The luxury ecommerce market is set to be worth $91bn by 2025.
As a brand with any kind of digital presence, the one thing standing in your way of maximising online sales is your website.
Specifically, customers shopping in the luxury sector expect an elevated experience with every click, tap and scroll.
When it comes to attracting let alone converting affluent customers, it can be a tall order to translate your brand within a digital space.
As a luxury ecommerce website design agency here at Imaginaire, these are some of our top pointers for success based on our experience in premium sectors such as jewellery, home interiors and international real estate.
Starting With The Basics – Does Your Website Work Properly?
Yep, that is indeed a broken page on Chanel — and was on the page for their infamous No 5 perfume!
User experience is paramount for all ecommerce websites. But in the luxury market, there is an even greater expectation that the journey throughout your website, specifically between any product listings and the checkout will be ultra smooth.
Luxe Digital states that the online experience of customers influences 40% of all luxury purchases. In layman’s terms, this means that 4 out of 10 shoppers will base their decision on whether they will purchase or leave a website depending on how satisfied they are with the experience of navigating and interacting with it.
What Could Be Letting Your Luxury Ecommerce Website Down?
Any number of aspects could be preventing sales on your website, either through broken elements or a frustrating experience which results in higher abandoned carts.
However, some areas to consider checking include:
- Ensuring the website is fully operational (i.e. all buttons and features work properly)
- There are no broken links, and any non-existing pages have appropriate redirects
- Setting up the domain extension, currency and similar targeted features with the specific country in mind
- The website has HTTPS, an SSL certificate and other applicable security features to look credible and trustworthy in front of customers
- There are no general glitches or pages which have unacceptable load times
There is a greater need to ensure there are no ‘broken’ or ‘unsatisfactory’ aspects of a luxury ecommerce website. That’s because the quality of the online shopping experience is a direct reflection of the products you sell. Since luxury products may be a considered purchase involving high sums of money, you really don’t want your website letting the side down.
The above errors and more are common in websites that aren’t correctly built and maintained. This is why investment in web design as well as ongoing website management is key.
Translating Premium Brands Into Web Design
If you’ve ever visited a luxury department store or car showroom, you will know there is a certain je ne sais quoi that happens in that the interiors, customer service and overall feel of the store reflect the brand positioning.
Well, when creating an online version of a store, that same sense of brand translation also needs to come through in terms of the design and overall functionality of the website.
There are no fixed rules on how to achieve the perfect web design, other than it should feel on brand and also directly consider the needs and preferences of the customer.
Sometimes this can involve a paired back approach to the design, and other times this means allowing the customer to see more product angles or details.
In either case, there needs to be an effort to plan the website so that it can be designed and built with your target customer in mind.
Staying True To The Brand Heritage
Ca’ Pietra is a luxury tile company and a fantastic example of how to embed a sense of heritage into the digital experience.
From the direction of the product photography to the level of product details available, there is a sense of customer engagement that seeks to inform as if the customer was visiting the showroom in person.
Interestingly, Ca’ Pietra has a product range that spans ultra-traditional tiles to modern design trends. Yet the website design feels perfectly catered to each of the different styles. The website is also easy to navigate so that customers can find the perfect aesthetic they are searching for.
Granted, not all luxury brands have been around long enough to have a sense of heritage, but at the very least there is a story there that needs to be told. Namely, what makes your company so special and worthy of the higher price point?
Ability To Customise The Online Shopping Experience
One way to attract customers to your online luxury store is to put them in the driving seat. For Range Rover, this is quite literally what its website achieves with its custom build-a-car tool.
Building a customisation tool is of course an expensive investment. Yet, it’s something that can really set your brand apart. From kitchen design to creating an engagement ring, there are endless reasons why customers may prefer the ability to design or visualise your products before purchasing.
For general ecommerce websites where product customisations aren’t applicable, you can still ensure that the website navigation offers a level of customisation. For instance, giving the option to select between colours, materials, price points and other super-specific details.
Consider Adding Valuable Blog Content Such As Product Guides
If the name of the game is to attract customers to your luxury ecommerce store, then it pays to think about their wants, needs, interests and also questions.
Whatever your store happens to specialise in, make sure this expertise is used to help inform and inspire customers, including those you can pick up through SEO-friendly searches. How to do so is to invest in your blog content, inspiration pieces and newsletters.
For instance, a jewellery store may create a personalised guide on wedding ring styles. Or an interiors store may want to cover practical tips for a functional kitchen. Consider your niche, and look to be the #1 destination where customers can find the answers to those top questions.
Your website can also have live chat functionality to provide a luxury digital concierge. This is handy for any further queries that can’t be found within your existing content.
Imaginaire – Luxury Ecommerce Web Design Agency UK
Is your luxury ecommerce website looking a little lacklustre? Or perhaps you’re planning to launch a new ecommerce website from scratch?
Make the right first impression with your customers with a professionally designed ecommerce website by Imaginaire.
We’re based in Nottingham and work with clients from across the UK and beyond. We specialise in the luxury sector with various case studies available on our website.
If you’d like us to take a look at your existing website, or discuss ideas for your new ecommerce project then please get in touch. You can also give us a call on 0115 697 1221.
Get in touch with Imaginaire, the human ecommerce agency to upgrade and market your online store