E-commerce Header Design Tips That Boost Conversions
The header is the first thing a potential customer sees on your website. According to Eye Tracking and Web Experience research, your visitors will spend approximately 23% of their attention on your header section.
Based on this and other similar studies, we can conclude that the header is one of the most important sections of your e-commerce website. Visitors decide whether or not to stay on your website during the few crucial seconds they spend focused on the header.
Knowing this, if your header is designed to meet the needs of your visitors, you can avoid some of the most common causes of low conversion rates. You’ll need to put your mind to it and consider what your visitors want to see in order to know that you are the right store for them.
In this article, we will discuss how to improve your conversion rate through better header design. We’ve also rounded up some useful examples of those tips in action. Let’s get started without further ado.
Highlight Free Shipping
According to research from Baymard, 68.8% of customers abandon their shopping carts. The main reason for abandonment, according to 48% of people, was that extra costs were too high, with shipping coming in the first place.
With that in mind, be upfront about your shipping to avoid card abandonment. There is no better place than the header to make sure that free shipping is prominently displayed. Everyone will notice it right away and feel more at ease buying from you.
There are numerous locations for your shipping sign within the header, and that mostly depends on the overall header design and layout.
Some of the most common locations are at the top of the page, above the other header elements, or below, but most ecommerce websites use the above option.
Source: https://ozarkarmament.com/
Ozark Armament used their imagination in an unconventional way. “FREE SHIPPING ON ALL SIGHTS” was placed directly above the main menu and below other elements. It’s right in the middle and written in red, so you can’t miss it.
It’s also under their logo, with enough white space between them, so it doesn’t steal the show but works as a whole. The majority of visitors will keep the logo and the free shipping sign connected in their minds and remember that Ozark Armament offers free shipping.
Use a Strong Call to Action
You can persuade your customer to take a specific action by using a strong copy along with good design and placement for your CTA button.
A strong call to action should provide information, motivate the customer, and be simple and straightforward. If we break it down into steps, they will be as follows:
- Specify the action.
- Determine what motivates your customer.
- Make your text as concise and clear as possible.
It may appear simple, but it necessitates considerable thought. You can always go with the most popular option – “Buy now.” However, if you want to do it a bit differently, some other great CTA options for your e-commerce site include:
- Grab it today
- Complete my purchase
- Buy now and avoid disappointment
- Treat yourself today
- Try out today
- Buy now and enjoy
- Get the look
- Save big
- Get my discount
- Find out more
Take your time with your call to action; the goal is to leave a lasting impression. Aside from text, there is also the color, shape, and size of the CTA button to consider.
In one A/B test, Hubspot compared green and red buttons and discovered that the red button had 21% more conversions than the green button.
This does not imply that you should have red buttons – these were Hubspot’s results for their design. The best thing you can do is to run A/B tests on your CTA buttons to find the right version for your site.
Bliss offers us an excellent example of using an engaging CTA in the site header. The button color compliments the site’s overall design and color scheme, while the label “SHOP NOW” prompts the shopper to take action.
Source: Blissworld.com
Generate FOMO through Scarcity
FOMO (fear of missing out) relates to a sense of urgency and scarcity in customers. This psychological phenomenon is widely used in marketing, and it can have a major impact on e-commerce sales.
According to a CXL study, adding a sense of urgency increased conversion rates by 332% for one online seller.
FOMO is effective in e-commerce because it motivates people to act by capitalizing on that sense of urgency. You can imagine it as an invisible force compelling your customers to purchase your products.
FOMO can affect buyers in a variety of ways, including:
- They believe that if they do not purchase, they will be left out and will not have the same experience as others.
- They buy because they are afraid of passing up a good deal.
- They missed out on something they wanted to buy, and now they’re afraid that if they don’t act quickly, they’ll miss out on another purchase.
In any case, FOMO is an excellent tool for acquiring new customers as well as encouraging old ones to shop with you again. Limited-time sales and discounts are the most common way to utilize FOMO to increase sales.
Source: https://solawoodflowers.com/
As an example, consider this header by Sola Wood Flowers. The words “ENDS SOON” instill that fear of missing out, but that isn’t the only thing that makes this header so successful. It comes with a fantastic deal that you won’t want to pass up: “Up to 70% Off!” In addition, they have a strong CTA that says “SHOP NOW.”
While FOMO is extremely effective on its own, you should strive to combine these three elements. Make a good offer, create a sense of urgency, and add to it a strong call to action.
Showcase Your Products
Using images in your header can be extremely beneficial to your conversion rates, but you must proceed with caution.
Firstly, big image files can slow down website speed, so you must prepare each image before placing it on your site. Of course, you should test your site’s speed to ensure that everything is in order.
Secondly, putting abstract images or icons in your header that aren’t universally recognized can do more harm than good.
According to a Big Commerce study, 78% of online shoppers want images to help them visualize products. This means that you should use your product images if you want a high conversion rate.
You can use this to show customers what they can buy on your website. Present your best products to them and inspire them to buy that specific product.
Be creative with your design, as with everything else in the header, and make sure the product images are in sync with other elements.
Jackie Smith is a fashion brand that continuously finds innovative ways to showcase its products in its website header.
The company clearly invests a ton of effort into creating visuals that complement their products, generate positive emotions with site visitors, and frame their goods in an extremely flattering way.
It’s easy to desire products that look as good as these do. And this is exactly what the Jackie Smith design team was going for with their website header.
Generate Emotion
What is the relationship between generating emotions and your conversion rate?
Let’s start with a study from the University of California that claims that every purchase we make is motivated by emotion. So, if you fail to elicit an emotional response from your visitors, they will most likely move on to another website.
Images and visuals can help your customers invest emotions in your brand and their shopping experience. You can elicit emotions such as happiness, joy, and overall positive feelings by using the right images.
However, before you select the ideal image for your header, you have to consider your target audience. You need to determine what gender they are, how old they are, what their preferences are, and so on.
What is the significance of this? It’s pointless if the emotions you’re attempting to elicit aren’t in line with what you’re selling or who you’re selling to.
If you haven’t already, determine your brand values. The emotions you want to elicit a need to be consistent with your brand values and overall brand image.
Source: https://impossible.co/
Impossible is an excellent example. Their image of a man pushing his limits for one more rep is ideal for their target audience. And the image depicts exactly what their headline says: “push your limits.”
They build their brand by inspiring people to achieve the seemingly impossible. And looking at this image gives you the impression that you can do anything, including the impossible.
Final Thoughts
Every header has its own design, and while some elements are required, the final composition is entirely up to the designer. We provided some pointers on how to utilize your website header to improve your site’s conversion rates. Try them out and see how you can incorporate them into your design for better results.
