Is your e-commerce site out of fashion? If you haven’t updated it lately, it may very well be. Advances in technology have enabled forward-thinking retailers to create sites designed to entrance customers, and leave the competition looking as fashion-forward as the local Goodwill.
More personalization. Use of cutting-edge visualizations and AI. Better communication tools. All of these will be the factors that set retailers apart in 2023.
2023 e-Commerce Design Trends
Enhanced product listings
Product listings haven’t gotten much of an upgrade since the days of the catalog. Other than an embracing of quirky copy, most product listings are the same: paragraph description followed by product bullet points for technical details.
That is, they haven’t gotten much of an upgrade until now.
With advances in VR and 3-D technology, product descriptions today are blowing consumers’ minds.
Some fashion retailers are using this technology to show how clothing moves on a model. Some beauty retailers are using it to show how lotion or makeup blends in with your skin. Some have added special effects to their products’ beauty photos to add more visual interest.
Other retailers have embraced a version of AI that allows shoppers to upload their photos to virtually try on a product. This feature is most prominent on the websites of eyewear retailers. Consumers don’t like the high price of eyewear purchased at a brick-and-mortar store but are hesitant to buy eyewear from an online retailer when something that doesn’t fit can impact their vision. This technology solves that problem for online eyewear retailers that are offering glasses and contacts at much lower prices.
This kind of AI technology also allows customers to manipulate product images to view the product from all sides. They can upload photos to paint websites to see what a specific color would look like in their room. The uses are only limited by a retailer’s imagination.
All of these more in-depth and enhanced product descriptions have given shoppers a better sense of what they’re buying which has led to higher conversions and sales for the retailers that have implemented them.
Unconventional layouts
It’s a known fact in web design that users prefer to spend their time online looking at things they consider beautiful. Unfortunately, that doesn’t naturally include the Amazon-style product layout pages that list rows and rows of similar products. While this kind of structured product page is easy to build and maintain, it’s kind of a drag for users to look at.
That’s why some retailers have begun thinking outside of the box when it comes to product page layouts.
Embracing an unconventional grid layout, you will stand out as a modern and edgy retailer. You can also use the new layout to inconspicuously draw attention to certain products without specifically calling them out to the viewer.
Double-use product pages
More and more consumers are buying products straight from the product page, rather than the traditional way of navigating through the retailer’s homepage.
This gives e-commerce stores the unique opportunity to enhance these product pages with more features traditionally found on homepages. This lets shoppers browse related products and serves as a secondary entry point to the webpage.
This is a much more convenient shopping experience for the consumer, which they are always looking for.
Interesting delivery boxes
Your customer’s branded experience doesn’t have to end once you’ve sent them their order confirmation email. More and more retailers are reimaging their shipping materials to provide a fun surprise to their customers when their products arrive.
These boxes are a great way to enhance brand loyalty through enhanced brand recognition, a fun purchasing experience, and more exposure to your brand colors and even social channel mentions. For brands that pride themselves on eco-friendliness, packaging provides another way to underscore that commitment through the use of recycled and eco-friendly packaging products.Personalized product recommendations There is nothing more popular online than the social media quiz. People love to find out which character from Game of Thrones they are or which color best represents their personality and share their results with their friends. Why wouldn’t they want to take a fun quiz that can help guide them to the perfect product for them?
Even beyond the products ​you​ think are right for them, they are also interested in the product experience of your other customers. Adding in customer reviews or advice for product use are ways to help your potential customers connect with your products in new and powerful ways.
Shop from social
Today’s consumers do everything from social media channels. They connect with their friends, family, and favorite retailers. They watch shows and videos of clips from their favorite shows. They are also starting to shop from social media.
Instagram and Facebook have implemented tools that enable customers to shop directly through retailer social media posts. The number one rule of UX experience is to make things as easy as possible for the consumer. There is nothing easier for a consumer than clicking on a post with a product they love and being taken straight to the place they can purchase it.
Better chatbots
Chatbots have been around forever. But there is a reason we are talking about them in this list of 2023 design trends. It’s because they are better than ever. They are more than capable of helping your customers make purchasing decisions, all without the clunky and antisocial language that has turned consumers off in the past.
They are still the same virtual, inexpensive assistants that you have needed. They are still available 24/7 to provide your customers with unmatched convenience. And now they are sophisticated enough to not annoy the people who need to use them.
Conclusion
2020 is the year that e-commerce stores launch themselves into the twenty-first century. If you embrace these trends now, you will be the modern, cutting-edge retailer that consumers will be talking about to their friends. If you wait a few years, you’ll just be one of the many stores struggling to catch up to the pack.
