UX stands for User Experience, which is just another word for customer experience. However, in this case, ‘user’ is a broader term, unlike ‘customer’, which implies that the person has already made or is planning to make a purchase. A user is anyone who visits your shop; your goal is to turn them into a customer.

UX is becoming a bit of a buzzword online recently. But the user experience doesn’t solely apply to online shops.

On the high street, the user experience encompasses all aspects of your interaction with the company, from how easy it was to find the store and park up once you arrived, to the product ranges on offer and how friendly and helpful the staff were if you needed assistance.

It’s something that you’re probably already aware of when you go out shopping. You already know which brands you enjoy visiting and would return to, and you’re pretty sure which brands won’t be getting your custom again. Maybe it was a lack of suitable products. It could have been rude employees. Either way, a bad user experience is bad for a brand.

So, how does the user experience translate to your online shop? You don’t have to worry about parking spaces or offering disabled access, but the truth is that there’s lots to think about when selling online. And with so many hundreds of thousands of e-commerce websites out there today, it’s an outstanding user experience that’s going to make yours stand out for all the right reasons.

Mobile Shopping

Every single expert on the subject will tell you that your site needs to be easy and simple to use – that’s a given. But this becomes even more important when your users are browsing on their mobile. Today, almost everybody has access to a smart device that they will use for browsing online; smartphones, tablets and phablets are quickly taking over from the traditional laptop or PC. In fact, smartphone sales made up for half of all e-commerce sales in the UK last year, and it’s a number that’s expected to continue rising.

Making sure that your website is fully responsive is a must. Content that resizes and reflows in response to the device that your user is viewing it on will make sure of a seamless UX. If your user has to pinch and zoom to find their way around or click on links, you’re losing out.

Find out more about creating a responsive, modern online shop by booking your free Shopblocks demo today.

Easy Checkout

Your online store’s main goal is to encourage visitors to complete purchases. But abandoned carts are becoming an increasingly larger issue for online shops in the UK, costing businesses a staggering total of £18bn in potential sales every single year.

The reason? More often than not, users abandon their baskets due to a complicated, lengthy checkout process. If they can purchase the same items somewhere else without being required to fill out boxes with their details, then they probably will.

Make your checkout process as simple and hassle-free as possible by:

• Not requiring customers to have an account – sure, give them the option to create an account later, but don’t ask them to fill out all their personal details before they’re able to make a purchase.

• Keeping it secure: No green padlock in the browser? Your customer may well change their mind at the last minute. Nobody wants to risk having their card details stolen, which is exactly why we offer SSL encryption as standard at Shopblocks.

• Offering a range of payment options: Shopblocks integrates with Stripe, WorldPay, PayPal and many more secure payment gateways. Everybody’s preferences are different when it comes to paying, so offer as large a variety of payment options as you can.

• Keeping delivery costs transparent: Additional costs at the checkout is one of the biggest causes of cart abandonment. Nobody wants to find out that their purchase is going to cost them a lot more than they expected. Make sure that delivery charges and options are visible throughout the shopping process, so your customers know exactly what to expect.

Personalise Product Recommendations

Thinking in terms of one product is a common issue for online store owners. Many start out thinking that their customer will visit their online shop and just purchase one product; in the long run, this is a limiting mindset that can keep you from making a profit.

Who says that your customers have to stop at just one product? Let’s take Amazon, for example – when you shop with them, they don’t just stick with the product you’re buying. Instead, they make helpful suggestions based on similar products or add-on items that can be used alongside your choice. You will also be shown relevant items based on what other shoppers with similar browsing and purchasing trends have bought.

In fact, this infographic from Invesp Consulting found that 59% of online shoppers believe that it’s easier to find more interesting products online when personalised recommendations are provided. Statistics show that:

• 56% of shoppers are more likely to return to an online store that recommends products.

• 45% of online shoppers are more likely to actively choose a site that offers personalised recommendations.

• 59% of marketers have seen an improvement in ROI after personalising their online stores.

Here are Shopblocks we understand the growing importance of providing personalised product recommendations to your customers. Not only does it vastly improve the user experience; it will also encourage your customers to make bigger purchases and return to your brand. That’s why product recommendations are included in our service as standard.

Keep the Site Design Sleek and Simple

Have you ever visited a website that’s got so much going on you don’t know where to look first, let alone where to click? Not good, right?

Here at Shopblocks, we provide you with all the design tools that you need for an online shop that’s sleek, simple and modern. A simple design makes for uncomplicated browsing because it’s easy on the eye and doesn’t confuse the user.

Do:

• Stick to minimal colours: One or two brand colours combined with accent colours for links and headers is fine. Your site doesn’t have to look like a rainbow to stand out!

• Focus on menu design: The menu is a focal point of your site and it’s where your customer will immediately head to find the products that they’re looking for. Keep it clean, simple and divided into as many sections and sub-sections as necessary to quickly direct the customer to their destination.

• Use high-quality, interesting images: These will catch the attention of your viewer and immediately showcase what your brand is about.

• Keep customers informed: Use BlockLab to add temporary banners to the top of your homepage to let your customers know about seasonal discounts, special offers and deals.

Don’t:

• Clutter your website: Keep things short, sweet and to the point when it comes to providing information. Less is more!

• Make things difficult to find: Statistics show that nothing frustrates visitors more than not being able to easily navigate a website.

• Make it hard to read: Great content can make all the difference to your website, but not if your visitors can’t read it! Avoid unnecessarily elaborate typefaces, brightly coloured wording, or posting massive chunks of text with no breaks.

• Use a brightly coloured background: A bright, non-neutral background can be quite off-putting and could make your website content difficult to read.

Here at Shopblocks, we understand that the user experience is the most important aspect of your site. That’s why BlockLab is designed with both you and your user in mind. Start your free trial today to find out more.