Ecommerce UX best practices: what our A/B tests show

Most UX best practice lists run to 17, 25 or 50 items. Few say which ones moved sales. This list is shorter. It covers 6 practices, and 3 of them come with A/B test results.

And there is room to improve. Baymard rates more than half of ecommerce product pages mediocre or worse on UX.

1. Plain category names with visuals lifted conversion 51.5%

The homepage of an online marketplace used category labels that were not always clear. We tested plain category names, with and without visuals. Plain names with visuals lifted conversion 51.5% over 13 days.

Shoppers should never have to guess what a label means. Use the words they would use, and show a picture of what is inside.

2. A shorter value prop with a units sold count lifted conversion 13.7%

Mobile product pages opened with a long list of selling points. We cut it to 2 lines and added a monthly units sold count. Conversion rose 13.7% in 12 days, and we implemented the change.

On a phone, every line pushes the add to cart button further down. 2 short lines and 1 piece of proof did more than a full list.

3. A checkout header that matched the store lifted conversion 10.4%

A mobile checkout used a larger logo and a header that looked different from the rest of the store. We tested a header that matched the store. Conversion rose 10.4% and exits fell 16% over 15 days.

When checkout suddenly looks different, shoppers wonder if they have left the site. That is the worst moment to plant doubt.

4. Show the full cost before checkout

Show shipping and fees near the add to cart button, or at least in the cart. Baymard found 67% of sites don’t show an estimated total near the buy section.

5. Keep the main button in reach on mobile

Long product pages push the add to cart button out of view. Keep a clear way back to it as shoppers scroll.

6. Fix what your shoppers struggle with, not what a list says

This is how our user experience optimization work starts: research first, then the practice that fits. For the basics, see What is ecommerce user experience, and how does it affect sales? For homepage tests, see Ecommerce homepage best practices: what our A/B tests show.

Good UX in ecommerce is mostly removing doubt: what is this, what does it cost, am I still in the right place?

Frequently asked questions

What are ecommerce UX best practices?

Use plain labels, keep copy short, show the full cost early, keep the main button in reach and make every page look like the same store.

What is the most important part of ecommerce UX?

Helping shoppers find the right product fast. In our test, plain category names with visuals lifted conversion 51.5%.

Does checkout design affect conversion?

Yes. A checkout header that matched the rest of the store lifted conversion 10.4% and cut exits 16% in our test.

How do I know which UX best practices to use?

Start with research. Analytics shows where shoppers drop off, and usability testing shows why.

How do I measure UX improvements?

A/B test them. Track conversion rate and revenue per visitor against the original page.