The header of the online store: how to properly design

How to properly design the header of the online store, main elements, main features, best recommendations
Contents:
- General recommendations
- The main elements that the header of the online store should contain
- Additional aspects of the title of the online store
- What you shouldn’t indicate in the header online store
General recommendations about the header of the online store
The header of the site is the first thing that a visitor sees when he gets to the resource. A lot depends on how well-designed this part of the page is. We have 2-3 seconds to convince the user not to close the page. And all these first seconds of acquaintance with the site belong to the header. Today we are figuring out how to create a hat for an online store to take possession of the visitor’s heart and wallet and not scare him away and say goodbye forever.
When creating a header for an online store, the main rule is that the title should attract but not distract the user’s attention from purchases. Logo, call-to-action, slogan, promotions, information about 26 addresses in 5 cities, 15 phone numbers for communication with each department. No need to try to place all the most interesting from your point of view in the header of an online store. Everything has its place and time.
In a few seconds allotted to you, you need to convince the user that:
- he came to this site, not by chance,
- there is something suitable for him;
- it is comfortable to be on the site;
no one is trying to lure him with cheap tinsel, and the scene is a severe online store, not an advertising resource. What can prevent the user from getting acquainted with the help, and what, on the contrary, will attract attention and increase the chance of making a purchase?
The header’s main elements should contain two main features of the site header:
There are two main features of the header of the online store:
- this is the first thing that a visitor sees when switching to a resource;
- the header has a standard layout and is easy to find when needed.
All this explains why the title for a website, including an online store, should include only the most necessary and expected information.
1.Company`s logo. Its task is to increase awareness. A nice talking logo is an essential branding element. It deserves to be seen. An honorable place for the logo is the upper left corner of the site header. At the same time, the logo should not occupy more than 20-25% of the header area. For the convenience of users, the logo is usually a link to the home page.
2. Brief information about the company. The visitor has certain expectations when going to the site, and he must immediately understand that he has come to the right resource. The information is next to the logo. This field is fine for a unique selling proposition if you can summarize it. Some large online stores use the “Catalog” button, and the user immediately understands that he is on a website that sells products.
3. The telephone number is on the right or center. It should be one, maximum – 4 numbers, and not all available contact phone numbers of the company. It is the location for the main phone number of the sales department. For other numbers, there is a Contacts page. If the store operates in several cities, choose one of three options for placing in the header:
– use a nationwide toll-free number;
– add the ability to select a region, after which the phone number of the local sales department will appear in the header;
– make a drop-down list where you can select the number of the suitable operator.
For gadget lovers, we use a dialing link, not just a picture with numbers.
4. Cart (personal account, wish list). Feel free to add these elements to the header of your online store. The main thing is that they organically fit into the design and do not overload the header.
Additional elements header of the online store
1. Opening hours. Useful information will exclude (well, or almost exclude) unsuccessful attempts to get through to managers outside of working hours. It is even more worth reporting about it in the header if you have an extended schedule because this is a serious competitive advantage.
2. Company address is indicated if the majority of customers prefer self-pickup. If you have multiple addresses, do not include all of them in the header. It is enough to add a link “How to find us” or “Our addresses,” which will lead to a separate page with addresses and maps.
3. Back call. It is located above or below the phone number. Whether this element is needed in the site header or not is an individual question and depends primarily on the habits of the target audience of your online store.
4. Search. We recommend adding it to the header when the online store has more than 10 product units. Without it, a shopping trip on the Web turns into hours of agony or, most likely, ends in the very first minutes spent on the site. It is most convenient to place the search field in the center of the header of the website of the online store.
5. Slogans and quotes. You can place them in the header of an online store, but only if it is a short phrase related to the company’s activities. If you users, the quote does not carry anything useful, so there is no need to place it in the header
What should not be indicated in the header of the online store
- Advertising information. There is a specially designated space for promotions, discounts, and special offers (usually under the header) and format. Bright and loud promises usually scare away with their intrusiveness and clog up the limited space of the header.
- Aggressive call-to-action should be located inside the page and complement the content.
- Long phrases. Whether useful or not, a long-phrase is not meant to be placed in the header of an online store. If the user comes for information, he studies the content.
The right header for an online store should not contain unnecessary and unnecessary elements. The header of the site is an essential part of the page that is designed to help the user quickly find basic information, not a message board or banner ad. To avoid annoying mistakes, do not hesitate to visit the sites of popular online stores.
What information do you consider appropriate in the header of an online store?
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