Since the main intention of an e-commerce website is to sell the products, the aim of this post is to speak volumes about one of the most important and critical element to online success which is the design and structure of the website.“Many e-commerce sites aren’t the most attractive websites”( Vandelay Design, 2008) . Generally the content and images are clustered together giving a very messy design and background to the website. The following picture below is an example of a very messy and inappropriate web design :
An effective e-commerce website organizes their stocks and products into categories that are easy for online shoppers. It is time consuming to categorise, subcategorise and cross-categorize products but it will be worth the time and effort. Visitors will be customers if they can find what they want and what you’re selling. “One of the myths of ecommerce is that all of your pages should be within a click or two of the home page”( 10 Fundamentals for E-commerce success ) . This is wrong as people will continue to find for a product as long as they think they’re on the right track, even if it requires a couple of more clicks. There should be a logical sequence to follow so that the customer won’t get lost within the different sections of the website.
Make sure the names of the categories are clear and precise. For example “if you sell bedding, avoid cute category names like ‘Fluffy Stuff’ (10 Fundamentals for E-commerce success ). Visitors are more likely looking for ‘pillows’ and ‘comforters’. Shoppers visit an e-commerce site with the hope that they might find the product they want. The more closely the website can match and live to their customer’s expectations, the better the site will perform. The website should also offer links to the related search items. The suggestion links should be well defined and organized.
Famous companies such as Amazon which has established itself as the leader in e-commerce promote helpful reviews on media products such as books, movies and music. Promoting such helpful reviews has caused their sales to increase by 20% ( User Interface Engineering, 2009). The Amazon website that pertains to online shopping for electronics, books, movies, music, etc. has a very simple and subtle web design which creates a wonderful shopping experience.
The picture above shows the home page where there a just a few , clean, and distinct elements which can catch the customer's eye. The navigation section in the upper left clearly shows how the user is able to find and purchase the products needed quickly. "Prominence" and " Usability" are the two main key features of the website's structure.
The " Fix this recommendation" link pops up a window that explains why the item was recommended and gives the user to change it . Usually an item is recommended based on prior purchase or traced shopping habits.
The following picture echoes a series of well defined and well placed navigation elements. The first element at the top left screen as seen in the picture shows the store categories, giving shoppers an easy access to products. The second element are links for logging out and recommendations. The section appears at the top, either above or at eye level with the logo. The third element contains the " Cart" and " Wish List" . Gradually leading to the fourth element which is when a user views a product page , they are invited to add that item to their shopping cart or wish list. The element is placed at the right of the product with product details. Finally the fifth element is called the " used and new" where customers are given more purchase options at the bottom right of the page.
This shows a comparison of the various customer reviews and ratings. This allows the users to view both, positive and negative reviews of the product.
The above mentioned strong features of Amazon should help users understand how a good wed design helps shape a positive online experience. The design and structure of the website is sometimes taken for granted and not considered important in determining the success of the business, however as read above it does play a vital role in enhancing the organization and credibility of the website.
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