7 Creative Ways to Make Your Ecommerce Site Stand Out in 2021
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Whether you’re taking advantage of it or not, eCommerce is one of the fastest growing sectors of the consumer market in the entire world. That means plenty of people are already online selling everything from home goods and clothing to homemade jewelry, crafts, and accessories.
Even with that increased competition, there’s room for new and growing businesses to make their mark in the eCommerce world. The key is designing the right website to drive sales, draw eyes, and deliver a flawless shopping experience. So, what are some of the best ways to stand out in 2021?
It’s crucial you put the right design elements into your eCommerce site to set yourself up for success. Here are seven trends dominating successful sites in 2021 that are sure to help your eCommerce business boom!
7 Trends to Watch in eCommerce Web DesignThe word ‘trend’ can sometimes make creative minds think they’re simply taking ideas instead of searching for their own inspirations. In reality, eCommerce web design trends often have more to do with what users want than they do what brands can concoct as successful marketing and design practices.
From websites to eCommerce app development, these are the seven most influential web design features users are falling in love with in 2021.
Dark ModeWhen we think about eCommerce web design in 2021, we can’t ignore the fact that many shoppers are taking to mobile devices to browse, shop, and explore their favorite sites. With this in mind, it’s important to remember that some of the most impactful features for both web and mobile site design should be implemented to any of your digital storefronts.
One popular feature of modern sites is offering users a “Dark Mode.” Dark Mode allows for the harsh white and colored backgrounds of traditional web experiences to be darkened with black colorings to limit eye strain and provide accessibility for those with visual impairments. It might seem small, but users will appreciate it - whether they need it or simply prefer the option.
Multidirectional Web Design
In many cases, one of the easiest ways you can grab a user’s attention is to design your web experience to defy preconceived notions of what an eCommerce experience should be. Case in point: a trend in multidirectional web design that moves beyond the simple up-down method of site structure.
It’s not just about moving users left to right either. Utilizing a multidirectional site navigation experience means users can move diagonally and backward to find their way to their favorite items.
Of course, the goal here isn’t to confuse your users, so be sure to make the multidirectional layout purposeful. Many choose to use dynamic images to guide users through their site, even if it’s not the up-down experience they’re expecting.
Keeping Things CenteredOne of the other major trends in navigating eCommerce sites right now is actually the opposite of spreading out your navigation menus. Centering the homepage and your preliminary menus is a key feature to sites that want to show off symmetrical web design.
While this can be a tricky feature to master in CSS or HTML, it should be a breeze when you’re working with an eCommerce development team. Right when users arrive at your website, they’ll be immediately drawn to the center of your site and easy-to-follow menus. That can be a good way to show your audience you’re happy to get them right to what they need without extra frills.
Interactive DesignWith any great website, you’re going to rely on varying fonts, graphics, and images to wow your visitors. Of course, these elements are meant to diversify the design elements of the web experience. That said, why can’t the user also use these dynamic elements to navigate the website itself?
If you have an image, for example, the user might move the cursor over that image to see if it does anything. When they do, having a menu title like “products” pop up can be a fun way to really show the user your site is to be explored. This encourages engagement with your audience that they’ll enjoy. Plus, it’s just plain fun.
Minimalism that Makes a Statement
When you’re eager to keep your web design clean and concise, minimalism can be an optimal strategy in doing just that. When we think of minimal design, we often think of the phrase “less is more.”
In this case, that doesn’t just mean being brief in descriptions of products and using simple images for the sake of convenience. This is an approach you have to be careful implementing.
Minimalism isn’t “less” but simply keeping things concise and elegant for the aesthetic of avoiding crowded web pages and copywriting. The good thing about this trend is it truly never goes out of style.
Micro-animationsOf course, what if your brand is all about the frills? One of the fun ways that web designers are mixing in something a little extra to eCommerce sites in 2021 is micro-animations. These do not make a huge fuss on your website. Instead, it might be something as simple as your logo softly bouncing up and down in the corner of your site or app.
Why might this be a popular trend in web design? The subtle nature of the micro-animations is often a cheeky way of mixing design in with branding that aims to be playful and light. If that fits your business, it’s certainly a trend to consider implementing into your web experience.
Keep an Open Mind to Everything
One thing the past few years in particular taught eCommerce web designers is that sometimes the best trend is simply keeping an open mind to everything. That means never discarding a design idea because it’s too untested or radical.
When maneuvering through the various trends that come and go, always ask yourself the golden rule to eCommerce web design: is this helping me to engage with my audience. When the answer is yes, then you’re well on your way to growing your business.
