Ever clicked on a website and felt instantly at home? A user-friendly web design can do that—it welcomes you in, guides you effortlessly, and makes the experience so seamless that you don’t even think about it.
When it comes to creating a standout BigCommerce website design, the platform offers all the tools you need to make your site a joy to use. From customizable themes to built-in features that prioritize usability, BigCommerce takes the guesswork out of crafting a site that works for your customers—and your bottom line.
In this blog, we’re breaking down the art of user-friendly design. You’ll learn how to make your BigCommerce site intuitive, fast, and enjoyable so your visitors stick around, shop, and come back for more.
Start with the Customer Journey
Designing a user-friendly BigCommerce website begins with understanding your customers’ experience. Map out their journey, identify pain points, and match your design with their goals to create a site that feels effortless to navigate and use.
Map the journey
Every customer follows a path when they shop on your website—from landing on the homepage to finding a product, adding it to their cart, and checking out. Mapping this journey helps you see your site through their eyes.
Where do they start? What are the key touchpoints (e.g., product pages, search bar, navigation)? What happens after they make a purchase?
When you break down this journey into steps, you can better understand how your design choices affect their experience.
Identify pain points
Once you’ve mapped the journey, it’s time to spot the trouble spots. Common frustrations include:
- Difficult navigation: Menus that are hard to find or cluttered with too many options.
- Unclear CTAs: Buttons that don’t stand out or fail to guide the next step.
- Slow load times: Pages that take too long to load can lead to drop-offs.
Address these issues by simplifying user navigation, making CTAs bold and clear, and optimizing your site for speed.
Match design with goals
Every customer visits your site with a goal in mind—finding a specific product, browsing new arrivals, or learning more about your brand. Your design should support these goals at every stage.
- Use filters and search functionality to help shoppers find what they need quickly.
- Showcase top categories or featured products on the homepage to guide browsing.
- Provide clear checkout paths to reduce friction and encourage conversions.
When your design aligns with the customer journey, your site turns from just a store into an experience.
Key Principles of User-Friendly Design
A user-friendly design is doing more with less. By focusing on simplicity, accessibility, and consistency, you create a website that’s easy to navigate and enjoyable to use—regardless of who’s visiting or what device they’re using.
Simplicity
- Minimalistic layouts – A clean, uncluttered layout makes it easier for customers to focus on what matters: your products.
Avoid overwhelming your visitors with excessive banners, pop-ups, or unnecessary elements. Instead, stick to straightforward designs that guide users naturally through your site.
- Focused content – Highlight the key elements of your site, like product categories, featured items, or promotional offers. A focused approach ensures customers see the most relevant information without distraction. For example, a well-placed “Shop New Arrivals” banner can direct attention without taking over the page.
Accessibility
- ADA compliance – An accessible website ensures that all customers, including those with disabilities, can navigate and use your site.
Accessibility means including features like alt text for images, keyboard-friendly navigation, and proper contrast between text and backgrounds.
- Mobile accessibility – With more than half of all web traffic coming from mobile devices, designing for mobile is non-negotiable. Use responsive templates that adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes and prioritize touch-friendly elements like large buttons and swipeable menus.
Consistency
- Branding – A consistent visual identity builds trust and makes your site memorable. Stick to a cohesive color palette, typography, and style that reflects your brand.
For example, if your logo features bold colors, incorporate them into CTAs or menu highlights.
- Functional consistency – Uniformity across your site ensures that customers don’t need to “relearn” how to navigate. Keep menus, buttons, and interactions the same across all pages. For instance, if the “Add to Cart” button is green on one page, ensure it’s the same color and style everywhere else.
Elements That Enhance Usability
Usability is the backbone of a user-friendly website design. When your site is easy to navigate and provides quick access to what customers are looking for, you create a seamless shopping experience that keeps them coming back. Let’s explore the key elements that make this happen.
Intuitive navigation
- Simplified menus – Keep your navigation menus logical and easy to understand. Organize categories and subcategories in a way that makes sense to your customers.
For instance, group similar products together and use clear, concise labels like “Women’s Clothing” or “Kitchen Essentials.” Avoid overwhelming users with too many options at once.
- Sticky headers – A sticky header keeps your navigation bar visible at the top of the page as users scroll. This ensures that no matter where they are on your site, they can easily access key tools like the search bar, cart, or menu. It’s a simple feature that adds a big boost to usability.
Clear calls-to-action (CTAs)
- Visible CTAs – Place CTAs where they’re impossible to miss. For example, make your “Add to Cart” button stand out by using a bold color that contrasts with the rest of the page.
Position them strategically on high-traffic areas like product pages, the homepage, and promotional banners.
- Action-oriented text – Your CTA text should guide users toward their next step with direct, engaging language.
Phrases like “Shop Now,” “Explore More,” or “Get Started” are clear and encourage action. Avoid vague terms like “Click Here,” which don’t communicate the benefit of clicking.
Smart search features
- Predictive search – Predictive search shows results as users type, helping them find what they’re looking for faster.
For example, typing “red” might immediately suggest “Red Dresses” or “Red Shoes,” allowing customers to jump straight to relevant products.
- Robust filtering – Filters let customers refine their search results based on specific criteria like price, size, color, or brand. These tools are especially important for stores with large product catalogs, as they allow users to narrow down their options quickly and efficiently.
Designing for Speed and Performance
A slow-loading website frustrates users, increases bounce rates, and can hurt your search engine rankings. Let’s break down how to optimize your BigCommerce website for top-tier speed and performance.
Optimize Load Times
- Compress images – Images are one of the biggest culprits of slow load times. Use tools to compress image file sizes without sacrificing quality.
BigCommerce supports WebP format, which offers high-quality images at significantly reduced sizes. Optimized images ensure your site looks great and loads quickly.
- Minifying code – Streamline your website’s code by removing unnecessary spaces, comments, and unused lines in JavaScript and CSS. Minified code reduces the amount of data your site has to load, speeding up page performance. BigCommerce’s built-in tools and third-party apps make this process simple.
Test for Speed
- Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights – Google PageSpeed Insights is a free tool that analyzes your site’s performance and identifies areas for improvement.
It provides actionable suggestions like enabling browser caching or optimizing server response times.
- Monitor load times across devices – Your site might perform well on desktop but struggle on mobile. Regularly test load times on different devices and browsers to ensure a consistent experience for all users.
BigCommerce themes are designed to be responsive, but it’s still essential to check performance regularly to catch any slowdowns.
Leveraging BigCommerce Features
BigCommerce equips you with powerful features to create a user-friendly website that meets your customers’ needs. From ready-made themes to integrations that enhance functionality, here’s how to make the most of what BigCommerce has to offer.
Pre-built themes
BigCommerce offers a variety of professionally designed themes tailored to different industries and store sizes. These themes prioritize usability, making it easier for customers to navigate your site and complete purchases.
- User-friendly layouts: Themes are designed with intuitive layouts that guide customers effortlessly from the homepage to checkout.
- Industry-specific options: Whether you sell fashion, electronics, or home goods, you’ll find themes optimized for your niche, saving you time on setup.
Customization options
While BigCommerce themes are ready to use out of the box, customization lets you make them truly yours.
- Tweaking design elements: Adjust colors, fonts, and layouts to align with your brand’s identity. BigCommerce’s theme editor makes these changes simple, even for non-technical users.
- Adding custom features: For stores with unique needs, you can add custom widgets or sections without overcomplicating the design. This ensures your site feels unique while maintaining usability.
Integration capabilities
BigCommerce integrates seamlessly with a variety of apps and tools to enhance the user experience.
- Chatbots for support: Integrate chatbots to provide instant answers to customer queries, improving satisfaction and reducing support load.
- Loyalty programs: Apps like GoLoyalty allow you to reward repeat customers and encourage long-term engagement.
- Advanced search tools: Add tools that improve search functionality, like predictive search or visual search, for a more interactive shopping experience.
By leveraging these features, you can create a website that’s not only functional but also optimized for customer satisfaction and business success.
Gathering Feedback and Refining Design
Building a user-friendly website is an ongoing process. Once your BigCommerce site is live, the next step is to gather feedback, track performance, and refine your design to meet evolving customer needs.
User Testing
Real-world insights from your customers are invaluable.
- Conduct usability tests: Ask customers to perform specific tasks on your site, such as finding a product or completing a checkout. Watch how they navigate and note any points of confusion or frustration.
- Feedback sessions: Organize one-on-one feedback sessions or distribute surveys to collect honest opinions about your site’s design and functionality.
Analytics tracking
BigCommerce’s analytics tools provide data-driven insights to help you refine your site.
- Monitor drop-off points: Analyze where customers abandon the shopping journey, such as product pages or checkout. This identifies areas that need improvement.
- Track performance metrics: Metrics like time spent on page, click-through rates, and bounce rates reveal how well your site is engaging visitors.
Continuous improvement
The best websites aren’t static—they evolve with customer expectations.
- Refine based on behavior: Use insights from testing and analytics to adjust your site. For example, if users struggle with navigation, simplify your menus or add breadcrumbs.
- Stay ahead of trends: Regularly update your design to incorporate new features or styles that improve usability. What works today might need tweaking tomorrow to stay relevant.
Listening to your customers and acting on their feedback keeps your BigCommerce website a dynamic, user-friendly destination.
(You might also find this read useful: Interview with BigCommerce Designers: Insights and Tips)
Conclusion
A user-friendly website creates an experience that makes customers enjoy shopping and keeps them returning. From intuitive navigation and accessible features to speed optimization and customer feedback, every element of your design plays a role in building a site that works for your users and your business.
Make your BigCommerce website the kind of place your customers can’t wait to visit again and again. After all, a great design isn’t just functional—it’s unforgettable.
Let’s Turn Your Website Into a Customer Magnet
A user-friendly design is the key to driving sales and building loyalty. At Epic, we specialize in creating BigCommerce websites that are intuitive, fast, and perfectly tailored to your business.Give your customers the seamless experience they deserve. Contact us today, and take the first step toward a website that works as hard as you do!
