How To Use Effectively Icons In Ecommerce Web Design

I'm often asked what makes a good ecommerce website. Is it the design? The colour scheme? The font? Or doesn't it really matter, if the product that it's selling is really good? The truth is, it matters a great deal.

Ask yourself this: how many times have you gone online, specifically to buy something, but ended up changing your mind because it was all just too hard? You enter the website knowing exactly what you want, but you can't find it, because the navigation is hopeless.

Or you find the product, and proceed to the checkout, but the website's payment system is so frustrating, you dump your shopping cart and leave.

Ecommerce Websites have a Purpose

Or, every time you make a move, some pop-up demands to know your locality or your email address, or prompts you to subscribe. If you're anything like me, you'll leave the site at that point!

Ecommerce web design is a very specific skill. The website must be fully optimised for search engines, and easy to access and navigate. It should also give simple and clear instructions to users, so that they can quickly find and buy your product.

Anything less will cause frustration and most likely cost the business a sale.

Web design professionals on the Sunshine Coast often use icons to very good use on ecommerce sites. There are many reasons why. First and foremost, icons are an excellent visual aid, clearly indicating what needs to be done.

Icons are a Universal Language

Icons can also cross language barriers, making them what could be described as a global visual language. They are also excellent for those who are new to using technology.

It's a known fact in design and marketing that visual aids are extremely important in spreading a message and motivating people to take action.

Icons are a Visual Cue

Remember, 65% of people are visual learners, and 90% of the information transmitted to our brains is also visual. As a result, presentations or campaigns using visual aids are proven to be 43% more effective.

And this is why website design on the Sunshine Coast often includes icon packs, little graphics that are easy to understand, and tap into your target audience's visceral psyche.

However, that does not mean you should stuff every icon you can find into your website! That is likely to have the opposite effect and scare your audience away. Icons should be used with purpose, and they should be incorporated into the design and theme of the website.

Think of an icon as a visual cue, and try and use icons that most people are familiar with. Icons can be used to point customers towards something specific, such as a new product, or an online sale. They can also be used as a navigational tool, such as an Add to Cart icon.

Incorporate Icons into Design

The choice and placement of icons should be decided at the design stage, so that they can be incorporated into the overall look, and the links are all working correctly. To maintain consistency, your website designer will suggest sticking to one style of icon.

Icons are great for product pages, being more visually interesting than a list, but shouldn't be used in place of well written content. As Google reminds us, content is king.