E-Commerce Insights

The Ultimate Guide to Ecommerce UI Design

For the past few years, eCommerce has become an ever-evolving platform that is growing increasingly competitive as more and more retail merchants realize its incredible sales opportunities. Therefore, it is of great importance for brands to invest wisely in their online store presence to stand out from the crowd and survive the competition. Along with website development, eCommerce UI Design is one of the key factors that enormously influence the functionality and user experience that online merchants should pay attention to. 

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What is eCommerce UI Design?

In simple terms, UI stands for User Interface, which is the visual appearance of a website or a mobile app. UI illustrates the design and layout of a website to the users and defines their interaction with the app. The process in which designers create interfaces to enhance the usability of a website is called eCommerce UI Design. In this process, UI designers mainly focus on the looks and styles of website presence with the purpose of enhancing user experience (UX). 

For eCommerce businesses, UI Design can be considered invaluable since it plays an important part in delivering a pleasant and seamless online shopping experience to customers. 

eCommerce UI design
Example of a flat design user interface for online shopping system

Key eCommerce UI components

There are three key elements to make up an effective UI Design in eCommerce that online merchants should pay close attention to:

1. Input controls 

Input controls are interactive elements of the interfaces, including all elements that allow users to enter information into the system. Some of the main Input controls elements that can be mentioned are:

  • Checkboxes
  • Text fields
  • Lists
  • Radio buttons 
  • Sliders
ecommerce ui design - input control elements
Source: thecreativemomentum

2. Navigational elements

When it comes to eCommerce UI design, navigational elements refers to a set of actions guiding the users around the website. In order to easily browse throughout the store page, customers can rely on some navigation components such as: 

  • Menu and breadcrumbs 
  • Search options
  • Image carousels 
  • Sliders 
  • Tags and icons
Navigational components
Source: thecreativemomentum

3. Informational components

Informational components in ecommerce website UI are used to share relevant information with customers. These elements sometimes can be used to provides customers with guidelines to help them understand unfamiliar objects in the website interface. 

Some key informational components are:

  • Push notifications
  • Pop-up message boxes
  • Modal windows 
  • Progress bars
Informational components
Source: thecreativemomentum

Once these elements are incorporated effectively, they can greatly enhance webpage interface and support online businesses in delivering a world-class shopping experience.

eCommerce UI Design best practices

As stated above, a distinguished eCommerce UI design involves a variety of elements and requires a considerable amount of research and trial that highly depends on the business niche and potential customer group. However, there are some particular factors in eCommerce website UI design that you should take into consideration when it comes to user experience development. 

1. Site navigation

Adidas eCommerce UI Design
Adidas’ site navigation

The first thing to keep in mind when you want to enhance your design user interface for online shopping system is to present simple navigation that guarantees uninterrupted consideration of customer purchase. Online users should be able to browse through different product pages and reach the checkout screen without any hindrance. 

In order to do so, site navigation options should be improvised to best ensure smooth movement from one step to the next:

  • The main menu should be clean and appealing that contains essential categories.
  • Sub-categories should be included in the drop-down list and automatically displayed when the cursor hovers over the category.
  • Search bar is a navigation element that is always available to provide shortcuts to certain products. An AI-powered search bar to recommend what buyers are looking for is a smart choice.

2. Home page

Oreo eCommerce UI Design
Oreo’s home page

The home page of any website is probably the most crucial and creative area in ecommerce UI design as this is the first thing that grabs users’ attention when they land on your eCommerce stores. Therefore, homepage design should focus on immediately highlighting your brand and services in a few seconds. All essential related information such as business goals, product bestsellers, brand partners and testimonials should be displayed in an informative yet eye-catching and professional way. 

3. Product page

Miniso eCommerce UI Design
Miniso’s product page

Every product page should aim at giving customers a full understanding of the product they are looking at. To improve eCommerce UI design for Product Page, you can:

  • Enable the zoom in/ zoom out functionality of the product images.
  • Display product images in carousel mode. 
  • Include product videos, size chart and product reviews section.

It’s worth noticing that all pertinent details, including discount codes, payment options, extra fees or return policies shall be shown at once on product pages. However, these pieces of information should be made small on non-intrusive widgets to free up the product pages to primarily focus on product details.

4. Order page UI design

The order page is a pivotal moment in the shopping journey. A well-structured order page UI design enhances usability, builds trust, and reduces cart abandonment. Here’s how:

  • Simplify Layout and Navigation: A clean, uncluttered design ensures ease of use. Highlight key elements like product summaries, total costs, and shipping details.
  • Optimize for Mobile E-Commerce: Given the rise of mobile shopping, prioritize mobile ecommerce design for seamless access on all devices.
  • Reinforce Trust: Include secure payment icons, return policies, and real-time order tracking for reassurance.
  • Personalize Elements: Leverage ecommerce UI/UX design to display tailored promotions or loyalty rewards on the order page, boosting customer satisfaction.

Investing in an intuitive ecommerce user interface transforms the order page into a conversion powerhouse, driving sales and customer retention.

Crafting the perfect order page UI Design for E-Commerce (Walmart)

5. Checkout screen

samsung checkout screen
Samsung’s checkout screen

When designing an ecommerce user interface, businesses often choose between one-page or multi-page checkout screens.

One-page checkout simplifies navigation by consolidating all steps, making it quick and convenient. However, it can feel cluttered, overwhelming users with too much information at once.

Multi-page checkout, on the other hand, divides the process into 2–3 stages. This approach reduces errors, improves clarity, and ensures smoother form completion.

Key features to enhance your checkout UI/UX ecommerce design:

  • Multiple payment methods
  • Clear refund policies
  • “Add to Wishlist” functionality.

Thoughtful UI design for e-commerce websites ensures a seamless, user-focused experience, balancing functionality and aesthetics.

6. Mobile responsive design

Lushus UI design
Lushus’ responsive web design (Source: shift4shop)

Mobile commerce volume is expected to hit $710.4 billion by 2025. Besides, mobile traffic was responsible for 58.33% of all total global e-commerce traffic in Q3 of 2023 (by Statista), cementing the need for a mobile-first approach in ecommerce UI/UX development.

Responsive design isn’t just about resizing a webpage; it’s about optimizing every element to align with device capabilities, screen sizes, and resolutions.

To craft practical mobile-friendly interfaces:

  • Analyze device usage trends (screen sizes, operating systems, browsers).
  • Design interfaces that leverage device hardware (e.g., touch gestures, retina displays).

A sleek mobile ecommerce design ensures your store remains functional and visually appealing on any device.

Read more: Responsive Web Design and Progressive Web App (PWA): The Differences

Best Resources for eCommerce UI Design template

Crafting an exceptional ecommerce UI/UX design starts with high-quality templates tailored for online shopping platforms. Here are the top resources to explore:

1.UI8: Known for its professional-grade UI kits, UI8 provides fully responsive ecommerce templates. Ideal for high-end, fashion, or luxury brand stores needing premium visuals and intricate functionality.

UI8 ECommerce UI Design Resource

2. Envato Elements: A treasure trove of templates featuring drag-and-drop compatibility. Perfect for startups and small businesses looking for quick, scalable solutions.

Envato Elements

3. Dribbble & Behance: Showcases creative, cutting-edge UI eCommerce designs. Great for inspiration or sourcing custom templates for niche ecommerce platforms.

Dribbble

4. Figma Community: Offers free, collaborative UI/UX design templates with prototyping features. Suited for iterative design in teams working on modern mobile ecommerce design.

Figma ECommerce UI Design Resource

Benefits of eCommerce UI Design 

1. Excellent user experience

The most noticeable advantage of eCommerce UI design is to significantly leverage user experience. The fact that customers can fully enjoy a seamless shopping process will encourage them to purchase more and return to your online stores in the future.

Hơn thế nữa, giao diện người dùng tuyệt vời cho hệ thống mua sắm trực tuyến thường được thể hiện trong thiết kế web phản hồi cho phép các trang web trực tuyến tự động điều chỉnh để phù hợp với các kích thước màn hình thiết bị khác nhau. Bất kể người dùng thiết bị nào đang sử dụng, sự hiện diện của trang mua sắm vẫn nhất quán, mang lại trải nghiệm mua sắm mượt mà. 

2. Higher retention rate

65% of customers stated that they would become long-term customers of a brand if they experience a positive and smooth customer journey. Therefore, excellent UI design is the first step on the shopping journey that later vastly increase customer retention. Retail merchants with better eCommerce UI Design can apparently generate more sales and gain an increasing competitive advantage over other companies in the market.  

3. Reduced cost and time

Though this might not be visible at first, proposing a well-planned UI Design from the start can avoid certain future problems, including fixing navigation errors, eliminating non-relevant functions, or adjusting the design to be accessible and functional. Therefore, a good eCommerce UI Design assists store owners in saving time and effort in the long run.

Scale your business with Simicart eCommerce store UI/UX services

Simicart is a leading provider of comprehensive consulting and development services for eCommerce. With a focus on delivering exceptional user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design for mobile commerce, Simicart helps businesses create engaging and effective online stores.

Our expertise encompasses everything from strategy development to implementation, ensuring that clients receive tailored solutions that meet their specific needs. For businesses looking to enhance their eCommerce presence, Simicart offers professional guidance and innovative strategies. 

Contact us today for a consultation to discover how we can help elevate your online business!

Conclusion

Web pages’ design is a valuable asset to vastly enhance your business performance. An excellent eCommerce UI Design not only delivers a seamless user experience that grabs potential buyers attention but also increases customer engagement and retention. For that reason, it’s essential for eCommerce business owners to understand the importance of UI Design and continually upgrade their website presence to enormously improve customer satisfaction.