A well thought-out user experience (UX) is crucial for the success of an online store. An optimized UX increases the conversion rate and strengthens customer loyalty. In this article, we show how the UX in an online store can be improved.
The basics of user experience
User experience (UX) is a term that refers to the overall user experience with a website or application. In an online store, UX is crucial as it can directly influence the success and profitability of e-commerce. A well-designed UX ensures that visitors feel comfortable on your website, can easily navigate through the company's offerings and are happy to return.
How UX influences the conversion rate
The conversion rate is one of the most important key figures for an online store. It indicates how many users actually make a purchase. An excellent UX can significantly increase the conversion rate. If users find simple and pleasant navigation, clear product information and a smooth checkout process in the online store, they are more likely to complete a purchase. Studies have shown that an improved UX can increase the conversion rate by up to 400%. This shows how crucial a user-friendly design is for commercial success.
Common UX mistakes and how to avoid them
Even the best online stores make mistakes in the UX. Here are some proven tips to improve the UX of an online store:
Complicated navigation
If users have difficulty finding their way around a website, they quickly become frustrated and leave the site. Clear, simple and above all intuitive navigation is particularly important. Complicated product categories and names used within the company are often unfamiliar to actual customers. All terminology, categories and subcategories should also be understandable for new users who are not yet familiar with the company and its products. Creativity is the wrong place to be when implementing a menu. Proven, simple and, above all, intuitive menus and navigation help users to reach their destination quickly.
The example of the menu of Reef shows how even a few menu items can be presented very clearly and strikingly without having to resort to a tiny flyout. The online store for shoes focuses primarily on themed worlds. This allows users to find the product quickly, but can also be inspired just as easily.
The page from Fackelmann is a good example of how a large number of menu items can be clearly displayed in a flyout. However, it should be emphasized that not all subcategories were displayed and the menu as a whole is not uniform. All in all, the design is not optimal. However, the flyout of the products is well done and the icons make it visually appealing and yet clearly arranged.
The last example at this point from Designkicker shows how the homepage of a website can also be a very good introduction to the categories, in addition to the menu.
Slow loading times
Every user can probably relate to the following quote from Samuel Beckett:
"The time of waiting is the longest time that ever existed."
Patience is rare on the internet. Long loading times can cause users to bounce in the middle of the process. There are various ways to optimize loading times. For example, image sizes can be reduced and load-intensive content can be used sparingly. The topic should be considered primarily from a technical perspective.
It is particularly important to consider the loading time on all devices. A page must load quickly on both laptops and smartphones. Unless you are dealing with extremely emotionally charged campaign landing pages, the loading time is an important criterion that should not be ignored.
The product detail page is the decisive content page for the purchase of a product. Many users in the target group are interested in forming a final opinion on the product or service and deciding whether to buy it or not. Overloaded or poorly structured product pages make the decision-making process more difficult. The aim should be to present the products as simply, clearly and convincingly as possible. The quality of the images should be good, the descriptions clearly formulated and easy to scan. Informative graphics, supporting icons or well-prepared texts in the form of lists, for example, can positively reinforce the overall impression.
In the following example from Valleys & Hills, the first viewport of a product page can be seen. All relevant information is visible at first glance: product images, product name, price, USPs, color selection, quantity, button and shipping information. The overall design of the page is minimalist and compact. Nevertheless, all information is visible at first glance without overwhelming users. The only thing that could be improved at this point is the color selection, which is currently only displayed in text form. The page would be perfect with an actual preview of the colors as a color selection.
Complicated checkout process
Ideally, users are convinced by the product and want to buy it. It's all the worse if you lose users in this last crucial step of the customer journey. If the purchase process is too complicated or lengthy, many users will abandon the purchase. The form can be overwhelming if it is too long, asks for too much unnecessary information or is unclear about its functionality. However, there may also be too many steps that seem unnecessary to users. Overall, it is important to maintain user trust and make the purchasing process as simple and intuitive as possible.
Long-term benefits and ROI of investing in user experience
Investments in UX pay off in the long term. An improved UX leads to higher conversion rates, greater customer satisfaction and stronger brand loyalty. Satisfied customers not only come back, but also recommend your online store to others, which can lead to organic growth. In addition, a good UX can reduce support and marketing costs, as fewer problems occur and satisfied customers are more likely to leave positive reviews or visit the store again. Overall, an investment in UX leads to a better return on investment (ROI) and strengthens the competitiveness of the online store.
