Tracy Watson 02/09/2019 #Design #Popular #Retail 8 min read The way websites are designed is constantly evolving to adapt to the latest market trends. Even the designs that were once considered old fashioned or out of style can gain new life and start attracting customers. If you would like your clients to enjoy the best possible shopping experience, you will have to monitor and update your designs continuously. You can use some of the e-commerce design trends listed below in order to create cutting edge websites your customers will love.1. The Dominance of Mobile DevicesNow that customers use smartphones and tablets more than desktop computers for shopping purposes, professional designers have to create websites that are mobile-oriented and could be adapted for larger screens. This is a complete reversal from the old days when companies would focus on creating a responsive and adaptive desktop site, that could also be accessed on mobile, but with less comfort and convenience. If you still prefer to shop on your desktop, you can expect to see mobile-friendly features on the website such as long scrolling pages and card-like layouts. However, given the fact that mobile is taking over, it is vital that you have a mobile-friendly site that has been custom-developed to fit your unique needs.2. More Interaction with the CustomersCompanies go to great length to interact with their customers because it builds long-lasting relationships and provides clients with a custom-tailored experience. A lot of companies are using animations and cinemographs on their websites to help visitors navigate more quickly and easily by swiping or tapping. If you are experiencing long loading times, consider adding animations to the progress bars or icon rotations to help take away the user’s attention from the fact that it takes the site forever to load.Cinemographs are pictures with small iterating animations. They are often used on homepages in GIF format. You will typically see them in the form of banners or background images to invigorate an otherwise mundane website. This trend started way back in 2016, and we can expect to see this trend get popular in the future.3. Catchy ColorsThe way business use colors on their websites is a great example of the ever-evolving nature of the trends. Just last year, it was all about minimalism and using only black and white colors. All of a sudden, companies have shifted gears and have now started using more bold colors in their designs. Everybody is trying to create a retail software solution that will stand out, and colors are being used as a method of connecting with customers and for aesthetic reasons as well. If you use colors the right way, you can send subliminal messages to your customers and provide them with a more pleasant shopping experience. Therefore, expect to see catchier and more colorful homepages. As far as the texture is concerned, you can expect the striking colors to be used along with neutral backgrounds along with more innovative navigational aids.4. ChatbotsSince personalization is important in e-commerce, chatbots will be very useful for finding creative ways to assist your most loyal and valuable customers better. While chatbots main purpose has mostly been answering questions, they can also be used to help shoppers make purchase decisions, provide them with discount codes, and deliver notifications. A lot of e-commerce websites, such as Shopify, are using chatbots to nudge those customers who are on the fence about making a purchase to actually buy the product(s) and provide customers with a more tailored experience.5. Using Original PhotographyWhile a lot of companies prefer to use stock photos on their websites, the prevailing trend is to start using original images. Businesses are hiring professional photographers to tell stories only authentic images can provide. Such images are being used on the homepage and other webpages describing all of the products for sale. Companies are using the photos to tell a story about a product which helps them sell better than simply describing the features.6. StorytellingSpeaking of telling stories, this can be used effectively to reenergize an otherwise lifeless brand. The reason is that it builds an emotional connection with the customers and your credibility as well. More importantly, having a unique story to tell could be just what you need to stand out in the crowded marketplace. When you are writing your story, be sure to mention how it all began, i.e. why you started your business and the humble beginnings, show your passion for the product/service and offer a solution to the problem(s) the customers are dealing with.7. Robust SecurityIt seems that every single day, we read about a hacker attacking some company and stealing customers’ personal information. If you would like people to make purchases on your site, you have to put those fears to rest. A lot of companies are using HTTP encryption and are prominently displaying this security information in the browser next to the URL. The more customers feel secure, the more likely they are to not only make a single purchase but keep coming back.These are only some of the ways e-commerce websites are attracting new business. Web commerce design trends are evolving all the time; therefore, it is important to remain in the know about what is in demand right now so you can use it to your advantage. Customers are becoming more demanding as far as the shopping experience is concerned, especially given the number of e-commerce websites out there. Therefore, try implementing the trends listed to increase customer satisfaction and business in general.