For any retailer to succeed in business today, a functional and user-friendly ecommerce website design is essential.
Yet what ecommerce website designers are learning now is that aesthetics matter just as much when it comes to retail websites. Function is important but appearnce cannot be overlooked in the process.
Because many users will leave an ecommerce site if they don’t like how it looks, it is critical that ecommerce website design services balance form and function for a site to perform well. Aesthetics must be considered as an element in overall usability.
What Is Ecommerce Website Design Usability?
Usability is how easy it is for visitors to use an ecommerce website design to do things like browse, search, and make a purchase. Overall, for any retail site to be useable and generate the most sales, it needs to possess a few important qualities:
- Ease of use
- Simple design
- Feel natural to the user
- Be customer-centric
A user-friendly site designed by skilled ecommerce website designers also includes things like obvious CTA's or Calls to Action concerning website specials, email signup, product features and how-to’s, and interactive website features.
Useable designs load quickly and perform equally whether on a desktop or mobile. Ecommerce website design services agree that sites without these qualities and elements typically fail to perform as well as they should and result in lost sales.
How Do Aesthetics Affect Website Usability?
The one element that is frequently overlooked when considering usability is aesthetics. The look of an ecommerce website design is actually a very important factor in its usability.
Customer research suggests that nearly 40% of users will leave a site without accomplishing what they came to do if they don’t like how it looks.
Yet many ecommerce website designers are so focused on getting the function portion done that presentation is sacrificed.
If this happens, all work done making sure the site is useable is overshadowed by the fact that users are turned away because of aesthetics. This is considered by many to be an accessibility problem, just like other issues that would prevent users from using a site.
Ecommerce Websites Need Balance of Form and Function
For ecommerce website design services to create a site that brings in leads and generates sales, it’s essential the site functions well and looks good.
To do both, designers must have an excellent understanding of the business and what they sell as well as the target audience so wise choices can be made on function, appropriate Calls to Action, mobile and desktop design, and accessibility factors like design aesthetics.
Only the right balance of both will bring in users and keep them on the site long enough to get a good look around and ultimately make a purchase.
At the End of the Day
The important message that ecommerce website designers must take is that as complex as an ecommerce website design may be, it is essential that it works within the parameters of an attractive layout and appearance.
Ecommerce website design services must view aesthetics as a limiting accessibility factor on these types of websites. The goal must be a site that looks great and is usable at the same time!