The modern age is calling for a considerate design approach toward e-commerce on both phones and computers, as mobile shopping keeps on growing in popularity. Owing to this, consumers increasingly expect quicker loading times, visually more interesting, and easier-to-navigate e-commerce websites that work just as well on their mobile device as they do on their desktop. The businesses therefore must change their designs for both mobile and desktop. Below, we talk about some effective methods of improving e-commerce design on both mobile and desktop, pointing out examples from some of the best English companies in digital retail.
1. Design for a Mobile-First Approach
Over the last few years, mobile traffic has overtaken desktop traffic, making this a very important mobile-first design for e-commerce websites. It ensures that from the very beginning, your website will be optimised for mobile users onward, with the design then adapted to larger screens. The Mobile-first design is all about simplicity and usability, facilitating the navigation and purchase process for shoppers on smaller mobile screens.
As you develop your mobile-first e-commerce design, make sure to pay attention to the following:
Loading Speed
Slow loading speed is one of the major reasons for very high bounce rates in mobile sites. Optimise images, use lazy loading, and reduce code to make sure it loads as fast as it should.
Employ a responsive design
The responsive design automatically fits into the multiple screen sizes. While offering consistency in user experiences across devices. This makes access easier for users to navigate without the need to zoom in or scroll horizontally.
Simplify the navigation
Employ a collapsible menu or a “hamburger” menu where you could save space on the screen and reduce clutter. Clear navigation allows quick and easy ways for finding whatever mobile users are looking for.
An example of a UK-based company that is actually effectively practising this approach would be ASOS. Their mobile site has been neat and responsive, offering smooth navigation, clear product categories, and fast ways to access the search and cart functions. This streamlined design underpins a seamless experience for customers shopping on-the-go.
2. Simplify and Prioritise Content for Mobile Users
The screen space on mobile phones is small; hence, prioritisation of the content and features should be performed. Only relevant information should appear on the main pages of a website or app, and users must not be bombarded with excess text and visuals. A mobile shopper should view images, descriptions, and prices of a certain product without needing to scroll a lot down the page.
When presenting products on mobile:
Use High-Quality Images
High-quality, zoomable images provide a clear look at your products to customers. Image swipe interaction gives a far more interactive experience and helps in making better buying decisions.
Include Obvious Calls-to-Action
On mobile, calls-to-action are critical. Use fat buttons like “Add to Cart” and “Buy Now” in prominent positions, making it easy for the users to take the next action.
Reduce the Number of Steps to Buy
Simplify mobile checkout. Minimise the number of steps at checkout; provide options for ‘guest checkout’ and pre-filled forms for a quicker buy.
Argos represents an excellent example of an English retailer whose design for mobile e-commerce has been brought to perfection. Its application and mobile website are all about large clickable images and brief, yet catchy product information. Calls-to-action are prominent, whereas the checkout itself is slick, allowing users to pay in a variety of different ways and collect from local stores.
3. Enhance Desktop Design with Interactive Visuals and Detailed Information
While mobile-first is important, ensuring that your desktop design is optimised remains key because more customers still browse and buy on larger screens. So, in that respect, desktop e-commerce designs can have more features and content because of the amount of screen space when compared to mobile, making for an engaging experience.
To create an effective desktop ecommerce design:
Large, High-Quality Images and Videos
On desktop, there is much more room to enlarge product imagery, and video proves an excellent way to give a sense of how products work or look and feel in the real world. Add videos showing how products work or feel/look in real life.
Make It Interactive
On the desktop, features like product zoom, 360-degree views, and customizable options are great, as they enhance customer interaction even more. They give them a chance to examine the products in much more detail.
Show More Detailed Information
While on mobile you should be brief with your information, on desktops you are able to show longer descriptions of products, specifications, and customer reviews. Such detailed information helps create customers’ confidence and enhances the likelihood of conversion.
John Lewis is the example of how an e-commerce desktop should be designed. The website would include high-quality visuals, detailed product descriptions, and user reviews laid out in a neat, easy-to-navigate manner. For more major purchases, the site also includes expert advice and detailed specifications to attract those customers who like to see more information before making a purchase.
4. Ensure Accessibility on Both Mobile and Desktop
It is important to hold in regard that accessibility is necessary in designing an inclusive improving e-commerce design in a way that will meet the needs of all users, including those living with a disability. Features of accessibility should be considered first in both mobile and desktop designs to make sure that everyone can navigate and use the site.
For an Accessible E-commerce Design:
Alt Text on Images
Provide descriptive Alt text for images that screen readers would then read for visually impaired users. Ensure that in all products and/or key images, alt text is used.
Readable Fonts and Colour Contrast
Choose readable fonts across both mobile and desktop. Also, provide enough contrast between text and colour background so that text can be read by people who have visual impairments.
Enable Keyboard Navigation
For people who have motor disabilities, keyboard navigation is the way to go because using a mouse can be hopeless. Test your site to ensure all interactive elements, such as links and buttons, are accessible via keyboard.
Accessibility features are well realised in the website of Boots, one of the UK’s big guns in health and beauty. The fonts are lucid, the alt text descriptive, and colour contrast is clear, so users of all abilities could easily use this website and purchase from it with a lot of ease.
5. Employ Consistent Branding Across Mobile and Desktop
The only golden rule for an e-commerce website is consistency in branding. Whether on mobile or desktop, customers will be exposed to the same color, typography, logo, and brand tone of voice. Consistency creates trust and enforces brand identity.
By taking a deep look into e-commerce design, maintaining brand consistency can be achieved by doing the following.
Unified Color Scheme
The continuity of colors everywhere will create a feeling of coherence. Color schemes are not only communicating brand identity but also may be used to drive users’ attention to the key features, including CTAs.
Uniform Fonts and Logos
On mobile and desktop, the fonts and logos should be the same for a continued feel and look that builds your brand and makes it remembered by the customers.
Messaging and Tone Alignment
The voice of your brand should be the same regardless of the platform. Whether a customer is scanning product descriptions on mobile or reading a blog post on desktop. The voice should hold the personality of your brand.
One company based in the UK that does execute effective branding across both desktop and mobile consistently is Marks & Spencer. Clean in design, both the mobile and desktop sites use its signature green and white palette, distinctive fonts, and welcoming tone. Strong branding supports customer recognition and trust as it provides a seamless shopping experience whatever the device used.
6. Test and Optimise for Both Platforms
Finally, all improving e-commerce design experiences will have to be tested and optimised rigorously on a regular basis for both mobile and desktop. By testing, you are able to pick any issues and fix them so your site will work seamlessly across devices.
Optimising your e-commerce design:
A/B Testing
Do A/B testing to try different design elements, like button placements, colours, or layouts, to see what works best. Testing will show you what users prefer and it will help improve conversion rates.
Performance Metrics
Bounce rate, conversion rate, and average session duration-monitor on mobile and desktop. Such indicators are going to provide insight into the interaction of users with your site and will show you what needs improvement.
Use Heatmaps
Heatmaps are the graphical presentation of a user’s clicking, scrolling, and staying time on your site. From this, you will identify the most attractive areas of your site and the ones that you need to make changes to.
Conclusion
Getting the appropriate e-commerce design for mobile and desktop involves a thoughtful approach, focusing on the inherent strengths and limitations each platform presents. Be it by going mobile-first, improving loading speeds, or simplifying navigation, or by ensuring brand consistency, a seamless shopping experience that keeps users hooked is what you will be able to offer on any device. ASOS, John Lewis, Boots-all these groups prove how improving e-commerce design may make even British brands stand out from just functionality to user experience. Using proper strategies and continuing optimization, your e-commerce site will be able to perform excellently on every device and convert and retain more customers in today’s competitive online marketplace.
