The homepage is a place through which not much traffic passes in online stores - usually users are directed to a list or product card directly from a search engine or advertisement. However, if users decide to go to the homepage, they should not spend a lot of time on it, but only smoothly proceed to the selection of the product and the purchase.
The homepage is a place that is mainly used to present the store's activities, inform users about promotions and attractive offers that can be found and to build the trust of potential customers. It is also relevant for returning users who know the store and enter its address directly in the search engine, so they always end up on the main page. It is worth using this space to present the store from the best possible side and encourage the user to quickly move to categories or products to further guide them to purchase.
We have prepared 8 elements that are worth implementing on the home page to get users to buy as soon as possible and your website arouses the trust of potential customers. We present them in order from the most important elements to additional, worthy of implementation.
The site is well designed, clear and readable
Make sure that the site looks good at first glance. Recent studies have shown that 94% of users pay attention primarily to design issues. With a clear, visually clean website, not overloaded with content, users will find what they are looking for faster. Remember to include in the header all the elements that indicate that potential customers have come to the store page, that is: about the cart, the search engine and the possibility of registering or logging into the customer account.
The store's value proposition is clearly presented
It is important that users immediately after entering the store know what they can find in it, what image it has, what it is characterized by. It can be a tagline form for a logo or a presentation single selling points in points.
This type of information will make your store stand out from the competition and allow users to identify with the brand. Remember to focus on the most important aspects for your customers, to speak their voice and communicate clearly and transparently what makes your store stand out.
The site is constantly updated and has a recommendation module
The store should have current offers and promotions, e.g. seasonal or occasional, so that it gives the impression of being “alive” and highlights the most necessary product (for example: umbrellas in summer, gift ideas for Mother's Day, etc.). This element also affects the trust of customers, especially those who visit your site regularly. If nothing changes on it, then users will feel that no one is “looking after” the store and will give up shopping.
Show on the homepage what products are currently on sale or what is new in the offer. You can also highlight specific products, such as bestsellers. Then users will be able to immediately go to the product tab. Remember that bestsellers are also refreshed and adapted to the season, for example, if your assortment is subject to such changes. Also take care of the recommendation module for customers returning to your website.
Show what products they have already viewed and what similar ones they may like. Such elements should be located higher on the page, e.g. right under the banner, so that users have quick access to products tailored to their preferences.
Slider or banners with presentation of offers
Slider is an element used less and less recently, as it turns out to be overlooked by users, it is often treated as intrusive advertising. In addition, sliders are problematic for people with disabilities, because often the tools they use do not read them correctly.
It is recommended to use banners — static photos or graphics placed side by side (as in the example below from the Showroom store). Verify which promotion is the most important at the moment or which novelty above all you want to present to your customers. Highlight one thing on the main banner and place the others below to help users make a decision as soon as possible.
However, if you want to decide to use a slider remember to:
- add markers (arrows) so that the user will know that he can switch available offers;
- inform users how many banners there are on the slider using, for example, dots or numerical information (¼, 1 of 4);
- slider, especially in the mobile version, should not work automatically and in the desktop version it should stop when hovering over it.
Presentation of product categories
In addition to highlighting categories in navigation, it is useful to show the available categories on the main page according to, for example, their popularity. If the store has a rather specific assortment, which is difficult to distinguish by name, you should also show photos or illustrations showing their most important characteristics by which the user can distinguish them, for example Roman blinds from pleated blinds. In the mobile version, in which the menu is not visible immediately after entering the page, it is all the more recommended to present the category at the height of the main page where most users reach.
The site contains elements that build trust
These include, among others, certificates, logos of manufacturers or partners, customer reviews, information on the security of payments and purchases in the store. By posting this type of information, users will be able to quickly verify that a given store really exists and whether they can safely go shopping. These are elements that customers will definitely pay attention to and additionally distinguish your store from the competition.
Other elements that can affect the trust of users are the FAQ subpage, contact and customer service. Highlight these sections, pay attention to the help available and show users that they can always contact you. Especially in the case of extensive products (e.g. custom-made) or of high value, this type of customer service declaration will be a great opportunity to finalize the purchase.
There are photos of real customers on the site
This is another element that builds trust, but also a good source of photos of products in the situation of use. Real photos will affect users much better than those taken in the studio. It is therefore worth linking the store with the brand profile on social media, adding a company hashtag and encouraging customers to share photos after purchase. There are tools on the market (among others: Olapic, CrowDriff, Yotpo) that allow you to integrate properly tagged photos with products, so that users can quickly go to the tab of a given product.
Blog or Tutorials
For undecided and inspiration-seeking users, the introduction of a blog will be a good solution. It should be highlighted on the homepage, which potential customers search to find the right product. Suggest what they can choose from the offer in your store, advise the right product and promote articles about current trends, season or news. By placing products next to the guides to which the article applies, users will be able to go directly to the product card and make a purchase, having previously gathered information and inspiration.
Before undertaking UX design On your homepage, remember to rank the information you want to convey to your users and focus on the most important message of your brand, on relevant and current offers, and on the elements that will influence trust and allow your customers to identify with your brand. Do not overload it with content, but highlight what will surely affect your target audience and cause them to quickly move on to choosing a product and making a purchase. The above points will definitely be a solid basis for a change in your store, which will contribute to an increase in sales.
