Last year, global eCommerce reached US$2.3 trillion and is expected to double by 2021. In the United States alone, eCommerce represents almost 10 percent of retail sales. Even as the general public is increasingly coming to prefer online shopping, many websites still face unique challenges to their success.

Because consumers today are primarily about the visual experience, online stores need to improve their designs to spur sales and generate more revenue. So, what should we expect in eCommerce design trends in 2018? To help you improve your eCommerce website, the design team at Whats the Host have put together an infographic on 7 eCommerce design trends that are building brands and boosting conversions in 2018.

With anywhere from 9 to 11 percent of online shoppers now shopping online via their smartphone on a weekly basis, mobile is set to become consumers main purchasing tool. And another 39 percent of online shoppers use social networks to get inspiration for purchases.

Take a look at the infographic below to see which eCommerce design trends are set to dominate 2018. And you can also click here to view overall graphic design trends for 2018.

eCommerce design trends 2018

eCommerce continues to explode, climbing more than 20 percent year after year. And it’s projected to grow even faster in 2018. In such a crowded market, design is a competitive advantage that can make or break an eCommerce site. The design of your eCommerce site can engage, delight, and inform your customers to create a distinct and positive shopping experience. Before your customers ever purchase your products, the overall flow and appearance of your site makes a critical impression. So, for design that converts anonymous visitors into satisfied customers, check out these eCommerce design trends that will prevail in 2018:

Scrolling product images

Faster viewing makes for faster purchases. The action of scrolling is incredibly gratifying, giving our eyes and brains a clean and continuous stream of content; as opposed to the abrupt, intrusive nature of clicking. Thus, scrolling images streamline the browsing experience, allowing potential buyers to quickly asses a product and confidently pull the trigger.

Intersecting elements

Playful use of layers and composition make for a sleek and unconventional look. Intersecting designs can help product pages achieve harmony across contrasting elements like text, photographs, and vectors. Intersecting elements make for dynamic and eye-catching designs, all the while leaving plenty of opportunity for negative space.

Real photography

Original photography remains a real challenge for eCommerce websites. Photos need to be attractive and interesting, but simple enough that the product remains the central focus. And the aesthetics have to be consistent across all your products. However, you need to be careful not to bore customers with the same looks and poses over and over again. Stay away from poor stock photos, as they’ll immediately cheapen your brand. Another way to add more high quality content to your eCommerce site would be to add a 360 degree image of a model wearing a product.

Integrated video

Something of a cross between a GIF and a true video, integrated video is a visually delightful way to exhibit product features and benefits. They combine all the best parts of a gif (smaller file size, automatic start and loops, no sound) with the crisp definition of a video file. The result is your product, come to life on your customers’ screens. Integrated video disguises itself from background videos and traditional press-to-play mediums in that it plays in harmony with the overall website design.

Out of the box product page photos

Few products look their best in standard image dimensions. Utilizing huge hero images and the creative juxtaposition of image and text, product photos are breaking free from conventional photo boxes and making a big impression. Try designing the entire product page around the negative space in your photography.

Product landing pages

A picture is worth a thousand words. Customers’ first interactions with your eCommerce site determine whether they will explore further; or if they’ll close the window and forget about your brand. A product landing page combines interesting photography, sleek design, and smart marketing copy to convey extensive information—a perfect hybrid marketing tool.

Creative category pages

Category pages should no longer be treated as simply a stop-over between the homepage and product. The tried-and-true product grid is evolving to offer and innovative browsing experience through offbeat product category layouts. An unorthodox structuring of product sections can enhance the discovery elements of a customer’s online shopping experience.

Source: https://www.whatsthehost.com/ecommerce-design-trends/