Jan 17, 2022

Top Web Design Trends for eCommerce in 2024

As a Shopify design and development agency, we'd like to think we know a thing or two about web design. Having noticed some new trends taking hold lately, we have put together a compilation of web design trends coming in 2023 to help you shape your strategy.

Web Design Trends for eCommerce in 2022

Trend 1: Thoughtful Upselling

Upselling has become ubiquitous in e-commerce, so much so that standard product recommendations have lost most of their novelty amongst even the most novice of online shoppers. As technology, e-commerce and the overall landscape shifts, brands must adapt and stay relevant. Merchants must take a more precise approach to up-selling and cross-selling and pair it with the right incentives that will nudge your potential customers into action.

For successful upselling, merchants need to undertake the legwork of combing through store data and developing a solid merchandising strategy. Consider which items frequently sell well together, which products are complimentary, and which products may be combined to provide a good user experience. Are you selling flower arrangements? Consider selling a vase as an upsetting bonus. When considering thoughtful merchandising strategies, it's always a good idea to emphasize growth goals, but don't forget to provide your consumers the best shopping experience possible.

Trend 2: Model Diversity

Relatability and inclusivity is how a brand can truly connect with their audience online. We are no longer in the era of fantasy, selling unrealistic expectations to move a product. Consumers love seeing themselves included in these stories; they desire progress and are open to it. Model diversity in your campaign and product photos is a great way to introduce inclusivity for your brand.

Fabletics, a popular athletic-wear company, offers potential customers the opportunity to see how a specific piece fits on other sizes on most product detail pages. Browsers are able to select different models with a wide range of sizes and body types, helping alleviate the potential barrier of not knowing if a certain style will look good on your body type. Model diversity in eCommerce and web design can help drive purchases and increase average order value, as they are tying the inspiration process and shopping process together. As more brave leaders and brands enter the industry, we see more diverse voices and great change.

Trend 3: Investment in Product Branding

Strong brands outperform the market. Companies that invested in their product branding marked 67 percent above-average organic revenue growth and 70 percent above average total return to shareholders, according to Mckinsey. A clear and compelling brand story provides context and narrative for products, which can help them become more desirable. When a brand introduces a product, it's also selling a story. Consumers are buying into this story when considering a purchase. Brand storytelling is important for customer acquisition and loyalty in addition to being a valuable brand currency. Consumers who buy into a brand story become loyal and are more likely to buy in the future. With a thoughtful brand strategy and execution, your customers can evolve into fans who connect with the brand on a social level. They identify with a brand’s values, appreciate its aesthetics, enjoy its tone of voice and seek to be part of its community. A brand that regularly converses with its fans has relevancy and staying power.

The best example of product branding I can think of in recent years is Gucci, a 101 year old fashion brand. Its most recent brand revival began in 2015 with the appointment of a new Creative Director. The rebrand consisted of a new Gucci Look: an androgynous and hippie mix of florals and sequins, glamour and glitz, surprise and whimsy. Today, this maximalist and Romantic look is identifiable as quintessentially Gucci on the street. “I feel Gucci!” and “That’s so Gucci!” are part of our cultural lexicon. Evolving the brand with a new creative vision, diverse partnerships and eCommerce redesign resulted in a 86% increase in first quarter online sales, By focusing on product branding, they successfully renewed customer interest and Gucci is now the second largest luxury brand in the world.

Trend 4: Digital Luxury Goods

Something particularly important to bear in mind for 2022 will be the ongoing consolidation of physical and digital worlds. The pandemic meant that retailers had to rethink their strategies to enable customers to shop in more flexible ways, and this trend is one that will continue. Offering a digital item is one trend that we are going to see more of in 2022. A digital luxury item can be anything from: a) a non-fungible token in the form of a virtual product, like Dolce & Gabbana’s the Doge Crown or Gucci’s Dionysus bag that can be used, owned, exchanged, rented or sold in digital environments, b) a token that is a membership card, DAO contribution recognition, a PFP and a social visa, like BAYC or RARE curation token, c) virtual products that are worn in metaverses, like Roblox and Fortnite skins.

Digital luxury products might become a $56 billion industry by 2030, according to a recent research report by Morgan Stanley. When done well, digital luxury goods produce cult artifacts (for example, Beeple art or a rare BAYC), which justify high price tags; and help launch businesses into the realm of intangibles. A digital luxury item has three components: aesthetics, identity, and status. When executed properly, they help assess the worth and utility of a digital luxury item in the virtual or physical worlds.

Looking to build or redesign your Shopify website? Check out the Exhibea Website. We also recommend reading our guide on how to make your e-commerce store more profitable.

Need some inspiration? Check out our post about luxury brands using Shopify, where we feature examples of luxury brands and retailers that stand out and shine using Shopify and Shopify Plus.

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