As my role as a UX tester and consultant for the last 5 years I have tested many ecommerce sites. From large global brands such as Amazon to small boutique stores based in the east end of London. Most test scenarios I am presented with for ecommerce store go something like this.

1. Search for a product.
2. Add it to your cart.
3. Complete the checkout process.

This is the fundamental flow every visitor will take on an ecommerce store and if designed poorly will result in users not even getting to step 2. The test scenarios are mostly the same and unfortunately so are the problems I encounter during my tests.

Here are 5 designs tips every ecommerce store needs to consider during its design.

Out of Stock

Clearly label inventory that is out of stock on the search pages. Nothing is more frustrating that clicking on a product you want to purchase only to find it is out of stock. A work around is to allow users to add their email address so they will get notified when the product comes back in stock. This way you don’t entirely lose the sale and collect an email address at the same time.

It’s important to put the out of stock notice on the browse product pages as it saves the user having to click on the product to see if it is out of stock. In the image above Hub Boutique store clearly highlight in red items that are out of stock.

Allow The User To Search Easily

No matter what page a user is on, they should always be able to easily access a search box. While browsing, consumers may get inspired by a product they saw and might want to search for something else. You should place the search box above the fold throughout all pages and make its position consistent throughout your website.

Detailed Filtering

It’s no good allowing a user to search for a product and then not allow them to further filter down their results. If you have a large inventory, filtering is one of the most important aspects to making the users experience a better one. No one wants to flip through 100 pages of products because they cannot narrow down their search.

Filters should be easy to add AND remove, you need to take this into account when designing your filters. Amazon and other large retailers allow you to select and deselect filters which make refining and broadening of the search pages quick and easy. What ever you do don’t force the user to go through the entire search process again just to select a different set of filters.

High Quality Images

The power of good photography should never be underestimated. Airbnb managed to turn their failing startup around by visiting users properties and photographing the apartments to make sure the listings had high quality, professional images. As a result they saw their profits double!

Product photography should document all aspects of the product. A user can’t be their in person to look at it, pick it up, or feel it. Your images have to do this for them. Always take images from multiple angles, close up and in their designed settings.

Excellent Product Descriptions

To match the high quality images on your product pages you should also have detailed, articulate descriptions. The descriptions should wow the user and paint a compelling argument as to why they need to purchase the product. A professional copywriter will likely do a better job at persuading the visitor, so consider investing in one if you cannot craft words that sell, sell, sell.

Along with the description always try to include detailed specifications about the product. Many people want to know dimensions and weights of products as sometimes an image doesn’t convey this accurately.

Do these 5 things right and your visitors will have an enjoyable shopping experience. Better usability and design has proven to increase conversions and should not be overlooked as a second tier task to the main product creation process. You can have the best product in the world but if you do not allow a user to easily find out why it is the best product in the world you will never make a sale.

What is your most annoying ecommerce design flaw? Tell me in the comments below.