6 tips on creating a trustworthy ecommerce web design for 2014
Ecommerce will continue to accelerate in the coming years. As developers and designers, expect to receive more work for ecommerce client. This is good news but at the same, it also demands a different kind of skill sets as ecommerce web design differs from a corporate or personal website design. One of the most important element in ecommerce web design is to inspire trust n the visitors. That is how they will be motivated to buy online, rather than through their nearby offline stores. However, inspiring trust using web design is not easy and below are some common tips that you can use to create a more trustworthy ecommerce web design.
Tip 1: Create social proof
One of the latest technique in creating trust is to incorporate data from social networks to show users what their social circles have been buying. This is a powerful way of inspiring trust since users know that they have friends who have purchased these products before. Learn what kind of numbers or figures you can mine from the social data to present on the product page such that it creates trust immediately.
Tips 2: Use recognised experts
For certain product types such as medical or profession, showing well known experts recommending the products is one of the best way to instill trust. Imagine an ecommerce book store using the recommendations of Orpah Winfrey to promote books. The challenge is to connect to these experts who might not be always available to your client.
Tips 3: Have a good structure to present info
Online shoppers need a lot of information before committing a purchase. These information must be presented logically and be easily searchable. This is where a well structured ecommerce web design will really help. If your site structure doesn’t do this well, the information might be all over the place.
Tips 4: Return policy
Any ecommerce web design must put the return policy promptly in the face of visitors to assure them that any purchased can be returned. This will build confidence in the consumer to actually buy the product. Don’t hide the return policy in the footer or places where it is not visible enough for the average visitor to notice.
Tips 5: Present photos beautifully
Photos are an absolute must in any ecommerce website. Designers or developers need to assess what is the best way to present these images. In fact, giving ways for user to interact with the photos via zooming, enlarging, sharing etc are important details that help potential buyers convert to actual customers.
Tip 6: Create space for storytelling
Increasing, storytelling web design is a effective way to let visitors know the background of your product. People don’t always apply logic when buying stuff. A good story can appeal to the emotional aspect of the visitors which in turn can help to better convert them to buyers. In your web design, you need to create a relevant place where the stories can be told effectively.