It goes without saying that online shopping is one of the most popular pastimes in the world. Consumers around the world spend more than 2.3 billion hours shopping online. However, the average person spends less than 54 seconds on a website.
If your online store is slow, unresponsive, and unattractive, potential customers will leave fast. As a result, ecommerce user experience should be a top priority for store owners. By investing in ecommerce UX, you can create a better shopping experience that will keep customers coming back.
In this guide, we'll cover the importance of UX for ecommerce, ecommerce UX tips, and the signs that your store needs a facelift.
What is ecommerce user experience?
User experience (UX) for ecommerce refers to how customers interact with your online store. It encompasses everything from the design of your website to the way users navigate through your product pages.
A good UX is essential for keeping customers engaged. Studies have shown that even a small improvement in UX can lead to a significant increase in sales. On the other hand, a poor user experience will drive potential customers away.
The user experience of an ecommerce website is much different than a normal website. Visitors come to online stores expecting to buy something rather than browse information. There are several factors that contribute to ecommerce UX. Let's take a look at some of the most important ones.
Key user experience factors for ecommerce websites
Navigation
The average person has a short attention span and is easily distracted. This means that they're likely to click away from your website if they can't find what they're looking for quickly and easily.
Your website's navigation should be clear and intuitive, so users can find what they're searching for with minimal effort. If your navigation is confusing or cluttered, consider simplifying it.
Speed
In today's fast-paced world, people are accustomed to websites loading quickly. They expect online stores to load within two seconds. A website load time slower than that is bound to bleed dollars by the day.
There are several ways to improve the speed of your website, including optimizing images and using a content delivery network (CDN). By increasing the speed of your site, you'll give users a better experience and improve your chances of making a sale.
Mobile-friendliness
Mobile ecommerce is growing rapidly, and it's important to make sure your website is optimized for mobile users. Mobile users have different needs and expectations than desktop users. For example, they may be looking for something quickly while on the go.
It's important to design your website with these needs in mind. If you don't, you could lose out on mobile sales. By optimizing your ecommerce UX for mobile users, you can ensure that they have a positive experience on your site and are more likely to make a purchase.
To make sure your website is mobile-friendly, start by checking the design. Is it easy to navigate on a small screen? Are the buttons large enough to click without accidentally tapping something else? If not, you may need to make some changes.
Checkout process
The checkout process should be quick and easy. If it's too long or complicated, customers may get frustrated and abandon their cart. Our guide to ecommerce payment processing should help you refine your checkout process and decrease shopping cart abandonment.
Customer service
You should offer excellent customer service in case anything goes wrong during the purchase process. If something does go awry, customers will need a way to reach you so they can get help. This could be in the form of a phone number or live chat.
Poor customer service can lead to lost sales and frustrated customers. By offering excellent customer service, you can ensure that customers have a positive experience on your site and are more likely to make a purchase.
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Signs that your online store has a poor user experience
Successful online stores combine seamless navigation with a breathtaking design. If your website is experiencing these issues, it may be time to reconsider your store’s ecommerce UX design.
Abandoned carts
Shopping cart abandonment is when someone adds items to their cart but doesn't complete the purchase. If you’re noticing a high number of abandoned carts, it may be time to take a closer look at your ecommerce UX design. There are several reasons why customers might abandon their cart, but one of the most common is a poor user experience.
For example, if your website is slow or difficult to navigate, customers may get frustrated and decide to leave without completing their purchase. Or, if they can't find the information they're looking for, they may give up and go to another store.
Another way to reduce shopping cart abandonment is by offering free shipping. This encourages customers to complete their purchase because they know they won't have to pay more than the purchase price.
Low conversion rates
Low conversions rates are a direct sign that your website is missing the mark. If shoppers are visiting your website but leaving before they make micro- or macro-conversions, it’s possible they’re not happy with their experience.
Website bounces
Bounce rate is the percentage of people who leave your website after only viewing one page. A high bounce rate indicates poor ecommerce user experience, whether it's a slow loading time, a confusing design or lack of relevant information.
By improving your ecommerce UX, you can reduce your bounce rate and keep potential customers engaged with your store.
Direct user feedback
Sometimes, a website's UX is so poor that visitors will make their frustrations known. If you're getting direct feedback from users that your website is difficult to use, it's a sign that you need to improve your ecommerce UX design.
Listening to user feedback is an important part of improving your website. By making changes based on what users tell you, you can make your website more user-friendly and increase the chances of making a sale.
How ecommerce UX drives conversion
Investing in UX is important for improving ecommerce conversion rate. In other words, it can help you turn website visitors into paying customers.
UX can impact conversion in many ways. We already mentioned bounce rate and abandoned and cart abandonment, but average order value and dwell time are also key performance metrics.
Average order value
Good ecommerce UX drives conversion by increasing average order value. This refers to the amount of money that a customer spends on each purchase.
There are several ways to increase average order value, but one of the most effective is upselling. Upselling is when you offer customers additional products that complement the ones they're already buying.
For example, if someone is buying a pair of shoes from your store, you might suggest they add a pair of socks to their order. By suggesting complementary products, you can encourage customers to spend more money and increase your average order value.
Dwell time
Dwell time is the amount of time that a person spends on your website. It's a good indicator of how engaged someone is with your store.
The longer someone spends on your site, the more likely they are to make a purchase. This is because they have more time to look at products, compare prices, and read reviews.
You can improve dwell time by making sure your website loads quickly and by adding relevant and interesting content.
For example, you might include product videos or blog posts on your website. By providing users with an engaging experience, you can encourage them to stay on your site for longer and increase the chances of making a sale.
Product page user experience
Finally, the product page is one of the most important pages on your ecommerce website. This is where customers will learn more about your products and decide whether or not to make a purchase.
Here are a few things you can do to create the best product pages for your store:
- Include high-quality photos and videos
- Write clear and concise descriptions
- Offer multiple online payment methods
- Provide customer reviews and ratings
By improving the user experience of your product pages, you can increase sales and boost conversions.
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