Usability for an eCommerce site is very similar to what you would implement on an effective website design that succeeds in interacting with its users. With a few minor tweaks here and there, of course.

When we focus on the usability factor of an eCommerce web design we address the needs of a potential customer and what is not only appealing, but functional to them as well.

Below we're going to touch base on 5 Usability tips for an Effective eCommerce Design. And then we're going to take a look at a few eCommerce web designs that put usability at its forefront.

1. Leave The Mess Behind

If you're working at your desk and you're searching for a very important document and you can't find it at all because there's a massive mess everywhere, then you're in trouble. Same concept applies for a web design, especially one that has to heavily interact with users like an eCommerce website. Cluttered websites don't make the cut, your visitors want to find the information they need and they want to be able to find it fast. If you have an eCommerce site you need to give the user a clear idea of what they can or should do on your site. Quite frankly, usability needs to be at its best, and well spread elements and products are a must.

2. Simple Checkout Process

Having an online shopping store should mean that after your customers find the right product they'd like to purchase they're able to go through a simple and easy checkout process. There are two methods of doing this, you can either design a step-by-step process, or a one-page checkout. Although the one-page checkout seems like the right choice, you should always conduct a bit of testing to see which of these options makes sense for your site. Also, make sure your checkout forms aren't long and strenuous, this could discourage the customer and you could potentially loose a sale.

3. Loading Speeds

As with any web design, you should try to strive towards faster load times. Just like a customer can get easily become discouraged with long checkout forms, they can turn away from your site and purchase the items at another online store whose pages don't take 2 hours to load ;) There are a variety of tools and techniques that allow you to take advantage of faster loading times. If you have an eCommerce site such as IconDock where the user can drag and drop items into their cart for check out, make sure this process runs as smooth and quickly as possible. Any delays, can and most of the time will result in you loosing a customer.

4. Easy Product Navigation

A customer should be able to quickly navigate through your database of products and find what they need with ease; especially if you have a large number of products. Make your product categories visible, use small thumbnails for products, clear and concise titles, and short distances from one product page to the next. Also, another very important aspect of navigating through products is being able to avidly search for them and FIND them. Keep your search function straightforward, simple, and quick. The search bar should be extremely visible and accessible.

5. Test, Test, and Test Some More!

Being able to design an eCommerce site with the best usability possible means you'll need to conduct a lot of testing on a variety of the pages. You can do this after you've opened the doors to your site, or before with controlled tests by inviting users to come and test your site. All of this is possible with tools such as Silverback, Userfly, UserTesting and CrazyEgg. Once you've collected the data, take a step back, analyze the information, find new ways to improve the usability, and finally implement these strategies and allow you users to benefit from an enriched eCommerce experience.

Shopping Cart Inspiration

MediaTemple

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Mia & Maggie

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IconDock

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Evel

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Early Learning Centre

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Incase

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Bored of Southsea

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Cosmic Soda

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Me & Mommy-to-be

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Design By Humans

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