If you’ve ever felt that creating an online store is like navigating a maze, you’re not alone. Designing an eCommerce website can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t have experience or not enough. But it doesn’t have to be.
We sat down with Epic’s own team of seasoned BigCommerce website designers to bring you insider tips and insights. Together, we’ll explore how thoughtful design can transform your online store into a captivating shopping destination that delights customers and drives sales.
Our goal is to share practical advice straight from the experts to help you make the most of your BigCommerce store. If you’re launching a new venture or looking to refresh your existing site, these insights are here to guide you every step of the way.
Meet Our BigCommerce Website Designers
Our design team is a passionate group of creatives and tech enthusiasts who live and breathe eCommerce. They’ve collaborated with businesses of all shapes and sizes and turned visions into engaging online experiences. (We’re quite proud of them!)
With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of shopper behavior, they’re here to share what they’ve learned from years on the digital front lines.
So, why did Epic choose BigCommerce? It all started with a search for a platform that offered both flexibility and power without overwhelming complexity. BigCommerce fits the bill perfectly.
It provides a robust toolkit that allows designers to customize and innovate without getting bogged down in technical hurdles. BigCommerce gives the freedom to focus on creativity,” they explain. “We can bring our clients’ ideas to life and tailor each store to offer something truly unique.”
Now, let’s go on with our experts’ insights and tips regarding BigCommerce and design.
The Advantages of BigCommerce for eCommerce
As mentioned before, BigCommerce offers flexibility and power. And lots of advantages. Let’s discuss those first.
BigCommerce offers a rich set of features that cater to businesses of all sizes. One of its standout features is the intuitive control panel, which allows you to manage products, orders, and customer data without needing a technical background.
Another significant advantage is the platform’s robust SEO capabilities. BigCommerce is designed to help your products rank higher in search engine results and make it easier for customers to find you. It offers customizable URLs, automatic sitemaps, and built-in metadata fields, all of which contribute to better visibility online.
BigCommerce also excels in providing a seamless shopping experience across devices. With mobile-responsive themes and a checkout process optimized for conversions, your customers can shop effortlessly on a desktop or smartphone.
Comparison with other platforms
You might be curious about how BigCommerce compares to other eCommerce solutions. Unlike some platforms that charge transaction fees on top of payment gateway fees, BigCommerce doesn’t take a cut of your sales, which can lead to significant savings.
Customization is another area where BigCommerce is pretty good at. While other platforms may require costly apps or custom development for certain features, BigCommerce offers a several built-in functionalities that often achieve what you need without additional expenses or relying heavily on third-party apps.
Moreover, BigCommerce provides advanced product options and flexible shipping rules that are out of the box. This flexibility allows you to offer a more personalized shopping experience, something that can be more challenging on other platforms without extensive modifications.
Working with experienced BigCommerce website designers can further amplify these advantages, as they know how to use the platform’s features to line up with your specific business goals.
Now let’s talk about the tips we gleaned from our very own BigCommerce website designers about creating a successful site.
Designing a Successful BigCommerce Store
One of the best tips we were given, and the most important one, is knowing your market. Start by identifying who your ideal customers are. What are their interests, needs, and pain points? Use analytics tools to gather data on your site visitors and conduct surveys or interviews to gain direct feedback.
You can’t sell your products if you design your site without knowing what your market preferences are. Once you have this information, you can customize your product offerings, marketing messages, and overall site experience to meet their expectations.
Let’s say your audience values sustainability. In this case, highlight your eco-friendly products and practices. Personalization makes customers feel seen and valued, which can significantly raise your engagement and sales.
Keep them coming back with a well-designed UX
A user-friendly website keeps customers coming back. Your site navigation must be clear and intuitive—categories should be logically organized and search functionality should be efficient. Breadcrumb trails and straightforward menus help users know where they are and where they can go next.
Mobile responsiveness is just as important because more people are shopping on their phones than ever before. Test your site on various devices to make sure it looks good and functions smoothly across the board.
Fast load times are also essential; if your pages take too long to load, potential customers may leave before they’ve even seen what you offer.
Consider the checkout process as well. A streamlined, hassle-free checkout reduces cart abandonment. Offer multiple payment options and keep form fields to a minimum to make completing a purchase as easy as possible.
Appeal to customers with these visual design principles
The visual appeal of your store plays a significant role in attracting and retaining customers. Start with a consistent color scheme that reflects your brand identity. Colors can evoke emotions and set the tone for your site, so choose them thoughtfully.
Typography should be legible and align with your brand’s personality. Whether you opt for a modern sans-serif or a classic serif font, consistency is key. Use headings, subheadings, and body text styles to create a hierarchy that guides the reader’s eye through your content.
Imagery is another powerful tool. High-quality product photos from multiple angles can give customers a clear idea of what they’re purchasing. Lifestyle images showing products in use can help shoppers envision how the items fit into their lives.
Lastly, according to our BigCommerce website designers, simplicity often trumps complexity. A clean, uncluttered design makes it easier for customers to focus on your products. White space isn’t wasted space—it’s a way to highlight key elements without overwhelming the visitor.
Customization and Themes
Selecting the right theme is a foundational step in creating an engaging BigCommerce store. Our BigCommerce website designers stress that the theme should correspond with your brand’s identity and cater to your target audience’s preferences.
Consider things like layout simplicity, ease of navigation, and mobile responsiveness. “Think about the user journey—how do you want visitors to interact with your site?” our designers suggest. A theme that’s visually appealing but cluttered can deter customers, so balance aesthetics with functionality.
Custom vs. pre-made themes
When it comes to themes, you have two main options: custom-designed or pre-made. Pre-made themes are cost-effective and can get you up and running quickly. They’re ideal for businesses with tight budgets or those looking to launch swiftly.
Our designers point out that pre-made themes are highly customizable and can be made uniquely yours with a few tweaks.
However, if you truly want to create a very unique shopping experience tailored to your brand, you can also go the custom route. “A custom theme allows you to incorporate specific features and design elements that set your brand apart,” our designers explain.
While the initial investment is higher, the long-term benefits of a distinctive and adaptable site can outweigh the costs.
Utilizing customization
Regardless of the theme you choose, utilizing customization effectively will make your store stand out. Personalize your site by adjusting color schemes to match your branding, select fonts that enhance readability, and incorporate high-quality images that showcase your products.
Our designers recommend adding interactive elements like sliders or featured product sections to engage visitors. “Even small tweaks can significantly impact how customers perceive your brand,” they note. The goal is to create a cohesive and memorable experience that encourages visitors to explore and, ultimately, make a purchase.
Integrations and Functionality
Making your BigCommerce store function better often involves integrating third-party apps that add valuable features. Our designers suggest starting with tools that improve customer engagement and streamline operations.
For instance, you can integrate email marketing apps like Mailchimp to help you maintain communication with your customers through newsletters and promotional campaigns. “Email marketing remains one of the most effective ways to drive repeat business,” our team emphasizes.
Customer reviews are another crucial element. Use apps that enable customers to leave feedback directly on your product pages to build trust with your potential buyers.
You can also consider integrating live chat features to provide instant customer support. Studies show that real-time assistance can significantly improve customer satisfaction and increase conversions.
Streamlining operations
Integrating payment gateways and shipping providers gives your customers a seamless shopping experience. BigCommerce supports a variety of payment options, including PayPal, Stripe, and Apple Pay. Multiple payment methods cater to customer preferences and can reduce cart abandonment.
For shipping, integrate with providers to automate order fulfillment and provide accurate shipping rates at checkout. This saves you time and enhances transparency for customers. Automated shipping solutions help ensure orders are processed efficiently, which is crucial for customer satisfaction.
Our BigCommerce website designers also recommend inventory management integrations like eLocal. Tools like this help keep track of stock levels in real-time so that you don’t oversell and or do stockouts.
Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them
Every great design journey has its bumps in the road. Our BigCommerce website designers often encounter the challenge of merging creativity with practicality.
One frequent hurdle is ensuring that a visually stunning site doesn’t sacrifice user-friendliness. “It’s easy to get lost in the aesthetics, but if customers can’t navigate your site easily, they’ll quickly move on,” our designers note. Their solution? Always prioritize the customer journey. They suggest mapping out the user flow before diving into the visual design to ensure each element serves a clear purpose.
Another common obstacle is content management. With so many products and pages, maintaining consistency can be tough. Our designers recommend using style guides and templates so that every page feels like part of the same story.
Technical limitations
While BigCommerce offers robust features, there are technical boundaries to be mindful of. Our designers emphasize the importance of understanding the platform’s capabilities to work effectively within them. For instance, certain complex customizations might require advanced coding or aren’t feasible due to platform restrictions.
Their advice? Make use of the extensive range of built-in functionalities and apps before considering custom development. “Often, there’s already a solution available that meets your needs without reinventing the wheel,” they suggest.
If you hit a roadblock, reaching out to experienced professionals can provide alternative approaches.
Maintaining performance
As your store grows, keeping it fast and efficient becomes increasingly important. A slow-loading site can deter customers and harm your search rankings.
Our designers stress the significance of optimizing images and minimizing the use of heavy scripts. “Large images are a common culprit for slow sites. Compress images without losing quality to improve load times,” they advise.
They also recommend regular performance audits. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help identify issues that might be slowing down your site.
Future Trends in BigCommerce Design
The eCommerce world is buzzing with new technologies that can transform the shopping experience. Our designers are particularly excited about the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into online stores.
AI can personalize the shopping journey by offering product recommendations based on browsing history and purchase behavior. “It’s like having a personal shopper for each customer,” our designers explain.
Staying ahead
So, how can you keep your BigCommerce store ahead of the curve? Our designers suggest embracing a mindset of continuous improvement because “The digital landscape changes rapidly. Regularly updating your site keeps it fresh and relevant.”
Investing in customer feedback is another strategy worth utilizing. Use surveys, reviews, and analytics to understand what’s working and where there’s room for enhancement. Your customers are your best source of information. Listening to them helps you make informed decisions that improve their experience.
Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment. Test new features, layouts, or marketing strategies on a small scale to see how they perform. “Innovation often comes from trying something new. Just be sure to monitor the results so you can adjust as needed,” they conclude.
Let’s Build an Awesome Website That Sells
Through our conversation with our BigCommerce website designers, it’s clear that thoughtful design is the cornerstone of eCommerce success. An intuitive and engaging experience is one that resonates the most with customers.
Focus on user needs, stay adaptable to new trends, and overcome challenges creatively, and you’ll be well on your way to building an online store that stands out.
If you’re looking to improve your BigCommerce store, we’re here to lend a hand. Epic specializes in creating personalized eCommerce solutions tailored to your business.
Reach out to us today, and together we’ll create an online store that meets your expectations and delights your customers.
