iluve - online store of the year in e-commerce Poland Awards
The project was recognized by the jury of the e-commerce Poland Awards competition - iluve.com received the award for the best design of the year among small e-commerce businesses.
E-commerce Design
In 94% of cases, the user's first impression is related to design, and thanks to good UX, product conversion rates can increase by up to 400%.
Is it worth investing in design?
The key element of an online business is the point of contact between the customer and the offer, that is, the online store. There are many opportunities in the market to launch online sales. You can have a store in a SaaS model, you can use a template, but you can also invest in a solution fully tailored to your business needs. Each approach has its advantages depending on the scale and model of the business.
Nevertheless, a professionally designed online store brings along a set of significant benefits:
- Increased conversion - well-thought-out UX makes the store more intuitive and attractive to users. This, in turn, leads to an increase in the number of visitors making purchases.
- Increased customer loyalty - positive user experiences contribute to building loyalty. Customers who have a good experience on your website are more likely to return and make repeat purchases.
- Reduction of customer service costs - improving UX can reduce the number of errors and questions from customers, leading to lower customer service costs. For an online store, this means less need for phone and email support or a lower return rate.
- Enhanced trust and credibility - usability and ergonomics of the store build customer trust. A clear and professional website makes users feel confident and more willing to make purchases.
- Brand protection - a bad user experience can negatively affect a brand's reputation. Investments in UX help maintain a good reputation in the market.
- Competitiveness - the e-commerce market is highly competitive, so it is worth investing in UX to stand out from the competition and attract customers.
- Marketing effectiveness - a well-designed functional layout helps make marketing campaigns more effective. Firstly, satisfied website users are more likely to respond to ads and promotional offers. Secondly, a store with good UX is ranked higher by search engine algorithms, lowering campaign costs and improving the store's position in search results.
- Accessibility - designing a store with accessibility in mind not only enables compliance with regulatory standards. but also allows you to expand your store's customer base.
In summary, investing in the UX of an online store translates into long-term success and business growth by increasing conversions, customer loyalty, operational efficiency, and protecting brand reputation.
Business-oriented design
In 95% of cases, a user's first impression is based on the layout of an online store. And up to 70% of web projects fail due to poor usability. Nearly half of the users are frustrated with poor optimization of e-commerce projects on mobile devices.
(Sources: TrueList.co, UserZoom.com, SmallBizGenius.net, UxCam.com)
Three steps to success
How is an online store designed?
The process of designing an online store involves many steps and activities. Here is the general outline of such a process:
- Needs and goals analysis - we start by understanding the needs and business goals of the online store. We determine what is required.
- Project scope definition - we supplement the analysis with the systematization of the project scope in the context of goals, requirements, and limitations of a given business model.
- Market and competition research - we conduct market research to gain an in-depth understanding of the competitive environment ("without an overview, there is no view"), the specifics of target groups and trends in the e-commerce industry.
- Defining UX personas - we develop fictional profiles of your typical customers to better understand their needs and behaviors.
- Information design - we create information architecture, which is the structure and organization of the content on the website.
- Creating wireframes - the next step is to create schematic drawings of the website, called wireframes in industry jargon, which define the layout of elements on the page.
- Visual concept development - in parallel with designing functionalities, we create a visual concept of the store (the so-called look'n'feel), preparing at least two versions to iteratively develop the final interface appearance.
- User interface (UI) design - having mapped the structure of the entire website (information architecture and flows) and designed the content of individual subpages, we proceed to design the final visual layer of the user interface for key views, taking into account elements such as colors, typography, icons, etc.
- Prototyping and user testing - the next stage is to develop interactive prototypes that allow testing user interactions with the website on a selected research group before starting implementation work, which allows for the early elimination of most errors and, consequently, significantly reduce the costs of changes and the size of lost benefits.
- Monitoring and optimization - regular monitoring of key performance indicators (KPIs) of an online store allows for gradual optimization of the store and improvement of its business parameters.
The process of designing an online store is complex and influenced by many aspects, therefore the decision related to the (re)design of the store application requires a thorough analysis. With a well-executed process, the results of the work can significantly pay back the expenses incurred for thoughtful design.
Show system status
Maintain consistency between the system and reality
Give the user full control
Stick to standards and maintain coherence
Prevent errors
Allow choices instead of forcing to remember
Ensure flexibility and efficiency
Take care of aesthetics and moderation
Provide efficient error handling
Ensure help and documentation
Checklists (usability checklist)
In the course of the usability audit of pages, in addition to usability heuristics, we also use checklists. One of them is our publication Best Practices for E-commerce containing more than 200 recommendations for the design of online stores.
See what customers say about our work
“We recommend IDEACTO as a reliable and experienced partner”
The new website was met with positive internal and external feedback, which led to an increase in sales. Ideacto establishes clear and open communication channels to ensure an efficient workflow. The team is talented in a variety of service areas.
“They are passionate about design and optimization”
Ideacto's work was well received. The team ensures high quality work and honesty in charging for their services. Customers can expect an interdisciplinary team that will take care of the proper implementation of business requirements.
“We were pleased with their work every step of the way”
Thanks to IDEACTO's efforts, the client has seen a huge increase in leads, returning users and total users. The design is very impressive. Communication and strategy were very effective.
“What impressed me the most was how well they handled the in-house workshops”
The award-winning site saw a 46% increase in conversion rate, exceeding the expectations of the internal team. Ideacto is efficient and well organized, which ensures smooth operation. The team is creative and open to attention.
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FAQ
How is the UX audit performed?
The usability audit process typically includes the following steps:
Defining the audit goals and context - at the beginning of the process, the audit purposes and the context are defined. It is determined what is the subject of the audit and at what stage of the project a given application or website is.
Selection of evaluation methods and criteria - next, the methods to be used during the audit are selected, such as user testing, heuristic analysis, usability statistics analysis, etc. Evaluation criteria and usability indicators are also determined.
Interface and documentation review - auditors review the user interface (websites, applications, etc.) and design documentation (if available) to understand how the project was planned and implemented.
Heuristic analysis - a heuristic analysis is performed, which evaluates the interface against specific usability criteria, such as understandability, navigation, accessibility, consistency, and other context-dependent criteria.
User testing - in some cases, user testing is conducted, where real users are asked to perform specific tasks on the interface. This helps identify problems that users may encounter.
Analysis of data and results - once the audit data is collected, it is analyzed to assess what problems and barriers to usability have been identified, and what areas require improvement.
Report and recommendations - based on the analysis, a report is prepared containing the audit results and recommendations for improvements and changes divided into three segments: critical, major and minor problems.
Implementation of corrections - based on the recommendations of the audit report, the project team proceeds to implement changes and improvements to the project.
Monitoring and evaluation - once the improvements have been implemented, it is important to monitor the usability of the project and assess whether the changes have brought the expected results. If necessary, another usability audit can be performed.
Continued refinement - usability improvement is an ongoing process. The project does not end after one audit. It is important to systematically strive to improve user experience in the context of the changing market environment. Usability audits are a key tool in improving user interfaces and products, and conducting them can help increase user satisfaction and achieve better business results.
What research methods and techniques are used during a UX audit?
UX (User Experience) audits of websites use a variety of research methods and techniques to assess the quality of user interaction with the website and identify areas for improvement.
Here are some of the most important methods and techniques used in UX audits:
Heuristic analysis - evaluating a website against usability principles, called “heuristics”. Auditors use established criteria such as navigation, consistency, comprehensibility and accessibility to evaluate the interface.
User testing - observing actual users attempting to perform specific tasks on the website. It helps identify problems and barriers to interaction.
Quantitative data analysis - using tools such as Google Analytics to understand user behavior on the website, e.g. navigation paths, bounce rates, time spent on the website.
Performance research - measuring page performance, such as page load time, to assess whether the site is running fast and smoothly enough.
Accessibility audits - checking whether the website is accessible to users with various disabilities, such as vision or hearing problems.
Heatmaps and click analysis - using tools like Crazy Egg or Hot Jar to generate heat maps showing areas of the website where users click most often, as well as to analyze user paths.
Competitor analysis - comparing your website with competitors' websites to identify areas for improvement.
Eye-Tracking sessions - using specialized equipment to monitor what users are looking at while navigating the website, to assess where their attention is focused.
User surveys and interviews - conducting a survey or interview with users to gather opinions and feedback on their experience with the website.
Combining different methods and techniques helps in obtaining a comprehensive assessment of a website's usability, identifying problems, and determining what steps can be taken to improve the user experience.
Is a UX audit performed on mobile devices?
Yes, the usability audit is also performed on mobile devices, and it is even extremely important in the context of mobile applications and websites.
Operating on mobile devices focuses on assessing the quality of the user experience on smartphones and tablets. It includes similar methods and techniques as a desktop usability audit, but takes into account specific aspects of mobile platforms.Here are a few reasons why a usability audit on mobile devices is important:
Rise of mobile users - more and more users are using mobile devices to browse websites and applications. Therefore, it is important to provide them with an optimal experience.
Different interface requirements - mobile interfaces differ from those on desktops in terms of screen size, touch navigation and space limitations. Therefore, a usability audit must take these specific aspects into account.
Mobile applications - if you are developing a mobile app, a usability audit can help you identify issues with navigation, performance, and overall usability of the application.
Understanding user behavior - user interactions and needs on mobile devices are often different from those on computers. An audit can help you understand what factors influence mobile user behavior.
Adaptation to different platforms - various mobile platforms (iOS, Android) and different device models have their own usability challenges. An audit helps accommodate these differences.
During a mobile usability audit, experts evaluate aspects such as navigation, usability of touch screen buttons, responsiveness of a website or app, loading speed and accessibility. Audit results help identify errors and make improvements to enhance the user experience on mobile devices.
What are the other types of audits?
The UX audit of the purchasing process includes the category page, the product page, the shopping cart and the finalization of purchases. UX audit of additional subpages includes homepage, search engine page, information page.
Why a UX audit at IDEACTO?
IDEACTO is a UX agency with over 15 years of experience. We have worked for hundreds of clients, conducting usability audits among other services. As a result, we possess extensive interdisciplinary knowledge of digital product design and optimization.
In addition - we are the authors of a publication collecting UX best practices for e-commerce available at this link.
What WCAG accessibility audit cover?
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) accessibility audit is the process of evaluating websites, web applications, and other online content for compliance with the WCAG guidelines. WCAG is an international standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), aimed at ensuring online content is accessible to all users, including people with disabilities.
A WCAG accessibility audit involves evaluating a website or application against a set of criteria and guidelines outlined in WCAG. These guidelines cover areas such as perceivability, operability, understandability, and accessibility, with different levels of compliance (A, AA and AAA), each with its specific requirements.
The main objectives of a WCAG accessibility audit are:
Compliance assessment - evaluating whether the website or application meets the guidelines and criteria set forth in WCAG.
Issue identification - identifying accessibility issues that may hinder the use of online content for people with different types of disabilities, such as visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments.
Recommendations for improvements - providing recommendations and suggestions for corrections and enhancements necessary to improve accessibility.
Results report - preparing a report containing audit findings, identification of specific problems and recommendations, and determining the level of WCAG compliance (e.g. level A, AA or AAA).
The purpose of a WCAG accessibility audit is to ensure that online content is accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities or limitations. This is important not only from an ethical point of view, but also due to regulatory requirements, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the European directive on the accessibility of websites and mobile applications (WCAG 2.1 EN 301 549).
A variety of tools and techniques are utilized during a WCAG accessibility audit, including accessibility testing using screen readers, color analysis, contrast testing, readability checks, and more. Auditors need to be familiar with WCAG guidelines and accessibility assessment techniques in order to effectively conduct an audit.
What websites do we audit most often?
Over the 15 years of IDEACTO's activity, we have carried out audits for industries such as: fashion, automotive, manufacturing, finance and insurance, DYI, consumer goods, FMCG, health, media, retail, and telecommunications. However, our greatest expertise has been gained through conducting numerous audits of sales processes for e-commerce.
Does IDEACTO implement the recommendations from the audit?
IDEACTO, as a UX agency, supports project teams in implementing the recommendations resulting from usability audits.
