The world of e-commerce is highly competitive. If you’re selling merchandise online, you are up against thousands and thousands of other web pages doing the exact same thing. So, you need to make sure that you stand out from the crowd for all the right reasons.
That’s where responsive design comes into play. If you haven’t heard about this type of website design, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a look at the basics. Here’s why you should consider updating your current web design sooner rather than later.
The Boost in E-commerce
Experts actually believe that by the year 2021 e-commerce will account for a quarter of all retail sales in the UK. There’s a whole load of money to be made if you get things right from the offset. For that reason, we can’t underestimate the importance of web design for e-commerce sites. If you want to compete in the online shopping market, ensuring that consumers can find your site and also use it on a mobile device is essential.
What is responsive design?
Before we go any further, let’s deal with the most obvious question here: What actually is responsive design? Essentially, this is a type of website design that adapts to the type of device on which a person is viewing it. That means that the page will look slightly different on a tablet or phone screen to the way it appears on a full laptop screen.
Much of the time, responsive design works by compressing the existing page to work on a mobile platform. For example, you may find that the menu is read vertically on mobile but horizontally on a desktop. When the web design for e-commerce sites is done well, the transition between the two platforms should be seamless.
The overriding idea here is that the web design for e-commerce and other sites is functional on every possible platform. After all, you need to make the entire shopping experience as easy as you can for the customer. That way you can ensure that they will come back for more and become a loyal follower of your brand.
Why is responsive design important?
Now that you’ve got an understanding of what responsive design is, let’s talk about why it is vital to modern-day businesses. You have likely heard a whole load of hype surrounding this particular type of design. However, understanding why it is important for your e-commerce site is a whole different kettle of fish. Here are some of the reasons it matters.
The Rise of Mobile Internet
Online shopping no longer happens largely on a desktop. The truth of the matter is that more people than ever are using their mobile phones (and, in some cases, tablets!) to buy things online. Last year, a massive 52% of global website traffic was generated through smartphones, according to the latest statistics.
Put simply, the majority of people who are surfing the net are doing it on their mobile phone these days. Plus, there’s no doubt that online shopping is convenient. These two factors combined have changed consumer behaviour drastically. Getting ahead and making sure that your site is primed for various platforms is the only way to go.
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How does your website rank right now? Thanks to mobile-first indexing, the design of your website could affect where you appear in search results. Back in 2017, Google announced that they would be looking at mobile sites as well as desktop sites when ranking them.
If you’re looking for a way in which to improve your SEO, making sure that your web design is responsive is one of the major factors. The better you optimise your site for a mobile platform, the higher it could ultimately rank. In the end, that equals more exposure for your e-commerce site which could turn into sales.
User Experience is Key
Is your website easy to use? Really think about this question. Try to see things from the average consumer’s perspective. The truth is that the user experience of your site could make or break your business. Having excellent web design for e-commerce sites is more than a mere bonus in the modern world. It’s a necessity.
While non-responsive sites may look awesome on a desktop, that won’t necessarily translate to a mobile site. Taking a little extra time to design a site that works for smartphones as well could make all the difference when it comes to your sales. Needless to say, this should be one of your top priorities.
Losing Customers is a Real Danger
Worried about losing customers? The type of design that you choose will play a major role here. When consumers see poor web design for e-commerce sites, it could turn them off. In fact, 53% of users will abandon a website if it takes more than three seconds to load, according to research from Google. Optimising your site for mobile phones may mean that you can avoid issues, such as this one. Let’s face it – the last thing you want is to lose out.
Conclusion
As you may have realised by now, responsive web design is entirely vital to your e-commerce business. If you’re hoping to win more customers and get return customers, your page has to work well on a mobile platform. It’s that simple. Failing to get this part of the user experience right could be a fatal mistake. It’s one that you don’t want to make.
The shift toward mobile e-commerce is an undeniable one. The current trends show that more and more people are using smartphones to purchase things online. It’s a sector that’s set to boom in the years to come.
Making that process super straightforward and simple from the offset is a great way to future-proof your brand. With that in mind, why not consider revamping your current e-commerce site today? It might just be the smartest move you could make.
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