Building an ecommerce site is not enough to attract more customers. The next move is to invest in a visual experience that lasts for a lifetime. It is said that the customer never forgets a smooth running ecommerce experience. If you want to create a spell-binding visual image of your ecommerce brand, here is why it is a good idea:
1.Website Homepage is your storefront
A potential customer lands onto your homepage for the first time. Just like the storefront in a brick and mortar store, your website homepage must be built in a way that attracts a new potential customer. Homepage must emit the feel of your brand.
When the homepage is designed to convey the look and feel of a brand, customers can readily decide their next move, i.e., to browse ahead or close the site.
The best thing a brand can do on the homepage is visual storytelling. Tell your brand story, and it can compel new customers to become your fans. Here are some visual elements that can spruce up your ecommerce website homepage and earn more customers:
- Clear calls to action (CTAs) that drive people to your popular pages or urge sign-ups
- Images and text customized for your brand, and not picked up from photo stocking websites
- Compelling storytelling, preferably in an inverted pyramid style, keeping the most important news on the top
- Explain visually how your product or service works
- Use testimonials to enforce authority within your market, by quoting real-life testimonials
For example, when you arrive on the homepage of Leather skin shop, you are greeted by a pleasant welcome note and an immediate 10% off promo, with a CTA to sign up for email.
2.Professional logo design is more than just branding
Believe it or not. When most people think about an ecommerce website, they think about the visual element. They think of a popular product by the brand, how they browsed the website last time, the logo/colors of the website and the sale section. Without these elements, the website will have no personality of itself.
Your website will establish an image by having a professional logo design and a solid branding throughout all channels where you market. From your website design till your packaging, the branding must be similar, because the customer will remember you from these elements the next time.
Under Armour is never shy to ask people to push away the limits. Their website branding always encourages customers to get out there and make life happen. And of course, you can tell apart the logo wherever you see it.
3.You help customers on their journey
Be it on foot or browsing on the web, the customer is on a journey. They are constantly in search of their desired product or service, which only you want to provide. The customer journey used to be shorter in the past, but now it has become longer, making them more decisive.
Harvard Business Review researched customer journeys and found out that brands which put a distinct strategy to attract these customers have more chances to secure more sales. So it is important to design customer experiences, keeping in mind the journey. The better your website experience, the more chances you have to earn referrals and make more customers.
4.Positive impression drives more sales
If your website is enhancing inspirations, you have more chances to close more sales. Customers like looking at positive websites that envoke a particular emotion. In a study, the researchers found out that users decide on purchases only after they are thoroughly impressed by the website and content.
Users who land on a website don’t want to do any work on their own. They prefer the website guides them and helps them navigate. If you are skilled enough to secure this conversion, you can impress these users for a lifetime.
5.Showcase your collections
Collections are more popular in clothing or apparel brands, but it should not be the common case. Collection-based visual stocks look really impressive to a first time user of the ecommerce site. The products are better aligned, and shopper has more control in collections.
You don’t have to believe that collections are only effective for fashion brands. You can also launch it in a unique and creative style. By putting out collections, you are empowering the user to browse and choose for themselves, just like in a physical store.
Keep in mind these design elements for visual merchandising:
- Use beautiful imagery to attract eyeballs
- Make sure each page works smoothly and links to collections land in the right sections
- Grid styles are better for collections, due to the minimalism
- Pinterest-style collections are more popular nowadays
6.Credibility comes with consistency
Graphic designing is a crucial skill required for the success of any business. Moreover, it builds immense credibility for your brand by managing consistency on all platforms. Graphic design also ensures that the website, social media and offline marketing stays on the same page.
Consistent design and content lead to satisfied and loyal customers. If your website solves a key issue of the user, they will most likely come back and recommend you to a fellow. Consistent design is one of the key elements of visual merchandising and marketing.
Beautiful, minimalistic website design is all the rage nowadays, just because it is stress-free and clutter free work of marketing.
7.Creating value is key
Value creation is an important step in the user experience of a website. Ecommerce stores should add value to a customer’s life because every other store can give them a product. The art of creating value is learned by trial and error. We are going to define the key elements of value creation:
- Notice customer pain points when browsing your site/the competitor’s site
- How to engage customer using those pain points
- Weaving value into all touchpoints to erase their past issues and creating a seamless experience
It is hard to achieve, but the merits and benefits are endless. You get loyalty and a free ambassador for your brand. Many ecommerce brands practice value elements by incorporating guides, blog section and free ebooks for the customers. Keep in mind that superficial design elements by a competitor can never equal the value you provide a customer through information or eradicating pain points.
Last word
Ecommerce stores are not different from a brick and mortar store. They also need attention to detail, just like a physical store. If you focus on the elements listed above, you will create unique shopping experiences for your customers.