COMMON MAGENTO 2 UI MISTAKES

By default, Magento 2 offers a large number of features and tools that enable merchants to create high-performing stores that can do both – bring in sales and grow in the competitive marketplace, efficiently. Additionally, there is an endless selection of third-party extensions for adding functionality and flexibility that eCommerce businesses need to enhance and expand their site.

Even though the platform offers hundreds of possibilities for optimisation and high conversion rates, many store owners still manage to have an unfortunate experience. In an attempt to make their website more appealing and highly functional, some business owners load their site with plenty of design elements and third-party applications, which results in confusion and negatively impacts user experience.

In this article, we have shared some common mistakes designers make and effective tips to avoid or correct them.

1) The Top Navigation Menu Does Not Fit into the First Screen

This usually happens due to the size of the banner. For visitors using a small screen to access your website, there will be different navigation requirements. To make sure the navigation menu seamlessly fits into the user’s screen, you need to optimise your banner size for different screen resolutions. With a responsive design, the banner will not take up over the half of the screen.

2) The drop-down list does not fit on a single screen

The happens when your website has a horizontal menu and multiple sub-categories. A good website will always focus on clear navigation rather than number of clicks. Users must know where they are on the website and how they can get to their point of interest. To make sure the subcategories of the main menu are visible on the available space, consider shifting some page elements that are not related to navigation, to the footer or move them to additional navigation. These elements include settings that are rarely used, such as ‘contact us’, ‘privacy policy’, ‘work with us’, etc.

Since Google primarily uses the mobile version of web pages for ranking and indexing, you want to make sure that your website is well optimised for mobile. Go through your Google Analytics account to determine the most popular devices and screen resolutions among your target audience and focus on them first when designing your website.

3) Leaving excessive space around the web page

White space, often referred to as negative space, is the area intentionally left blank on a web page, usually between graphics, images, columns, text, margins and other elements, to create a look that is clear, comforting and enjoyable.

However, too much of white space can result in a bland, uninspiring layout with little to encourage the visitor to learn more. It can detract the reader’s attention from the content rather than pulling them in.

If your web page seems to have a lot of white space, you can fill it with nicely spaced and positioned columns showcasing important information to your visitors – it can be a login block, a promo campaign, recently viewed products, etc.

4) Too much product information in the first screen area

Some designers fail to draw a line between showing off their creativity and overwhelming readers with tons of information. This issue happens due to conflicting ideas and demands of different teams/stakeholders. One team may want to focus on the new functionality of the product while the other team may think they should emphasise on how the product works. Stakeholders may believe positive reviews should be featured first to create a powerful impact.

The point is if you are not leaving the reader interested to learn more, there is a good chance they won’t come back. So, think about what information is useful for visitors and can encourage them to want to read more about the product and take desired actions on your website.

5) Poor iconography

Designers often make the mistake of considering icons an extra decorative element and even see them as the easiest part of the design, while the truth is, they make a fundamental part of modern interfaces.

Choosing the right symbols is important to clearly communicate the meaning of elements and to maintain a consistent style for the icons throughout your website.

Here are some tips to follow:

• Use vectors/SVG image formats for your icons. This will help ensure your icons look sharp and clear on any device or resolution.

• Keep your style consistent: Either outline or fill all your icons. Also, make sure to maintain a consistent corner radius and line thickness.

• Keep the message of your icon clear and precise.

6) Cluttered layout

Some designers get carried away when trying to show off their creativity. They may love their clutter of intriguing elements, but visitors might not like it. In fact, cluttered websites create frustration, sometimes to the point that the visitor leaves the site.

When there are too many elements on a web page competing for users’ attention, the user may get confused. Not knowing where to look, the user can miss a CTA or any other important information, which can mean a lost chance of conversion.

Here’s how you can avoid this:

• The only elements that should feature on your landing page are the main banner image, primary headline, a concise list of benefits of the product/service, a CTA and some social proof to add credibility to your claims.

• Every other page should be clearly navigated and focused only on one goal so that users intuitively know what action to take when they are on that page and where that action will lead them.

• Make effective use of whitespace between text, images, columns, forms and CTAs.

• Limit yourself to one or two fonts and three colours maximum in your layout.

Wrapping Up,

The main mindset for UI designers should be – usability first and aesthetics second. A website should not just have an appealing interface but an intuitive design that generates trust amongst visitors, leading them to conversions. Keep these mistakes in mind as a checklist of things you want to avoid when designing a Magento website.

For more information, consult with our Magento web development team that will help you avoid such common mistakes and focus on the effectively designing your online store.