Important notes to consider when it comes time to upgrade or fully redesign your BigCommerce eCommerce website.
As a BigCommerce eCommerce store owner, you’re pretty proud of your website and your operations. A lot of hard work went into developing that site, from the look and feel to creating the user experience, down to the inner workings where your staff will be making the magic happen behind the scenes. A lot of money went into that website, as well. Whether you had your own in-house developer or hired an outside BigCommerce design agency to transform your vision into a fully-functioning eCommerce website, it was an investment of time, money, and manpower to bring to life this essential part of your business.
And yet, chances are, it’s probably well past-due for another overhaul.
But, how can that be??? My website isn’t even that old!
How Often Should My Website be Redesigned?
According to Google, eCommerce companies should consider redesigning their websites every 2 to 3 years. The reason for this is that the eCommerce industry is deeply reliant on trends. Economical trends. Trends in shopper and consumer behavior. Trends in technology. Trends in art and visual design. Even trends in society, itself. eCommerce itself is born of technology and retail, both of which are constantly evolving. It makes absolute perfect sense that this is an industry that will never rest or relent. What was new and exciting a week ago can be considered outdated and archaic a month from now. Yes, trends such as these are just THAT finicky and eCommerce just happens to encompass some of the most time-sensitive trends in the world as we know it.
Elements of an Effective eCommerce Website
In order to achieve the best overall user experience for a website, there are five main components that must be included. For the design to work properly, each component must be able to stand on its own, as a single weak component can ruin the entire effort.
5 basic elements of an effective eCommerce website:
- Content
- Usability
- Aesthetics
- Visibility
- Interaction
Content
Any media that a viewer can consume, including text, images, and video, is considered content. The content of your website affects how it ranks with search engine optimization; engaging and interesting content will draw more attention to your website, whereas irrelevant content (making content just for the sake of creating content) will repel the public as well as search engines.
Usability
A website’s usability is the layout and navigation of the site. Even though everyone seems to be online these days, not everyone is familiar with how to use it. A successful website needs to be welcoming and accessible to all visitors; if they have to think about how to use your website, then they will likely leave it to shop elsewhere.
Aesthetics
You need to consider your company’s corporate image as well as the image you wish to project to the public when designing your website. Don’t be afraid to learn about the current design trends being utilized by industry leaders in your chosen field. Staying modern is especially important, since having an older layout or relying on traditional design cues could potentially send the wrong message to your website’s viewers.
Visibility
Basically, SEO, marketing, and advertising your website. As you’ve probably heard, no matter how good your prices and selection of merchandise are, it won’t matter if the customers don’t even know you exist. By generating relevant content that engages viewers, planning out and perfecting your SEO strategies, and taking advantage of the viral marketing possibilities through social media, you can improve the visibility of your website. In order to rank higher in the search engines, your website needs to be seen by as many eyes as possible.
Interaction
A website works in much the same way as a physical storefront; it welcomes shoppers, entices them to make a purchase, convinces them to do so, and then assists them with the purchase process. A business cannot exist without customers, no matter the size of it. eCommerce websites that effectively use all 5 principles of good web design will increase their conversion rates, thereby increasing their potential for business growth.
Many, Many, Many First Impressions
A well-known saying goes: “You only have one chance to make a good first impression.” This is true in web design, but your website makes a first impression on every new visitor that visits it, much like a one-on-one, face-to-face interpersonal encounter. You’ll literally be getting the first impressions from your website from thousands of people. In order to make a lasting impression, your website must immediately hook and retain the viewer’s attention just long enough for them to want to explore your website further–hopefully, with the end goal of making a purchase. This study by Taylor & Francis found that you have just 50 milliseconds, or 0.05 seconds, to make a good first impression with your website. Your business depends on those 50 milliseconds, so make the most out of them!
Complacency Kills
You will need to update and maintain your website constantly to keep it compatible with advances in technology, as well as conform to the changing trends in modern design as internet technology evolves at an exponential rate. In keeping with our discussion of good first impressions, if your homepage looks dated and outdated–even if it is technically sound–it won’t exactly inspire the public to shop with you. Keeping an eye on what your direct competitors do on their own websites can help you determine whether they are at the forefront of modern design, or if they have settled into a design that was once considered cutting-edge and ultra-modern, but has since faded from popularity. Watch out for what the best retail brands are doing, but stay away from Amazon because, despite Amazon’s eCommerce dominance, their homepage design and basic web layout haven’t changed much over the years.
Custom BigCommerce Web Design with Diztinct
At Diztinct, we are eCommerce professionals with 2 decades of experience in custom website design and development. We’ve designed and built websites and marketplaces for companies of all sizes; ranging from small independents to large corporations. Our work has been recognized and awarded by some of the top names in the eCommerce industry and we’ve had the privilege to work with globally-renowned companies and brands such as QVC, Clorox, Dickies, Crocs, and Dooney & Bourke among others. Diztinct also has the honor of being certified design partners with BigCommerce. This means that when you hire Diztinct to build your BigCommerce website, you will be working closely with officially-recognized BigCommerce design experts who know the ins and outs of the platform and will get you the most of what BigCommerce has to offer for your online business.
Are you ready to give your website and your business the Diztinct advantage over the competition? If so, let’s talk. Get in touch with us today and get ready to make your website work for you.