For an ecommerce storefront, the quality of your website can make or break your online business. Will your website be easy to navigate? Will the pages load quickly? Will your search system and product filtering work well? Will online shoppers trust your website? There are so many factors that come into play when building a successful ecommerce website.
Let’s go over a few of these considerations! If you are in a rush, scroll down to our Top 50 Ecommerce Websites.
1.) How to Choose an Ecommerce Platform
Do yourself a favor and try out a few ecommerce platforms before choosing one for your next online store. All too often we see ecommerce businesses choose a platform for all the wrong reasons. Don’t make such an important decision because a friend or colleague made a recommendation before understanding your business requirements or product data. At the same time, don’t allow yourself to be influenced by a TV commercial, either.
Here are a few of the factors that go into choosing ecommerce software for your next website:
Product Data Considerations
If your ecommerce website will only have a handful of products you can probably skip this section. Otherwise, before choosing an ecommerce platform, make sure your product data will import into it without unnecessary effort or custom functionality.
We’ve worked on ecommerce developments where data migrations from Magento to Shopify or Magento to BigCommerce required extensive custom coding. For some of those projects, it was due to the product data and ordering functionality being handled within third-party Magento extensions that didn’t have similar solutions within Shopify or BigCommerce. In other situations, it was due to extensive product variations, personalization options, or inventory bundling that made the migration much more intensive.
For new ecommerce businesses with large product catalogs, make sure you actually have product data in hand before starting your project. We’ve worked with numerous ecommerce clients who were under the impression the manufacturer or distributor would have “perfect product data.” This is often not the case! Even if some kind of product data does exist, merging product data between multiple manufacturers or distributors is next to impossible. The way one company organizes and formats their product data is unlikely to match another, making categorization, images, and other important attributes difficult to line up.
Custom Ecommerce Functionality
For the purpose of this article, the last factor in choosing an ecommerce platform we will discuss is custom functionality.
If you are migrating an existing ecommerce website, it is important to make a list of all the custom functionality in your website that wasn’t native to the platform. This includes extensions, plugins, or apps that were installed. It even includes custom functionality created by a web developer you hired in the past. You can’t assume an identical extension, plugin, or app will exist in the next platform. You have to verify this before choosing a platform.
To further complicate that review of custom functionality, you also need to figure out the differences between your current ecommerce platform and the one you’ll go into next. For example, we often hear from previous Magento storeowners they don’t like how Shopify and BigCommerce handle product data. If that is a major concern to you it will be important to investigate those differences further. Likewise, if you’ve become accustomed to Shopify’s use of collections, it might seem unnatural for you to learn how other platforms handle categorization of products.
For new ecommerce businesses, the process is simpler. You just need to make a list of all your functionality requirements and compare that to what the shopping cart provides, or what is offered through third-party solutions. The custom features that remain unresolved will need to be reviewed by an ecommerce developer as a custom project.
2.) How to Start Designing Your Ecommerce Store
Now the fun starts! After you’ve figured out what platform you’ll use for your next ecommerce website you can move onto the design. There are two ways forward from here, let’s discuss both in more detail.
Template-Based Design
The most affordable way to design your ecommerce website is to start with a third-party template and customize it to be unique to your business. All of the most popular ecommerce shopping carts, like Shopify, BigCommerce, Magento, and WooCommerce will have some kind of template marketplace for you to check out. This will allow you to browse through hundreds of pre-made designs and pick one that closely resembles the look and feel you want for your website. You might even find a few free ecommerce templates to try out!
Keep in mind there will be some drawbacks to a third-party template, but that is to be expected. You are saving a lot of money by choosing a template instead of hiring a graphic designer create custom mockups and a web developer to integrate it into a custom theme. If you find certain areas of the theme impossible to modify without the help of a developer, you might want to reconsider if those changes are necessary. It doesn’t make sense to choose a pre-made theme to save time and money on a development, only to hire an ecommerce developer to redevelop it to your satisfaction. If complete customization is what you are after, consider a custom design instead.
Custom Design
If your ecommerce business can afford it, choose a custom design instead of a pre-made theme. The process of a custom ecommerce website typically starts with design mockups in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe XD to help everyone get on the same page for the look and feel of your future storefront. After going back and forth on design revisions, the finalized version of the custom mockup(s) will be passed to an ecommerce developer to integrate into the ecommerce platform’s base theme. The end result should be exactly what you want, without any major concessions within the design. In fact, you’ll have the added benefit of the design being in the ecommerce platform’s base theme, which means you will likely have a faster website, with less code conflicts, than you’d have if you chose a pre-made theme.
3.) How to Make Your Ecommerce Website Impressive
After selecting an ecommerce platform and starting your design, the next part is figuring out how to make your online store generate revenue. It might be a good idea to brush up on the latest digital marketing trends to help spark some ideas. Otherwise, you can check out the websites of the Top 50 Ecommerce Websites that we’ve put together below! This is a specific collection of ecommerce websites within our top ranked websites on the internet!
Within each of these ecommerce stores you’ll find examples of how other ecommerce business are excelling at online business. There are plenty of examples of great ecommerce website templates, custom ecommerce designs, beautiful homepage layouts, creative product pages, social proof implementations, ecommerce funnels, and more throughout these ecommerce examples.
Top Ecommerce Website Designs
1. Decor Outdoor
This is a good example of a website design for outdoor decor retailers looking for a professional website design. Our web designers thought this website was a good example for decor sellers because of their creative logo. The informative blog was a unique choice for a custom outdoor furniture website. From a marketing viewpoint, we really liked the way this decor website utilized a simple checkout process. With so many great reasons to consider this outdoor decor website, its obvious why we included it in this list of the best websites!
2. Bohemian Traders
This is a good example of a website design for clothing merchants looking for a professional look and feel. The unique display of the newest collection was probably the most impactful feature of the homepage of Bohemian Traders. The ability to see clothing on and off a model was definitely refreshing for a unique website. The well-labeled menu helped make this one of the top women’s clothing websites we considered. What a great website to review when building out your next clothing website!
3. Space Posters
This is an example of a website design for poster sellers looking for a professional look and feel. As you scroll through the homepage of this website, one of the design qualities we liked was the simple orbiting animation. The fun and captivating font was definitely refreshing for a unique site. Space Posters clearly had conversions in mind when designing the simple email sign-up of their website. If you are looking for template ideas for your next poster site, give some thought to this one.
4. Sierra Designs
The website of Sierra Designs ranked because it is one of the better looking hiking gear websites we came across. The high-quality visuals were probably the most impactful quality of the homepage of Sierra Designs. Another feature of this clean camping gear site is the full-screen images that break up their content. They had ease of use in mind when creating the large and noticeable buttons for their website. For online shops looking for examples for their next website layout, this example will for sure be one to take a look at.
5. Pura Vida
This is a great website example for jewelry retailers looking for a custom look and feel for their next site. The most attention grabbing aspect of this online jewelry website was definitely the subtle pastel color scheme. Another thoughtful quality of this creative online ordering website is the spin to save wheel that instantly pops up. They clearly had a focus on ease of use when creating the clean and simple theme of their website. For jewelry sellers looking for examples for their next website layout, this example will for sure be one to keep in your back pocket.
6. Rinse Off
This is a good website example for online stores looking for a custom look and feel for their next site. The bold text was likely the most impactful quality of the homepage of this website. Another thoughtful quality of this creative online shop website is their different models leading you to different areas of their website. Their unique and thoughtful K-9 donation program helped make this one of the top online seller websites we considered. Be sure to consider the creative design of this water sprayer website when developing your next website.
7. GREATS
This is a great example for online shoe retailers looking for a professional website layout. As you scroll through the homepage, one of the qualities you’ll notice right away is the useful information bar on the top of the site. Another design quality of this custom online shop site is their integration of social media. They had conversions in mind when designing the ability to filter out shoe types when exploring their products. With so many great reasons to consider this shoe merchant website, its no wonder we included it in this list of the best websites!
8. LARQ
This is a good example of a website design for water purification product sellers looking for a professional website design. We thought this website was a good design idea for self-cleaning water bottles because of it’s blue and white hues. The simple and fun graphics were refreshing for a unique water purification site. LARQ clearly had website marketing in mind when building the clearly labeled navigation bar of their website. Give some thought to the great design of this online shop’s website when developing your next custom website.
9. Manly Bands
The Manly Bands website has a very professional feel to it, thanks to its unique use of black, brown, white and tan. The collection groups were definitely the most impactful quality in the homepage of this website. The inventive logo was refreshing for a unique online store site. Manly Bands clearly had a focus on ease of use when designing the aesthetically pleasing configuration for their website. For jewelry looking for examples for their next website layout, this design example will absolutely be one to consider.
10. Herschel
This is a great example for travel accessory retailers looking for a professional look and feel for their next website. We thought this website was a good example for a bag and apparel store because of the interesting video content. The ability to filter products based on things such as price, colors, size and features within this travel accessory website helped make it into our list of the best website layouts for online sellers. They clearly had internet marketing in mind when creating the sale section of their website. There was no shortage of reasons to include this website in our list of websites for online store templates to consider when building out your next website.
11. Hebe Boutique
The dusty rose pink and white color palette of this custom online boutique website stood out to us because it feels very modern, but also fun. After scrolling past the navigation of this boutique site, you’ll immediately notice the captivating font. Another thoughtful feature of this clean online seller website is their incorporation of social media. Hebe Boutique had website marketing in mind when building the smooth and calming transitions in their website. Be sure to consider this one-of-a-kind online boutique website design when building out your next website.
12. Ratio
This is a good example of a website design for coffee maker sellers looking for a professional website layout. As you scroll through the homepage of the website, one of the design qualities we liked was when hovering over product images the image shows another angle of the product. The ability to read customer reviews was a unique choice for a professional website. Ratio clearly had website accessibility in mind when building the simple navigation for their website. With so many good reasons to consider this online store website, its obvious why we included it in this list of the best websites!
13. ambsn
The white, blue and orange color palette of this summer wear website stood out to us because it creates a warm beach feel. The unique logo was probably the most impactful quality of the homepage of ambsn. The fun graphics were definitely refreshing for a professional website. The company ambsn had digital marketing in mind when designing the accessibility option feature in their website. Any website designer making websites for summer wear will want to consider checking this website out.
14. The Fitness Store
This is a good example of a web design for fitness equipment sellers looking for a custom look and feel. The well-organized flow of information was likely the most impactful quality of the homepage of this website. The short but to the point paragraphs were definitely refreshing for a custom site. The Fitness Store clearly had a focus on internet marketing when creating the blue circles showing percentage off of their products for in their website. What a great website to review when designing your next fitness equipment website!
15. Pellethead
This is a good example of a website design for energy system sellers looking for a professional look and feel for their next website. The creative and fun text was likely the most impactful feature in the homepage of Pellethead. Another feature of this custom online grill & stove website is the way they use images for their navigation. Pellethead had website marketing in mind when designing the domain that matches their company name of their website. Give some thought to the unique design of this online retailer website when building your next website.
16. Kettle & Fire
We appreciated how this broth seller site used the varied colors such as pink, yellow and green into an attractive website layout. Our web designers thought this website was a good design idea for bone broth because it informs customers why they should consider buying bone broth. Their inventive logo design of this bone broth website helped make it into our list of the best website ideas for online shop. Kettle & Fire had website accessibility in mind when building the loyalty program of their website. For online stores looking for examples for their next website layout, this design example will absolutely be one to take a look at.
17. Cameron Trading Post
This is a creative website design example for a lodging, art and more site looking to build their next website. The accented teal colors were definitely the most impactful feature of the homepage of this website. The clearly labeled menu was definitely refreshing for a custom lodging, art and more site. Cameron Trading Post clearly had conversions in mind when building the stunning imagery in their website. Be sure to consider the unique design of this online shop website when developing your next custom website.
18. P&Co
P&Co has a great looking website that uses a black, white and dark yellow color scheme that accents their imagery. The well thought-out images was probably the most impactful feature of the homepage of P&Co. The ability to use the search bar for the website is another feature of this professional online clothing site we enjoyed. Their easy checkout process helped make this one of the top clothing websites we reviewed. Another amazing website to add to this list!
19. Magic Spoon
The the neon color palette of this custom grain-free cereal website stood out to us because it creates an exciting feel. The fun animations were probably the most impactful feature of the homepage of this website. Another thoughtful feature of this custom online cereal store site was their large buttons. They clearly had internet marketing in mind when building the captivating font for their website. If you are looking for template options for your next online shop site, give some thought to this one.
20. Burrow
Our web designers noticed the natural white color scheme of the Burrow website, which we liked because it allows their products to be the focus for the page. After scrolling past the navigation of this online shopping website, you’ll immediately notice the navigation bar with more precise categories. The creative way they show products with a white background and in use was refreshing for a unique online furniture website. Burrow had digital marketing in mind when creating the showroom booking section of their website. What a great website to review when building out your next website!
21. Echelon
This is a good example of a web design for exercise equipment retailers looking for a custom layout. The blue and white colors created a feeling of renewal and it was likely the most impactful quality of the homepage of this website. The unique online membership was absolutely a consideration when ranking Echelon in this list of the best online store websites. From a marketing viewpoint, for an online workout website we liked the way they utilized a live agent chat. With so many quality reasons to consider this website, its obvious why we included it in this list of the best online shop sites!
22. Harry’s
This is a great men’s shave & shower supply web design example for someone looking for a professional layout. As you scroll through the homepage of this website, one of the design qualities we liked was the professional and pleasing imagery. The unique ability to send shaving essentials on a monthly, bimonthly or trimonthly schedule was absolutely a consideration when ranking Harry’s in this list of top online store websites. They clearly had a focus on ease of use when designing the well-labeled menu of their website. Don’t forget to check this website out while looking through our list of the best online store websites!
23. All-Taxidermy
The black, white and accented golden brown color palette of this custom taxidermy website stood out to us because that small accent of golden brown creates a natural outdoor feel. Of all the custom online taxidermy websites we reviewed, one of the features of this custom website we liked was the customers ability to use a search bar to find the animal they are looking for. Another thoughtful feature of this custom taxidermy service site is the layout that’s easy to follow. All-Taxidermy had website marketing in mind when creating the social media aspect of their website. Talk about a great website to have included in this list!
24. Bison Coolers
We liked how this coolers & more site combined the colors of black, white and blue into an attractive website layout. The most refreshing part of this online store website was the unique custom ice chest and cooler section. Another design quality of this creative cooler & more shop website was the customer review section. They had website accessibility in mind when designing the organized layout of their website. If you are looking for template ideas for your next online shop site, give some thought to this one.
25. Tess Oral Health
This is a great website example for toothbrush kit sellers looking for a custom site layout. The pastel blue and pink color scheme to give a more kid-friendly design was probably the most impactful quality of the homepage of this website. The free personalization was a nice touch for a custom website. Tess Oral Health clearly had digital marketing in mind when building the simple checkout process of their website. Be sure to consider the creative design of this online store website when developing your next custom website.
26. Winc
We liked how this wine retailer site combined varied pastel colors to create an attractive website design. After scrolling past the header of this online wine site, you’ll immediately notice the smooth transitions. The fun graphics were absolutely a consideration when ranking Winc in this list of the best online shop websites. They clearly had digital marketing in mind when building the unique quiz for their website. What a great website to review when building out your next website!
27. SISU
This is a great website design example for a mouthguard retailers looking for inspiration on a custom look and feel. The images showing mouth-guards being used for the background for the website was likely the most impactful quality of the homepage of SISU. Their helpful information on fitting instructions for all mouth-guards from their store helped make it into our list of the best website ideas for online sellers. They clearly had website usability in mind when creating the layout that’s free of distractions for their website. There were numerous amazing qualities of this website to consider while we were putting together this list of top websites for online stores.
28. KETNIPZ
This is a great web design example for apparel stores looking for a creative look and feel. Of all the custom online store websites we reviewed, one of the features of this custom website we liked was the subtle pink accents. The ability to see the front and back of double sided clothing without clicking on it is another thoughtful feature of this custom clothing and more website we enjoyed. They clearly had a focus on ease of use when designing the use of white spaces of their website. Give some thought to the great design of this online shop website when building out your next website.
29. Outdoor Voices
The black, white and bright blue color palette of this clothing site stood out to us because it creates an energetic feel. As we scrolled through the homepage of the website, one of the design qualities we liked was the pop-ups for any sales they have going on. The ability to browse the site with filters such as size, category, and color was a nice touch for a professional clothing website. They had website accessibility in mind when designing the captivating font for their website. Don’t scroll past this website when hunting for design ideas for your next online shopping website!
30. Bose
The Bose website has a very classy feel to it, thanks to its unique use of black and white to create a striking layout. The layout of this online shop website was thoughtful because of it’s bold text to emphasize a statement. Another feature of this professional speaker and headphones site is the high-quality visuals. From a marketing perspective, for an online sound accessory website we really liked the way they utilized incorporation of social media. Talk about a great website to have included in this list!
31. Good Robot Brewing
We liked how this brewing company site combined the colors of yellow, blue and black into an attractive website design. The most refreshing part of this online shop website was the creative characters and graphics on the pages. The fun black brick pattern on a majority of their pages was a great choice for a unique site. They clearly had a focus on ease of use when designing the simple contact information of their website. Don’t forget to check this website out while looking through our list of the best online store sites!
32. First Lite
We appreciated how this hunting apparel website used the colors of black, white, dark green and blaze orange into a custom web design layout. The unique logo was likely the most impactful quality of the homepage for First Lite. This clean online hunting apparel website also does a good job with their helpful and personalized quiz to help you pick out the correct hunting clothes. First Lite clearly had a focus on website accessibility when designing the well-labeled navigation bar for their website. For online store looking for ideas on their next website, this example will definitely be one to take a look at.
33. KUIU
There were numerous online stores to choose from, but the website for KUIU was the perfect example of a well-designed hunting apparel store with a black, white and olive green color scheme. The captivating and professional text was definitely the most impactful quality of the homepage of this website. Another design quality of this creative online hunting clothing website was the small information bar at the top of the page. They clearly had digital marketing in mind when building the unique logo for their website. With so many reasons to consider this online seller website, its obvious why we included it in this list of the best sites!
34. Northernism
Northernism has a great looking website that uses a black and white color scheme. The basic but striking template was likely the most impactful quality of the homepage of this website. The opportunity of sorting by things such as price, alphabetical order or date was refreshing for a professional online shop site. Northernism had ease of use in mind when designing the bold lettering for their website. What a great website to review when building out your next website!
35. Farrell Equipment
The website of Farrell Equipment ranked because it is one of the nicer equipment seller websites we reviewed. The inventive way of creating a metal look for their logo was definitely the most impactful feature of the homepage of this website. Their interesting layout is why we included this online equipment seller website in our list of the best website layouts for online sellers. They clearly had a focus on website accessibility when building the clearly labeled menu for their website. Give some thought to the creative design of this online shop website when building out your next website.
36. NordicTrack
We liked how this exercise equipment website combined the colors of white, black, blue and yellow into a custom web design. Of all the online equipment websites we reviewed, one of the features of this custom website we liked was the beautiful image transitions. The large text showing information on scheduling an appointment or calling the company is another design quality of this custom exercise equipment site we enjoyed. They clearly had a focus on website accessibility when building the balance of white space for their website. There were numerous good qualities of this website to consider while we were putting together this list of top websites for online store.
37. Dick Moby
This is a good example of a glasses store website design that can be an inspiration for your next professional website. The colorful teal and dark blue accents was probably the most impactful feature of the homepage of this website. The creative geometric lines were absolutely a consideration when ranking Dick Moby in this list of top online store websites. Dick Moby clearly had a focus on website accessibility when creating the fun and exciting layout for their website. Another amazing website to add to this list!
38. Hardgraft
This is a great website design example for an online bag store looking to get inspired for a custom layout. After scrolling past the navigation of this leather products site, you’ll immediately notice their great balance of natural tan and brown colors. Another feature of this professional online store website is the captivating font. The striking imagery was one of the marketing features that really stood out when reviewing this website. Be sure to consider the one-of-a-kind design of this online shop website when developing your next custom website.
39. Salty Crew
This is a great web design example for beach clothing retailers looking for a professional look and feel. Our web designers thought this website was a good design idea for online shops because they show customers in action wearing their clothing. Their thoughtful salty stories feature is another unique quality of this custom online clothing store site we enjoyed. Salty Crew clearly had a focus on digital marketing when designing the well-labeled navigation bar for their website. For online shops looking for examples for their next website layout, this example will for sure be one to keep in your back pocket.
40. Allbirds
This is a great website example for shoe and apparel stores looking for a custom look and feel for their next site. The creative and fun font was definitely the most impactful feature of the homepage of this website. Another thoughtful quality of this clean online shop site is the high-quality visuals. They had website marketing in mind when designing the ability to browse based on things such as size, material and color within their website. For the online sellers out there checking website examples, make sure to check this one out!
41. Ritual
The black, white, bright blue and bright yellow color scheme of this vitamin supplier site stood out to us because it creates a healthy and youthful feel. As you scroll through the homepage of the website, one of the qualities you’ll notice right away is well-thought out imagery. Another feature of this clean online seller site is being able to see customer reviews. Ritual had digital marketing in mind when designing the use of different types of text throughout their website. Talk about a great website to have included in this list of top websites!
42. Solo Stove
Solo Stove has a well-designed smokeless fire pit and accessories website that uses a clean black, white and orange color palette. Of all the custom online fire accessory websites we reviewed, one of the features of this custom website we liked was the unique logo. Another design quality of this custom fire pit accessory website was their incorporation of social media. Solo Stove clearly had a focus on internet marketing when designing the clearly labeled menu for their website. If you are looking for template ideas for your next online shop website, be sure to check this one out.
43. Chubbies
This is a good example of a website design for clothing retailers looking for a professional look and feel for their next website. Our web designers thought this was a good homepage design example for clothing retailers because of their full-screen imagery that breaks up content. Another feature of this professional clothing site is their fun logo design. They clearly had website accessibility in mind when building the clean and simple layout for their website. Give some thought to the one-of-a-kind design of this online clothing website when building your next website.
44. Grovemade
This is a great desk organizer retailer web design example for anyone looking for a professional look and feel. The blocks of images and text to break up content was probably the most impactful feature in the homepage of Grovemade. Another thoughtful quality of this desk accessory site is their professional text. Grovemade clearly had a focus on conversions when building the simple navigation for their website. With so many great reasons to consider this online store website, its obvious why we included it in this list of the best websites!
45. Black Diamond
This is a great example for clothing stores looking for a professional website layout. The creative layout was likely the most impactful quality of the homepage of Black Diamond. Another thoughtful quality of this clean clothing site is their bold text. They clearly had a focus on internet marketing when designing the simple checkout process for their website. Be sure to consider the great design of this online clothing website when developing your next website.
46. Revelry
We liked how this online wedding shop site combined the colors of cream color and very soft pinks into an attractive website design. Of all the online shop websites we reviewed, one of the features of this custom website we liked was their creative way of showcasing their images. The ability to shop by material or color was refreshing for a professional wedding store website. Revelry had ease of use in mind when creating the sleek template for their website. Give some thought to the creative design of this online seller website when building your next website.
47. Curology
The purple, blue, orange, white and tan colors of this skincare website stood out to us because it catches the eyes of customers. The reused bubble pattern from their logo was probably the most impactful quality of the homepage of Curology. The large call to action buttons were refreshing for a unique website. Curology had ease of use in mind when designing the well-labeled navigation bar of their website. What a great website to review when building out your next online store website!
48. YETI
For a cooler and more website, they did a great job utilizing the black, white and blue colors throughout their site. We thought this was a good homepage design example for online shops because of their large buttons for simple navigation. The simple but fitting font was refreshing for a custom cooler and more site. YETI clearly had website accessibility in mind when creating the simple checkout process for their website. If you are looking for template examples for your next online store site, be sure to check this one out.
49. MVMT
This is a good example of a watch, eyewear and accessory store website design for a person looking for a professional look and feel. Of all the professional online eyewear websites we reviewed, one of the features of this custom website we liked was their fun and unique logo design. This professional online store website also does a good job with High-quality and professional imagery. They had conversions in mind when creating the unique video showing the history of their products in their website. Don’t forget to check this website out while looking through our list of the best online shop websites!
50. Dress Up
The white and pink color scheme of this custom women’s clothing website stood out to us because of the youthful feel to it. The creative font was probably the most impactful feature in the homepage for Dress Up. The ability for customers to see products on models was a unique choice for a professional website. They clearly had website marketing in mind when designing the city customs portion of their website. For online stores looking for ideas on their next website, this example will definitely be one to take a look at.
How to Design a Great Ecommerce Website
1.) Informative product pages
Don’t let your customer be left guessing when it comes to product specifications. Provide all the necessary details and make them easy to find on every page of your website!
These product pages should include images, videos, or animations that show off the product in use. Doing this will show exactly what you’re selling and increase the likelihood of converting potential customers.
For example, if you’re selling shoes, talk about what the shoe looks like on different types of feet (wide or narrow) because that will be more appealing to certain customers. And make sure to include measurements!
Related: How to write product descriptions that sell like crazy!
2.) Great product image quality
Product images are the first thing your customers see when they’re browsing a website.
Don’t risk turning them away by using low-quality product photos that don’t accurately depict what you’re selling.
3.) Make navigation efficient
Having clear navigation makes it easier for visitors who may be new to your site – or those in a rush – because they can easily find what they’re looking for.
Your site should be simple and easy to navigate because you want your customers to stay on the page, not bounce out of it. Designing with simplicity in mind is vital if you don’t want people getting lost within seconds of landing on your website.
Adding a search bar to your website will allow visitors to find exactly what they’re looking for in one click. This is especially useful if you carry a wide variety of inventory so customers can quickly filter out the items that don’t interest them and hone in on those that do.
Related: Must try marketing ideas for your ecommerce business
4.) Give customers the ability to sort/filter products by price
Everyone has different budgets, so it can be a good idea to allow customers to sort the products by price and other factors, especially if you have a large inventory.
Not many customers will be happy searching through dozens of pages to find something affordable.
5.) Social proof
Social proof has been shown to increase conversion rates, which means product reviews are more than just nice-to-haves for ecommerce websites – they’re critical components of an excellent customer experience.
So, what’s the best way to make sure that you have enough social proof? Get them from people who’ve actually purchased and used your products. This way, you’ll have reviews that are more likely to resonate with your customer base.
Creating a social media contest is also one of the best ways to ensure that customers will share their experiences and get involved in your brand – which not only increases awareness for them, but creates an awesome marketing opportunity for you as well.
Recently, Nike had runners design custom running shoes on Instagram via #NikeID tag to celebrate National Running Day. The campaign went viral because it tapped into people’s passion points (running) while being creative and interesting enough to capture everyone’s attention.
6.) Add personality
Your website needs personality to set it apart from the competition.
Customers want to know that they’re buying from individuals who understand their problems, not from a corporate brand. You can do this is by including quirky product descriptions and talking in a friendly tone-of-voice.
7.) Include customer reviews
Customer reviews should be placed on your website, not just in social media posts.
This gives customers even more information about your products before they buy them. Customers should also get more and more confident in your products as they read through the reviews, which will increase the chance of a purchase.
8.) Social media integration
Your website should make it easy for users to interact with their social media.
This means being able to easily share links to your products on their Facebook page, alongside being able to pin your posts on Pinterest.
Linking to your social media accounts will also do wonders for increasing the number of people who follow you. This is great for many reasons, but mainly because you can retarget these followers with your SMM strategy.
9.) Always check for 404 errors
If customers land on a page that doesn’t exist, they’ll leave and never come back.
It’s important to make sure your website is error-free by checking for 404 errors at least once every six months or so to avoid losing sales because of this issue.
10.) Make sure your website is fast
Speed can make or break your website, so it’s important to optimize speed by reducing the size of media, removing unnecessary plugins or code, and using a premium hosting provider.
You can test your site speed using tools like Pingdom or GTmetrix, which will also tell you what to work on to make your site even faster.
11.) Build for SEO
Your ecommerce site needs to be search engine optimized in order for it to remain relevant and at the top of Google searches. This is how potential customers will find your business and what separates you from the competition.
There are countless ways to make your site optimized for search engines, but consider the following:
Make sure your site has a clear and relevant title, meta description, URL structure, headings (H tags), image alt text, and keyword density throughout the body of the content on all pages.
And don’t forget about internal linking either – use this tactic when possible by creating unique URLs for specific blog posts or product pages (which we can help you you create the perfect product page design) that lead back towards other important sections within your website. It’s crucial not only because it provides better indexing for search engines, but it also helps visitors find their way around your site.
When you have a good SEO strategy in place, then customers will be able to easily find relevant products or services while searching on Google – which means more sales down the road!
Sometimes you won’t be able to rank just the product page for the keywords you want. Consider crafting blog posts detailing the best kind of products.
These long-form content posts often rank for hundreds, if not thousands of different keywords and still get great sales thanks to the product links.
12.) Designing your website with mobile devices in mind
It’s crucial for all websites to be designed with mobile devices in mind, as more people are using cell phones instead of desktops these days.
There are many things you need to do when designing a site with the smallest screens, such as making text large enough for easy reading and avoiding large images that exceed the width of your screen.
13.) Provide multiple ways to get in touch
It’s likely that potential customers will want to connect with your company, whether that’s on the phone or via email.
You’ll want to make sure you have an “about us” section on the site that tells visitors about your business as well as what makes it special – so they’re likely to come back for more!
The last thing we recommend is providing social media links (like Facebook or Twitter) if at all possible. These are great ways to get in touch with people who visit your store without having them leave the page where they spend their money.
14.) Use White Space
White space is the breathing room of any design. It refers to the blank spaces that are left on a website or blog post. This blank space makes the content much easier to digest and helps guide readers through various parts of the site, without compromising brand identity and consistency throughout all pages.
Using white space will draw attention towards certain user interface elements on the page, making it easier for customers to see what you are promoting or selling at any given time.
Having too much text crammed into one area will overwhelm readers and cause them to leave before finding anything useful or interesting on your site.
The best way to overcome this dilemma is by using lots of white space and contrasting colors between background and foreground elements.
15.) Make it Mobile Responsive
The world has gone mobile and that means your ecommerce site needs to be optimized for all devices – including smartphones, tablets, laptops, and desktop computers.
As people browse on the go more often than ever before, it’s crucial to ensure they can find what they’re looking for with a quick search from their phones or other handheld gadgets. If you don’t have a responsive design yet, then there is no time like the present.
Responsive designs allow visitors to access important information quickly without having to pinch or zoom on their screens just so they can read text from far away. This makes browsing an enjoyable experience instead of a frustrating one – so why wouldn’t anyone want this? Not making your site optimized for mobile devices is only one of many reasons why your potential leads may bounce from your site, read more about those reasons here.
If this is out of your comfort zone, then I recommend hiring a professional web designer with experience in responsive web design to get the job done quickly and correctly.
A responsive design also ensures that visitors will see your products in a way they best understand how the product should look, instead of viewing images at an undesirable size or quality because their device couldn’t handle scaling them to fit the screen. This creates a better customer experience which means more sales down the road!
16.) Simplify the Checkout Process
One of the best ecommerce design tips you can get is to make sure your checkout process isn’t complicated for users.
Customers don’t want to go through too many pages when shopping online – it’s simply not efficient and it wastes their time! Having a one-page check-out form that doesn’t require any extra information compared to what they’ve already entered into other fields will help speed up this phase in the buying cycle considerably.
You may also want to implement one-click checkout if your website offers it. This is especially helpful for customers who frequently purchase from you – they can easily find their stored information and check out without having to enter anything else!
One thing that can significantly speed up the process is by having a modern web hosting solution! In our blog article Best Website Hosting For Ecommerce, we talk in depth about what you should be concerned about when you pick out a hosting solution for your ecommerce store!
17.) A/B Testing
If you want to see what works and what doesn’t for your ecommerce site, then A/B testing is one of the best ways to do so.
Testing will help you compare the different layouts and designs of your website to see which one converts better—in other words, brings more users through the conversion funnel!
For instance, you can try testing one landing page against another to see which converts better; or test two different images for a product and measure their success rates.
This is such an important part of the ecommerce design process because it allows you to make changes as necessary based on data rather than opinions – meaning your site will become more effective over time!
Why is Ecommerce Design Important?
Without paying attention to the design of your website, it’s easy to lose customers due to poor user experience. And when it comes down to it, you want your website visitors to be able to easily find what they’re looking for while enjoying the entire process!
When all of these best practices are used together on an ecommerce site that is well-designed, then businesses will have more success than ever before in terms of increasing sales and ranking high on Google searches.
And most importantly, users will enjoy shopping on your site because everything is so simplified – which means they’ll come back again and again in the future!
With that being said, if any of this sound overwhelming to you or your business, then consider hiring a professional web designer who can help your site succeed through A/B testing as well as other design-related tactics.
They’ll do all the hard work for you so that you don’t have to worry about anything – just sit back and watch what happens next!
Final Thoughts on Design Best Practices for Ecommerce Stores
In conclusion, ecommerce design is important – and this blog post tells you why! If your website isn’t easy to navigate or doesn’t load quickly, customers won’t stick around for very long.
You also need to make sure it’s optimized for search engines and that the checkout process isn’t complicated if you expect people to come back and buy more stuff from your business in the future.
Don’t forget about keeping everything simple but making sure it appears professional at the same time! A/B testing can help give insight into what works best, so use it as often as you can.
Still on the fence about whether an ecommerce website is right for you? Check out our other blog post that talks about the advantages and disadvantages of taking your business online!
Recommended Ecommerce Themes
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Shopify Themes
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GameWar – Themeforest
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