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Customers often rely on their gut feeling when deciding which store to purchase an item in. But this doesn't mean that your business' success is simply a game of chance. Customers will associate your store's design - its look & feel - with specific emotions. A good design can also improve your store's usability and ensure that customers have a positive shopping experience. We want to inspire you with five of the hottest web design trends in e-commerce.
Trend 1: Minimalism
The saying "less is more" certainly applies when it comes to web design. Stores that use too many different design elements feel cluttered and chaotic. They tend to negatively impact a customer's opinion of the store. When designing your store, make sure that you do not distract or confuse your customers by overusing visual elements.
Trend 2: Hidden menus
Some web designers take minimalism to the next level by incorporating hidden menus. The user only sees the highest category level, e.g. "Women". The rest of the options do not become visible until the user moves his or her mouse over the menu. Hidden menus were first used for mobile versions of websites. However, they are quickly gaining popularity for desktop versions as well. Such menus are useful in only showing your customers the information that they are actually searching for.
trendsetting in 2016: speed-buster.de designed by BS-Style.
Trend 3: Storytelling
People love stories. Good stories appeal to a customer's emotions, which makes them an enormous conversion booster in e-commerce and other fields. Sellers can use so-called scroll activated animations to enhance their stories with graphics. Such animations are especially well-suited for emphasising campaigns or seasonal sales.
Trend 4: Grids
What began with Pinterest has now made its way to the latest Windows operating systems: grids. One major advantage of a grid design is that it can easily be displayed on various end devices. This is especially important for mobile commerce.
Trend 5: Large images
Online stores began implementing large-scale images over the last few years. These design elements are especially well-suited for highlighting individual products in your online store. They are popular both on the store's homepage and on individual product pages. Large images have the potential to draw your customers into a product. They are a great way to entice customers into making the purchase.
Current web design trends favour minimalistic designs that look good on all end devices. Graphic elements like animations and large-scale images appeal to your customers' emotions and emphasise the stories that live in each of your products.