Building Your Ecommerce Storefront

Updated November 9, 2008

Next time you are in your favorite shop, take a look around. Look at how the products are displayed, where they are situated, how they are organized, and how lighting, architecture, and décor enhance product appeal.

Look at the detail involved in creating atmosphere, in warmly welcoming the client, in providing key information and facilitating customer interest, customer action.

E-commerce is no different. An online store must emulate the same design principles and accomplish the same strategic tasks of attracting visitors, fixing their attention, and moving them to action. Sound web design is the cornerstone of effective online commerce, and neglecting the key details and nuances of storefront development can mean disaster for your e-enterprise.

How a storefront is composed, how a product catalogue is displayed, how online shopping carts and payment options are integrated into the 'total design' are important - and intricate - questions.

Perhaps the most important principle of storefront design is to build a site that conforms to the expectations, questions, and demands of your customers.

This means anticipating what your customer needs, predicting what questions will be asked, and quickly providing the answers in a navigable format that keeps your customer oriented and engaged. Content and Interface are equally critical to solid design, so pay the same attention to both.

Below are some fundamentals for establishing an effective, customer-friendly web site.

Easy navigation is based on sound organization. A storefront should be organized in a convenient manner that answers customer inquiries before they are even made. Make your storefront manageable for the reader with efficient directories and indexes that lead the customer directly to their shopping goal or specific area of interest. Scaffold information in a logical manner and avoid 'nesting' more than two levels of menus.

Make sure your product lines are categorized and formatted in an orderly fashion.

And never frustrate your visitor with chaotic or superfluous content.

The initial goal of a commercial web site is to educate, so make your content comprehensive - but also make it compact, clear and forceful in style. Economical, dynamic writing will keep your web content focused and your visitors engaged.

The 'look' of your site is the first thing to impact your customer. Impressive graphics, manageable, easy-to-read formatting, and a unique atmosphere that distinguishes your site from others are all vital in attracting and holding the attention of customers.

Company logos and design layouts should remain consistent between pages so the customer acquires a sense of company identity, gets a unique feel for your site and product line. Remember, everything should be fast-loading and tastefully presented.

If your web site is complex or your online catalogue is vast, incorporate a search feature into your storefront. Your store should cater to all types of shoppers. The person leisurely browsing your virtual shelves may not cast a second glance at a product search engine; the customer zeroed in on a specific item will choose it every time. Of course, stores with only a few products can get away with a well-reasoned organizational system. But if you carry any sort of inventory at all, you need a product search feature. Customers expect as much.