Usability of a website simply refers to how easy a site is for a user to navigate. Usability should be a priority for ecommerce site owners. Usability directly affects your site’s bounce rate, conversion rate, sales numbers, and other important metrics.
Improving the usability of a site is not a one-time thing. Usability should be improved overtime as more components are added to the website. It should ideally start with the website design process. Here are several tips that will help you improve the usability of your ecommerce website:
Keep Important Information Above-the-Fold
Above the fold is a term commonly used in the newspaper industry. It refers to everything a reader sees on the top half when the newspaper is folded. On paper stands, customers usually pay attention only to this top half. That’s why all the important headlines go there.
The concept works the same in web design. Remember, you have a matter of seconds to grab the attention of a user. Don’t expect the user to scroll down for more info. To grab a user’s attention, the most compelling components of the website should be above-the-fold. Use this space to provide the necessary information that keeps users wanting to browse further.
Include a Highly Refined Search Function
Want a highly converting website? For ecommerce websites, the search feature is essential to retain traffic and drive conversions. The search box should be prominent and above-the-fold as described above. In addition, it should allow users to refine their searchers using various terms, such as shopping category, price, or shipping method.
You can determine the search conditions based on customer data. Building a complex and refined search engine may not be easy. Therefore, hire the right CMS designers, such as Shopify developers, to add this functionality to the website.
Avoid a Cluttered Look
In your rush to provide all the important information to retain customers, there’s a risk of offering just too much information in a limited amount of space. To maximise the usability of your website, avoid unnecessary clutter. The website look must be smooth and minimalist as possible.
Clutter, like too many CTA buttons, can get in the way of a user’s browsing. The browsing experience should be smooth and seamless to retain customers. Eliminate clutter to facilitate that and keep the bounce rate as low as possible.
Make Essential Buttons Easy to Access
What if a customer wants to add a product to a shopping cart now? What if they want to share a product? Anticipate such needs and provide the tools necessary right away. It’s very important to make sure all the tools are in the right place when a customer needs it.
For example, the shopping cart button should be readily available next to all the products. For sharing content, offer social media links close to the content. Likewise, make it as convenient as possible for a site visitor to use the site. This is one of the best ways to improve the usability of a website.
Try the above to make sure your website is easy to use for anyone who visits. Aim for the smoothest navigation possible to retain incoming traffic.
Tags: Shopify developers