Transform Ux: 4 Design Essentials For Store Success

Understanding Your Target Audience

You’ll see it when you go out. Whether it’s a bar, a club, or even the local café, there will always be two strangers staring at each other who think they’re speaking the same language. But, under the surface, not really.

These people could be you and your customers if you’re not careful. Here’s a thought. Imagine your audience is in a room filled with so much noise that they can’t hear themselves talk.

That’s what shopping online is like right now. There are rarely so many options and so much information around that people can feel overwhelmed and lost about what they want to get or where they want to get it from. I think it’s become nearly impossible for customers to make decisions on a platform that doesn’t offer them a guided journey toward getting what they want.

It all boils down to knowing what the people who frequent your store would want from your store. And then building an experience that fits their needs the best. Your store should help them answer three things: What are you selling. Do I need it.

What makes you better than the alternatives. You need to design your store so it clearly tells your customer what they’re buying, why it matters, and why they should buy it from you versus someone else. It feels odd to say this, but shoppers don’t really look beyond these essentials when deciding on brands that speak to them.

Your customer might have grown up in an era where what mattered about clothes was how long it lasted and whether or not it fit like fashion should. But today, things are evolving faster than ever before. Why something is made is just as important as how well it's made and who gets to wear or use them.

Customers in 2024 care about where their money goes just as much as they care about who gets access to premium quality experiences they would associate with their own standards of living.

The Importance of Visual Hierarchy in Design

Picture walking into a massive department store with racks and shelves everywhere - and no signs for where to find anything. The racks seem like mazes, the shelves are two-aisle-high deep, and the only way to locate what you want is to go through the entire thing. It would be overwhelming. In this situation, finding what you want can take up anywhere from hours to days depending on how many times you make mistakes along the way.

The way I see it, it’s a crucial aspect in design that is often overlooked, visual hierarchy is about more than keeping pages pretty. In fact, it’s so important that it’s built on scientific research – even if you don’t realise it. Visual hierarchy is rooted in the way we perceive things. While beauty may lie in the eye of the beholder, good hierarchy relies on science.

There are multiple studies done on how our eyes move when looking at something. For example, a study done by the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab found that “visual design had the highest correlation with perceived credibility” making it one of the most effective ways to communicate with your audience. By organising information and actions by their level of importance for the user - visual hierarchy builds a framework for users to navigate through your store with ease. If done right, finding information on your e-commerce website feels intuitive - like something inside your brain keeps guiding you to what you're looking for.

Leveraging Customer Feedback for Continuous Improvement

Sounds Like imagine this: you walk into a beautifully designed store, keen to spend a lazy afternoon browsing, only to find the music so loud you can’t hear your own thoughts. You mention it to the cashier. They smile politely, but nothing happens. Next week, same store, same headache-inducing music.

You just don’t go back. It’s one thing to put a suggestion box on the counter or say “Let us know if you need anything. ” as people enter your shop.

But it’s quite another to be receptive and act on feedback in real time. Customers notice if you take their comments seriously or not. And I think it’s fairly obvious that those who make a change based on customer feedback - whether it’s the temperature of the store, a new product they want to see more of, or something else - keep their customers happier and coming back for more.

Getting the feedback is easy - well, easier than ever before at least. A quick Google form or comments section on your website; maybe an old fashioned phone call; even direct messages on Instagram - there are hundreds of ways that customers can reach out to share their experience with your brand and what they’d like to see improved. The tough part is implementing that feedback (especially when customers contradict each other. Sort of.

). It’s never easy hearing criticism of something you’ve worked hard on but being receptive and open minded (and aware enough to know when feedback doesn’t apply) is essential. Finally, while no one expects you to make changes immediately based on every customer’s whim (nor should you), communicating what changes you are making, when customers can expect them, why some things might not be possible, all goes a long way in building trust and respect with your customers. Like any relationship worth having, this too requires communication and effort from both parties involved for there to be mutual appreciation and growth.