Keeping Ecommerce Simple with Clear Categories and Simple Layouts 

Running an online store is a world away from the traditional bricks and mortar shop experience. Many online retailers differ in one key area - they don’t make it as easy for customers as they possibly can to find what they are looking for.Consider your weekly supermarket shop. When you go to the store you already know loosely what you want. Even if they are only browsing, most shoppers will have a category or categories they’re interested in. With so many items on sale, supermarket designers attempt to departmentalise as much as they possibly can.You don’t stick sausages next to the Christmas stocking fillers now do you? That’s not to say any given shopper might not see and be tempted by some peppery Cumberland’s while picking out the kid’s stocking gifts, but it’s hardly an easy to follow layout. “Yeah, just keep going till you see the Terry’s Chocolate Oranges and the sausages are on the shelf nearby…”Most supermarkets provide aisles that are clearly categorised with large overhead signs outlining the type of products you’ll find in that space. Why is it then that so many ecommerce stores try to be clever with their main navigation and home pages? 90% of providing a positive user experience for the online shopper is about keeping the experience simple.

Creating a useful, intuitive user experience Take your big categories of products or services and show them clearly in the main navigation.Use filters within the store and include search functionality to allow users to greater refine their browsing.Get them to a page showing relevant products as quickly as possible. Then they enter shopping mode and are more likely to stay on site and as such, more likely to buy.ASOS.com is a superb example of a multigender fashion ecommerce website with an enormous SKU (unique product) catalogue. The web design makes it effortless to search, browse and buy. Even if your business is considerably smaller, don’t feel the need to make the site look bigger than it is, follow the same mantra and make it as easy as possible to get to exactly what the user is looking for as soon as they enter the door.This doesn’t mean all creativity goes out the window though. You can still have your window display and seasonal areas. For a store that regularly adds new items a ‘New In’ section is a great idea. As is having a slider or a prominent home page tile or click through area for seasonal or promotional activity. Again, this is exactly the same mantra as the pop-up Easter Egg isle at your supermarket. Pre-select products for these areas or depending on your ecommerce set up and platform, and use a pre-set filter to allow the site to display relevant and associated items of your choosing.