Ecommerce Website Design: The Biggest Problems to Fix

Lately, e-commerce website businesses have registered huge revenue and success. It is predicted that this trend will continue and even get bigger in the following years. Therefore, it is no surprise that such types of businesses pop up at the speed of sound. But, when putting your thought into developing e-commerce websites you need to consider that there are several problems that you need to approach to make your website effective, functional and reachable.

Showcasing a wide range of products is not enough to make your ecommerce boost. A lot of problems can be avoided with more careful consideration, research and planning.

Here are some of the biggest problems that every ecommerce development company may encounter:

Lack of shipping and return information

As your customer, I want to know what my options are in case I am not satisfied with the product I have bought from you. Therefore, adding shipping and return information can make me decide whether to proceed with my purchase, if the information is detailed and clear enough, or simply go find another platform that offers the same products, in case your website doesn’t give the information I am looking for.

Short product description

When shopping in a store, you have the chance to feel the product, to examine it from all sides, to read the label and other information that is written on the packages, if the product comes in a package. Online shopping doesn’t give you such opportunity.

Therefore, you need to make sure that all customers’ questions about every product showcased on your ecommerce site are answered. Such information as sizes, material, weight, dimensions is important for product description.

Few product images

If you are managing an online clothing or footwear store, this problem is what makes your customers leave the page before making any purchase. It is known that people tend to pay more attention to the visual elements, feeling more comfortable in making a shopping decision. That is why include more than one picture of the same item from different angles and even add shots of some special features of the product.

Few payment options

With the ecommerce business expanding so quickly, it is essential to make this option available to as many customers as possible. Don’t concentrate on adding payment options with PayPal account or credit card, such as Visa and Master Card only.

Think broader. There are people who don’t hold a credit card, but who are willing to buy a product from your website. Come with an option that will satisfy these customers’ needs too and make-shopping experience reachable to as many people as you can.

Lack of shipping rates

As your customer, I want to go to checkout, complete it and think that I will soon be holding the product I dreamt of for so long. If you say that for my territory, or for a certain product, special shipping rates apply and that they will be sent in a separate email, I will definitely lose interest in completing my purchase. There is no reason why shipping rates can’t be included on the website.

Confusing navigation

If the website doesn’t provide categories and subcategories of products, then site navigation is not effective. Think of a solution for this if you want to convert visitors into buyers and make navigation enjoyable and user-friendly for them to move around the site.

Shopping cart design problems

The shopping cart that your ecommerce website has must allow users to add more than one item, to revise the products they want to buy before checkout and make changes, if required. A preview of total amount to be paid, including shipping fees, will give them the feeling of security.

Conclusion

Ecommerce website design has come a long way. Now, there are thousands of such websites, with interactive design, using different approaches and tricks to convert visitors into customers. If you take into consideration these basic problems that you can deal with when creating your own ecommerce platform, your business will avoid the unnecessary trouble of getting through multiple functionality fixing procedures.

What are other problems of ecommerce design that you know of? Share them with us in the comments section below.

Print Design Tips for Begginers

Print design, as web design, is a field that requires creativity and attention to details and different features you want to use in your materials. Whether it is about newspaper, manuals, prints, posters, restaurant menus, and business cards and so on, correcting an error on a print material calls for additional expenses.

There are certain things that need to be done first, before embarking on a new graphic design project. You need to identify all requirements and the purpose of the project. Also, you need to decide whether your project will concentrate on images or whether will include text. Another important thing is to determine whether the project will be single-filed or a brochure with more pages.

Before starting working on the project, ask your client the following questions:

• What is the size of the final print document?
• What color does his/her project associate with?

These two answers will provide you with a starting point and will set some limits in terms of usability of color palette and final file size.

It is known that every print designer has his own working approach, but there are several basic tricks and tips which, once mastered, will make the entire work a piece of cake.

Here are most important printing design tips every beginner have to stick with:

Paper size

Although the good old A4 size of the print material is standard in printing, don’t let yourself be caught in the standardized threads. You can always play with sizes, namely that smaller A5 paper size is much more comfortable to handle and take with you.

Content matters

If you are dealing with a text-based print design remember to concentrate on content. And make sure that the text you incorporate in the graphic design is readable.

Remember the bleed

Bleed is the element that allows the printable file to be cropped according to its correct size. This element gives the cropping some room for error. Usually, a 3mm bleed is a safe standard to work with.

Typography

Don’t just jump and use the first font you like. Take time to analyze the message and voice you want to send with the font you use. Think about the best way to communicate it to your target audience. You can also mix and match several fonts, but in this case you need to be extremely careful to make sure that several mixed fonts go hand in hand.

Color, color, color

We’ve already said that you need to check the color palette with your client. But, if you think that the color he chooses doesn’t suit the print design project you are working on, don’t be afraid to let him know and bring strong arguments to stand your ground.

Related: Designing a Brand Identity in Few Steps

Photographic content

High quality image makes a big deal in printing. If you have good resolution photography to work with your final result will be outstanding. Therefore, tell the client that high resolution and quality of the photograph will mirror the print design output.

Conclusion

Print graphic design might seem tricky, but it is something that will always be on demand. Printed material is a more personal approach of the companies that they use for marketing campaigns, and not only. People usually are keener to trust information that they can physically touch, rather than just read on a screen.

Do you want to share other tips that you make use of when creating your own design for print? Leave a message in the comments section below.

10 SEO Copywriting Tips to Get Found on Google Search

SEO Copywriting is an important tool in ranking your copy in search engines and boosting your website traffic. And with a little experience, this can become a child’s play.

But it is not only about optimization and ranking we’re talking about here. You want your web copy to be consistent, to engage people and to sell.

We compiled 10 important tips about SEO copywriting techniques. Read through and share.

Know your reader

You want to write copy that appeals and sells to a particular group of consumers. Before starting writing your content, you want to know their social background, age, sex and education level to identify the best approach and writing style to use. Research your audience before you plunge into writing your copy.

Write alluring headlines

Sometimes, good headlines worth a thousand words. You want your headline to attract readers and get that web copy read. The headline is the first thing people read and make an impression about the entire content. Use keywords in it and make your content rank.

Use subheadings

Subheadings make your copy scannable and keep readers engaged in the content. They make the text look well-structured and also describe your content to search engines.

Short paragraphs

Use of paragraphs is important for a good content writing. Every time you have a new idea, start it with a new paragraph. Keep paragraphs short. 2 to 4 sentences are enough to give you the required space to put down and develop your main idea.

Use active voice

When you use active voice in your copywriting, the sentences are easier to understand, direct and shorter. Active voice gives you the option of avoiding unnecessary words in a sentence.

Avoid keyword density

One problem the copywriters deal with when writing engaging web copy is the risk of optimizing too much for search engines and forgetting about the purpose of their copy in the first place. Although optimization ranks your content and attracts more clicks, the content is the instrument that sells your products. So, you want to avoid keyword stuffing.

Speak your audience’s language

Speaking your audience’s language means you are from its league. Try using words and phrases that people you’re writing for use often and your content will look more persuasive. Matt Cutts made a video on top SEO mistakes, check it out!

Add links

Links to relevant resources will make your content look more trustworthy. It will mean that you have done your homework and researched the topic to be able to include the most accurate information out there.

Keep content fresh

Web content gets out of date as well. You want to make sure that your audience gets to read only fresh information. Search engines are known to give preference to web copy written on the same topic and which is more recent than the other content that is one or even two years obsolete.

Read this: SEO and UX: How to Optimize Your Website for Both

Promote your content

Writing a well-structured and information-abounding content doesn’t mean that the work ends there. Now you need to promote your content. It will not do the job by itself. Share it with your social media friends. Make people comment on it. Once the activity on your web page will increase, the search engines will notice it and will rank your content higher. This means – you will get more sales.

Bottom line

These SEO copywriting tips are the most basic and relevant ones to make your content rank higher. They are easy to implement and follow and can bring great value to your website. If you want to get returning customers just make sure that the content you write is very good.

Your turn now. Do you find these tips helpful? What other search engine optimization tips, that we overlooked, can you add to the list? Sound them in the comments section below.

Content Management System (CMS): 5 Features to Look For

So you’ve been putting some thought into building a blog or online store and don’t know where to start? First thing first, you need to identify the complexity and functionality of your website to be able to choose the best CMS solution that will respond to your needs.

A Content Management System (CMS), as Wikipedia says, is a type of computer app that allows publishing, editing, modifying, organizing, deleting and maintaining content from a central interface.

We know that choosing the right solution can be tricky. Falling in the trap of picking a solution with lots of features that you will never use is quite high.

Here are 5 features to look for when selecting your CMS software

Functionality

If you envision designing a website with online chat, logins, databases and more you will certainly need a CMS that will be able to provide all these functionalities. It is more expensive, but it will be able to cater to your business requirements. However, if you intend to make a simple website, without fancy user interaction, you will be better off with a less expensive solution.

Security

The best way to make your research concerning the security level of a CMS platform is to read online reviews. User reviews are always accurate; they tend to share their true experience with other potential users. Also, ask your web developer whether the platform you intend to use has security features that will enable you to solve security issues effortlessly or even avoid them, if possible.

SEO-friendliness of the platform

As SEO is a big deal for your website, this is another issue you should be considering. Find out whether the CMS platform you are about to use integrates with SEO tools and how it generates new page addresses. You want your links to look organized, pretty even, and avoid links that are dull.

Easy content editing

You need to know how easy it is to update, upload text, pictures and documents. There is the CMS WYSIWYG editor that enables users to work with content. You need to identify what features the CMS platform offers you to manage your content and whether these features are user-friendly both for tech-savvy and less tech-savvy users.

Multilingual support

You will probably think that this tip has little relevance with the fact that you intend concentrating your business on the local market only. However, do think twice. This functionality can help you boost your business. Living in a multi-cultural society, the multilingual support feature can come in handy and give you significant advantage over the competition. It will allow you to respond to more people’s needs. There is, however, a downside to this. You will have to think of the way you will make content available in multiple languages, which can involve additional costs.

Conclusion

Web CMS features are an important issue in choosing the solution that will cater to your company’s requirements, even though specific features might involve additional expenses. Do your research to ensure that your business has made the best choice that will ensure current and future success.

What other tips, related to choosing the best CMS software, do you want to share with us? Write them in the comments section below.

Designing a Brand Identity in Few Steps

So, you have decided to launch a business, a new product or service and you need to come up with a “how to make it appealing and attract more customers” strategy. And although it might seem difficult, with relevant tips you can take on the task of designing a brand identity that will set you apart from the competition.

Set the strategy.Creating a new identity is important in making your business kick off hugely successful.

Identify the mission and values that you want your brand to address and make them your priority for the strategy.

Know who you are branding for.Before even starting drawing a faint line on paper, ask yourself who you are trying to reach with your brand design. Make a thorough research of what people’s expectations are related to businesses, products and services you want to offer. Social background, education, marital status and age are factors to consider if you want your branding question to be answered. You can also check out your competitors’ targeted audience reaction through their feedback and testimonials.

You may be interested in the following related posts:

• Responsive Website Design: 6 Lessons To Learn From Your Competitors
• Button Design Techniques to Improve User Experience (UX)
• 5 Mobile App Design Trends of 2016 You Need To Know

Identify visual elements that will communicate with your customers.The visual elements you use, such as words,colors, and even fonts will speak on your behalf. Choose the words carefully. They will explain who you are, what you are doing and what your goals are.

Color is the visual element with deep psychological connotations. If you don't which color to use for you logo design, click teh text to find teh answer. And typography is a graphic design trick that makes your business look polished and visually attractive. Once you’ve identified all these elements, use them consistently in your marketing materials.

Examine other brand identity designs

Cast a glimpse at your competition. Look at your competition, see what message ther are trying to convey, check what colors and other visual features they are using and the effect they have on their customers. Once you have a big picture, all you want to do is find the personal direction that will make you easily identifiable and memorable.

Get the“special” in your brand business or product. If the special element is not identified from the beginning, you risk misconnecting with the people you are developing the brand identity for. Don’t miss on getting this thing right, and you will always have an ace up your sleeve.

Conclusion

Follow these tips for designing a brand identity that will be identifiable with your mission and values and that will make you recognizable from the multitude of businesses, products and services that emerge on the market every day.

Let us know in the comments below, what you think about these brand identiy designing tips and whether you have one that can be added to the list.

Why you should carefully choose your logo color design?

Did you know that people are very picky when it comes to logo color and visual appearance of a brand? They also tend to make purchasing decisions based on these two features.

Therefore, if you are one of those businesses that is making its way up to the top through the multitude of other companies providing similar services and products, you better pay more attention to your branding visuals.

Choosing a color for your logo design that will identify with your company has psychological aspect as well.

Have you ever wondered why one particular hue is more favored than the other? Did you know that colors evoke feeling, emotions and certain meanings? Well, if you are still in doubt whether to make a more thorough research concerning your choice in color logo designing, then here is your chance to consider it.

Meaning of each logo color design:

Red is a powerful, energizing color. It motivates us to take action. It is also aggressive and bold. It attracts attention. It stimulates appetite.That’s why you will see many restaurants using it in their branding strategy. Using red color in your logo will definitely mean that you are a strong competitor and you are here to be victorious. Also, red is a good contrasting color for interfaces that create pleasant user experiences.

Pink is a color that evokes romance, innocence and femininity. It is sweet and it is usually used by companies promoting women products and services: fashion, beauty, cosmetics. It is also associated with compassion, that’s why you will see many charities use it in their online marketing and traditionalmarketing strategies.

Orange evokes warmness and fun. It is a flamboyant color. Use it to convey adventure, fun and optimism. Because of its juiciness, orange is used in drink logo designs. It can also be seen in hotels and leisure resorts logo branding.

Yellow evokes sunshine, warmness, and playfulness. It stimulates creativity. You can see yellow used in children products. However, keep in mind that as warm as this color is in certain countries, in other parts of the world it is related to illness and jealousy. So, if you want to use yellow, you need to know exactly what you want to communicate to your customers through it.

Green is usually associated with environmental-friendly trends, and bio products. You will see green used by companies specializingl in agricultural products and natural foods.

Blue inspires tranquility. Think of the deep blue ocean and the clear blue sky and you will understand why. Blue evokes security. That’s why you will see blue being used by banks and other financial institutions in their logos.

Purple. If your brand wants to communicate sophistication and nobility, purple is the color. It also means imagination and creativity.

Brown is the color associated with outdoor activities and will be seen in products designed for men. It also associates with agricultural products as well.

Black is a strong, bold, classic color. It evokes mystery and sophistication. It is often used with white, which on the contrary, evokes purity and cleanliness. When grouped together, these colors balance each other in the best way.

Conclusion
The color that you choose to identify your logo must fit the brand. It must speak to the customers and convince them of the message it is sending. Considering the emotions and feelings it sends, choosing the right color can make or break the deal. Choose the color for the logo design that will make it memorable and identifiable.

Do you agree with opinions about colors in logo design sounded in this article? Write your own in the comments section below.