttons do not necessarily generate more conversions and they might actually decrease it. Second, make sure that the button is really easy to find. You might want to start placing it as close as possible to the price, so that users don’t have to look all over the page to find it, but also try a different position such as the top-right corner of the page and see what works best for your site. A/B testing is critical here in order to find the best possible placement for your “add to cart” button. Check out this page for 80 inspiring examples of “add to cart” buttons.

Tip#23 – Creative and interactive 404 error pages

The infamous 404 error message is an HTTP standard status code which basically indicates that the server could not find what was requested. Typos, wrong URLs or links to pages that have been recently removed from the site are typical sources of 404 errors. Since there is no web page to display, the web server sends a standard page that simply says “404 Page not found”. Needless to say, this is rather frustrating for users who, in many cases, take their business elsewhere. Take the opportunity to make these pages original or funny, and build in possibilities for the user to search for a different product, return to the homepage, or contact your support team. If you are looking for some inspiration, take a look at these 35 great examples of customized 404 error pages.

Tip#15 – Showcase your products in context

When purchasing certain kinds of products online, users will typically have doubts. Doubts about how the product will fit them, doubts about how the product may be combined with other stuff they have, doubts about whether it will be suited for the space they intended… While you will never be able to dissipate all of a client’s potential queries beforehand, there are certain things you can do. Wherever possible, try to show your product “in operation”. If it’s a piece of clothing, don’t just show it on a shelf. Show someone wearing it. Selling laptop cases? Show how much other stuff you’ll be able to cram into the bag. If you’re selling speakers, dimensions are critical so make sure to show them in a furnished room for scale. We’ve seen that images are crucial to the online selling experience; if you can make these images especially relevant, all the better.

Tip#12 – Online images are free

OK, so they’re really not completely free, but the benefits of enhancing online product descriptions with quality pictures far outweigh the production and storage costs. Unlike in a traditional print publication or mail order catalogue, where extra images tend to mean extra pages and hence extra dollars, adding images online so that users can get a better idea of what they are buying is really a winning proposition. Make the pictures on your website big and colourful, make them plentiful, and grant users the power to see every detail of the product from close up. A picture is worth at least a thousand words, and it certainly beats trying to explain your users in words what 20 micron finely crimped Peppin Merino wool looks like.