eCommerce websites are working hard to recreate and mimic a physical retail shop and create an environment that reflects the mood or atmosphere it would in an online setting.

This journey to make the user feel at home, a home they can trust with their services, has many challenges. The most important is how accessible and user-friendly your website’s UI design can be.

When talking about UI it is not only about the visual appearance, fonts and styles used, nor the color choices. It is, in fact, the core of eCommerce brands. A good UI design will help to create a strong presence for the brand.

It sets a tone for your services, and the audience or niche you represent. A good UI communicates the information to the viewer clearly and concisely, and helps to reduce bounce rates.

This will help you with three things:

• retain users’ interest
• Attract new users
• Increased conversion rates and increased sales

We will first analyze the purpose of each UI design and then discuss three key elements that will increase brand awareness and lead to subsequent purchases.

Good UI design is essential

An effective UI design simply conveys valuable information to the user and guides them from one section until they reach the seller’s heaven, which is the check-out page or the’sign up’ page.

This is why the homepage should clearly state that it is YOUR brand. It doesn’t matter how minimalist or cluttered your homepage is, it should reflect your brand and its values.

This personification, or reflection of identity, is crucial. SoundCloud is a good example. Bright colors add to the overall uplifting feeling of the website. The combination of orange and white works well together, and it is evident throughout the website. The background conveys joy listening to music, while the text or slogan summarizes SoundCloud’s mission: to find, share and stream music with passionate communities.

The UI design of SoundCloud can be seen to include other important elements such as clarity, accessibility and ease-of-use. Because of its size and placement, Connect on SoundCloud, the main goal of the website, is the focus.

The search bar is located below the navigation menu for easy access for those who want to quickly browse the web. This is also an important aspect of web design, the navigation system. Because a website in its most basic senses is a network that inter-connects the various sections, it should be seamless and intuitive for the user to transition.

These simple features and design choices are effective in grabbing the viewers’ attention without directing their attention elsewhere. They also avoid bombarding them with information with the ‘coming to too strong’ approach, which could lead to higher bounce-rates.

We’ll discuss how to create a UI design that is effective and practical for eCommerce websites.

Call-to-action buttons

Call-to-Actions (CTAs), which act as buttons or interactive tools, guide the user step-by-step, from where they are to where they need to go, at least to the benefit of the businessman.

CTAs can be seen by the viewer because they are better at visual information processing or noticing content that is different from others.

Because they are so prominent among the audience, they can be used to get a response. You can choose to sign up, buy now, read more, or download now. As long as the action is clickable, it will redirect users to another section of the site.

CTA buttons not only tell users what they should do next but also eliminate doubts and second thoughts. This feature is crucial in reducing bounce rates. CTAs allow the user to spend more time on the site and ultimately lead them to the eCommerce brand’s destination.

These buttons’ UI is important. The contrast and color of CTAs with the background of the page makes a significant contribution to the goals. It sets them apart from other elements on the web.

It’s best to use CTA boxes that have solid walls and are filled with colors, rather than hollow ones. Take a look at Joules for an example:

This works because of the contrast between red and white, as well as the fact that the boxes are filled in red color, which makes them stand out from the light background.

Take a look at Unbounce‘s homepage and see how they chose to design their most important CTA.

The CTAs aren’t as effective or striking as Netflix’s CTAs. There’s very little contrast between the background image and the CTAs. Many e-commerce websites have adopted the Netflix approach, so it’s not surprising that they are using it.

CTAs shape also plays a role. Rectangles with circular edges that point inwards like the one in Unbounce’s above example, make it more effective.

Sharp edges can be distracting and it is important to keep the viewer’s focus on the content. According to Professor Jurg Nain’s book Visual Perception, sharp edges require more cognitive ability to process.

Because you can tap a bigger button on a handheld device, it is easier to use than one that requires you to magnify the content. To avoid any potential inconveniences on mobile platforms, many eCommerce websites have used whole images or illustrations for CTAs.

Please refer to section

This guideline is intended for eCommerce sites that sell products, but it also applies to subscription pages and other online businesses. You can also reserve the style, decorations and attractive icons that contribute to the overall mood of the website, but this section is not required.

The cart section should be minimalistic with minimal colors and easy-to-read fonts. The purpose of all those fancy shenanigans was to get the viewer to stay longer. But that task is already accomplished. Your web must now be as professional and routine as possible.

Sophie & Trey are a great example of a simple and effective check-out page.

If you have a change in your mind, quantity and size can be altered immediately. On the right side, you will see the complete receipt with details about specific charges. Finally, the Checkout button appears boldly and large enough to be the next step after you verify the information.

It is important to maintain the same level of clarity and accessibility when designing the UI for subscription and registration pages. Only the necessary details should be asked for in forms. Sometimes asking for the current occupation or how they were referred to this site can be too intrusive.

These final pages are about sealing the deal. You cannot compromise it by adding unnecessary or irrelevant information. Simple design is easier for customers to understand and makes it easy for them to place their order.

Friendly error messages

You can expect that your customer will encounter an issue at some point, whether it is technical on your website or from the consumer. These errors can be very frustrating, but you can make your customer feel better by giving them a reason or explanation.

It is frustrating to use vague statements like “An error occurred” and it leaves the user unsure of the next steps. It could lead to a user leaving the site and resulting in lower conversion rates.

The explanation of the error must be succinct without going into too many technical details. It should only state whether the error was caused by the user or the website’s fault. If the former, you can offer a quick solution. For the latter, apologize and redirect them to another section.

It’s still a computer with its code. However, it should be presented as if it were a human talking to another. Think outside the box with error messages, as HubSpot did. You can even combine the error message with a CTA such as “Retry” or other options to keep users engaged and not completely unaware of the situation.

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