The 3 Maxims of Ecommerce Design

Websites require practical and thoughtful design in order to achieve their purpose. But, websites that have shopping carts require an added level of planning and expertise that is unique in the field of design. As designers, there are rules and techniques that drive what we do. We know that visual elements can entice users to click or to scroll. Some visual elements are used to simply draw the user's attention to an area of the page. So, how does this differ from the techniques used in e commerce website design? Well, here are 3 design rules that are unique to the world of e commerce design.

                        

1 Less is more. Really, it is.

You might think that this rule applies to all design. It does. However, in e commerce website design, there really needs to be far less on the page during the process of ordering. The fact is, on an e commerce website, designers need to eliminate any and all distractions from the page. Have just one or two buttons. Show only the most important information. Allow for only a few choices at checkout. And, never show animations or any movement that might make someone want to leave the site.

2 If you design it, they can't build it.

Unfortunately, unless you are designing with a development team right there to make suggestions, you're likely to get a negative response from your developer. Also, if you're using a pre-built cart or some other popular cart software, there will be limitations to the layout and complexity of template customization. If you're part of a talented development team, you will have no issues as they can direct you while you're designing for the client. Overall, the main thing to remember is that your direction needs to be mindful of e commerce website design restrictions.

3 Testing is better than planning

Sometimes, we painstakingly fret over every design element, layout, color scheme, and font before handing

the work over to the developer. This process makes some sense. However, your web users will always amaze you. You may think that your large, impossible to miss, yellow button will convert the visitor into a buyer. You're probably wrong. So, when you are in the design process, ask yourself if you need to spend time on one element or move onto the next.