Sometimes you don’t even need an excuse to spend an entire afternoon losing yourself while looking through hundreds of beautiful looking websites and admiring their handiwork.
Luckily we do have a reason… research! That old ‘get out of jail free card’.
Last year I took a look at some excellent examples of persuasive ecommerce design and I thought now would be a great time to add to the list. The sun is shining after all.
Using the five techniques laid out by Peep Laja in his persuasive design techniques manifesto I’ll be taking a look at various ecommerce sites that either tick one, or even all of the following persuasive design boxes:
- Clarity above everything else: does the homepage immediately answer the following question ‘what is this site about?’
- Visual appeal: Is the homepage attractive, while still being simple and clear?
- Strong visual hierarchy: is the most important thing on your page the biggest, boldest, brightest thing?
- Keep attention at all costs: does it stand out from the crowd with larger than life images, original photography or graphics or interesting copy?
- One primary action per screen: is each individual webpage’s function abundantly clear?
So with these questions in mind and some inspiration from the good people at AWWWARDS, my own research and examples from around our own blog, let’s take a look at some beautiful examples of persuasive design…
Barbour
Very subtle product positioning, a leftfield approach to advertising and one of the wittiest call-to-actions I’ve ever seen.
Adidas Originals
Adidas Originals Netherlands and the Brazilian brand Farm’s collaboration has resulted in this utterly gorgeous, endlessly scrolling, kaleidoscopically animated look book.
Grovemade
The USA based handcrafted goods company has some particularly beautiful product pages, but it’s this image of the employees on the homepage that truly makes it stand apart. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this team?
Lush
Beautifully evocative photography, with super-bold typeface and clear than clear navigation.
Marmoset
A stunning interface, with a large video background, replete with flat responsive design, clear call-to-actions and simple to use media player. I could spend hours here.
Norman Records
As I wrote last month, the UK based record store is a masterclass in ecommerce design. It puts usability and function above all else. The aesthetic design of the store is simple and geared towards ease of use, but also allows the character of the site and its staff to shine through.
Tico
Taking a note from Dollar Shave Club on simplicity of message, also check out those call to actions, that take you through to a bold product page that’s impossible to resist.
Bellroy
As Graham Charlton mentions in his round-up of ecommerce sites getting it right, the product and landing pages on this site are excellent, and go the extra mile to describe and demonstrate the products. Take this image for example, a great way to show what you can fit in there:
Mah Ze Dahr Bakery
You’re never going to go far wrong in aiming straight for the stomach with your delicious looking food, but there’s something particularly arresting about the layout here, with the white background and focus on just a few unpackaged items.
Nixon
One of my favourite homepages, I just love the simplicity of it. The images often change too, but these two are particularly affecting and effectively on-brand.
A Watch by You
A splendid and simple home page that repeatedly types out the features of the watch and then lets you scroll down the page to customise it.
Emmy Twenty
Natural photography featuring friendly smiling faces promotes trust and lets you see how products look in real world settings.
Cerastone Cookware
You can’t see this but although the image is still, the pan is subtly bubbling away with steam rising. There is also a great deal to be said for ecommerce sites taking you on a bit of a narrative journey before hitting you with the hard sell.
Flat Guitars
I’m going to end on a perennial favourite which I’ve used before in a feature on flat design. Not strictly ecommerce, but you will struggle to leave this site in under an hour and certainly without adding a new guitar to your wishlist.
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