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The global pandemic that began in 2020 changed the way most people performed their daily chores. From working from home to ordering groceries, this event led to some of the most convenient (and contactless) ways of completing transactions online. This also opened up several opportunities for e-commerce website design and development.
As the world continues to adapt to the new normal, more and more e-commerce websites are looking for web development services they can utilise to ensure that they aren’t getting left behind. After all, with most transactions being reserved if not completed online, the competition has become fiercer than ever.
Before we walk you through the future of e-commerce website design and development, let’s go through the first things first.
What Is an E-Commerce Website?
E-commerce or Electrical Commerce is simply the process of using various digital and online platforms to facilitate the purchase and sale of products or services. An e-commerce website refers to a web page that’s dedicated to this specific task. Every website comes with its own unique concepts and is designed for the market they intend to serve.
Why Is It Important?
There are several reasons why sellers and resellers use e-commerce websites. Apart from the most obvious one (using it for transactions), it’s also an excellent platform for business owners to establish their brand’s reputation. But, they should avoid being known as just a marketplace.
The goal should always be to use the website to promote brand awareness and make the necessary efforts to associate their product to the branding. This then enables customers to eventually associate their branding with a specific category of their personal needs.
Now that you know what an e-commerce website is and why it’s relevant, we can start discussing the future of e-commerce website design and development. Here are the latest website design and development trends for e-commerce websites.
Mobile-First Tactic
One global survey done at the beginning of March 2020 showed that 70% of the respondents used their mobile devices more as a result of the pandemic. Although the numbers vary significantly depending on the country, the general data shows a rising trend in mobile users when it comes to accessing websites, media, and completing transactions online. This is why it’s recommended for e-commerce websites to create a mobile responsive design.
Traditionally, web design and SEO services were focused on the desktop version of websites. And then happened. This Google algorithm update, released on April 21st 2015, prioritised websites that display well on mobile devices, tablets, and smartphones. However, it doesn’t affect searches made from a laptop or a personal desktop computer.
The latest trend shows that more designers are using a mobile-first tactic which means creating a mobile-optimised website first and then making it responsive for desktop users. This makes it easier for e-commerce shoppers to browse through products and services and have a seamless buying experience.
Conversational Bot Communications
In the past, you would’ve found it hard to find a web development and SEO company that will encourage you to put a That’s not the case anymore. An emerging trend on having a virtual shopping assistant is slowly becoming the standard when it comes to making online purchases. In fact, some users have started complaining when they can’t get a hold of someone to help them with a specific item or the navigation tools in general.
Chatbots or conversational bots can now be incorporated into websites with the purpose of providing users with quick and accessible smart assistance without the need for an actual human on the other side of the screen. As it is powered by Artificial Intelligence, it can be designed to be efficient and engaging at the same time.
So, as part of web development and SEO services offered by digital companies, e-commerce website owners should work on getting a chatbot on their website. This is one of those helpful trends that makes the entire process easy for the users and demands fewer resources from the business owners. Sales and communication automation can easily make a website stand out from the rest.
Cinemagraph Utilization
After the prolific use of GIFs in e-commerce websites years back, a new trend is found to be emerging. Cinemagraphs are still pictures that have small pleasant animations added into them. The tiny movements are easier on the eyes and don’t distract users and shoppers while they try to navigate the website. They can be used anywhere from the product or service image, banners, or headers.
If you’re thinking about paying for web development services, be sure to ask the designer about cinemagraphs. Although these animations won’t guarantee that your users will actually buy your product or schedule a service, they can help contribute to your website’s look, which also translates to your online presence. Remember to have a specific concept in mind that reflects your business goals and let the design follow.
Material Design Use
Material design is a design language from Google that’s optimised for onscreen touch experiences. It’s all about using vibrant, realistic, and immersive images to enhance the visual and practical user experience. Consistently ensuring the responsiveness and the navigational ease of your website will make you the preferred e-commerce site of existing and prospective customers. A well-built and organised page also has the potential to attract new customers just on aesthetic value alone.
When building your pages or having someone professionally maintain it, remember to be proactive in the website design and development. This stage is where you ask developers and designers to utilise material design to ensure the visual prowess of your site. The more involved you are in the process, the higher the chance you will love the results.
Showcase of Bright Colours
Remember the times when people frowned upon bright colours in anything? Well, those days are over. 2017 marked the year when people started becoming more accepting of new levels of website vibrancy and explosions of bright palettes. More and more pages are also taking a hard look on colour psychology and how the use of certain colours especially in website design and development can greatly affect how users respond.
How you choose to utilise colours in your website can set a web user’s mood and behaviour towards the content you’re offering. And as you know, a person’s emotions greatly influence shopping habits. Take advantage of this information and use it to your website’s advantage. Especially during this pandemic, you have a greater shot at making your web presence known through your colour choices.
Retirement of Pagination
For those unfamiliar, pagination is a browsing system where users have to click on a certain button to load consecutive pages. As you would expect, content with multiple items on them can easily become a chore because of this. It could also potentially break the concentration of the user. In 2017, this very tiresome system would be replaced by scrolling pages and will start becoming the new standard in e-commerce websites.
More modern web development services now prioritise scrolling pages for a smoother and more convenient shopping experience. And if you’re thinking about having your website optimised, this is one of the ways you can do so. This also doesn’t just apply to your products or services pages. If you feature blogs or have a gallery of your employees on your website, it’s still great for the site visitors to have a smooth browsing experience by not having to keep loading pages. Seriously, nobody in the fast digital world has the time for that.
High-Resolution Visuals
With more mobile devices coming with high-resolution cameras comes a new wave of Internet users who are so spoiled when it comes to image quality. As mobile devices upgrade their displays, users start looking down on low-quality images. Nowadays, grainy and blurry images are considered unprofessional looking, and some people even consider them red flags. A poorly made website can even be suspected of being riddled with viruses or created by hackers.
The good is that almost if not all web development services are now being designed to include the page or business owners in the creation process. This means that if you are one, you have the option to let designers and developers know of your preferences when it comes to visuals. The better the resolution, the more that users will enjoy navigating or even sharing your page around.
Additionally, you can ask them to add video content for those who don’t like still pictures or those who don’t want to read through lengthy content. If the videos can come with subtitles (so there’s no need for a transcript), you can do that. Visually appealing pages can lure new customers and retain existing ones better.
Website Design and Development Trends: What They Mean for E-Commerce Websites
The abovementioned ongoing top trends are just some of the things you can do to improve your existing site. As you know, knowledge is information. The more you know about what users are looking for, the more targeted your approach will be in reaching that goal. Sure, content is king. But, if you place quality content on a page that nobody even wants to look at, then you lose the value of that content anyway. You need to make them work hand in hand to achieve results.
Hopefully, these trends can provide you with guidance as you develop your own or have someone develop your website for you. This way, you can stay ahead of competitors in this never-ending digital race.