In a world that is increasingly moving towards the digital space, an e-commerce site serves as a virtual showroom where businesses can showcase their products. How buyers perceive this virtual showroom can have similar effects on sales as physical stores: show them in a neat, pleasant environment, and customers feel more compelled to buy; present them in an old, dingy environment, and buyers are more likely to leave and browse elsewhere.
Many ecommerce business owners who have had online stores for years, even decades, find that if their current designs already look and work well, there is no need to make a change. However, as the e-commerce industry grows and shoppers become more picky, this will likely lead to a decline in sales (if it hasn’t already). Here are some reasons why online store owners should invest in keeping their ecommerce site designs in step with the times.
Modern designs are inherently conversion-focused.
E-commerce sites designed just a few years ago were built to meet the needs of the web and its buyers, as they were then. Shopping on mobile phones and tablets is steadily growing in popularity (mobile traffic alone represents 54.4% of all Internet traffic in the fourth quarter of 2021), advancing the need for responsive site designs which adapt to each device. Additionally, SEO best practices are constantly changing to stay compliant with new search engine rules, and old site designs were not designed with the newest rules in mind.
A modern and well-planned site design meets Today SEO Standards, meaning ecommerce sites that adopt them tend to rank higher in searches. With responsive design now the industry standard, modern site designs work equally well across devices, leading to fewer abandoned carts as shoppers become frustrated with the experience on their chosen device .
Modern designs create a positive first impression.
In many cases, your business website is the first time shoppers encounter your brand. It is therefore crucial to create a good first impression. Buyers who land on a site that appears to be well designed tend to have more trust credibility of the site: After all, if a company is willing to spend money to make its site look good, it is probably a legitimate company and worth buying.
New ecommerce site designs are also created with a more advanced user experience, making it easier for shoppers to navigate and make a purchase. A study found that 42% of people will leave a website due to poor functionality. Buyers will remember a negative user experience and not come back to a site that offers one, so in this case it’s best to provide a user experience that is so simple that they don’t even notice it.
Modern designs hold customers’ attention longer.
It is a known fact that in general, people like to look at other people and things that seem attractive to them. This is a valuable aspect of psychology to incorporate into your site: if it looks more attractive with a more contemporary design, buyers will stay on your site longer because they admire it. Many marketing companies include updating the website design in their suggested steps for reduce bounce rateswhich allows more time for emotions to enter the purchasing process.
Modern designs frame your products attractively.
If your products are the work of art, your ecommerce site is the framework. Even the best Van Gogh painting can have its beauty diminished by an old, cheap-looking frame barely held together by aging glue. Along the same lines, if your products look great on their own but are featured on a site that looks outdated and unappealing, they will appear less appealing overall, even if they are in mint condition. Maintaining a site that looks new and attractive makes the products on it appear that way too and gives buyers a more positive perception of your brand. Actually, 50% of consumers I believe that web design is crucial to a company’s overall brand.
Modern designs help you beat the competition.
If nothing else has convinced you, consider this: your competitors are still doing everything possible to be buyers’ number one choice. If they haven’t already, they will soon discover that an e-commerce site that appears to have been designed recently is a more attractive option, even if the prices are a little higher. Customers are more likely to purchase from a site that looks more professional in general, so make sure your site looks fresher compared to your competitors to elevate your brand above theirs.
Final Thoughts
Constantly refreshing the overall look and feel of your ecommerce site design is an important key to ecommerce success. By keeping your site’s appearance in line with current visual trends, you ensure that buyers feel a stronger sense of trust and positivity towards your brand, leading to opportunities for growth and expansion.
Looking for expert help to create a modern site that converts? Contact StudioThe team of professional web designers offers site design services at different levels.
