In this guide, we talk about the most popular design trends for eCommerce arising in 2021. Are you ready to take the plunge into these insights and predictions?

The eCommerce landscape has dramatically changed during the past year. With the recent acceleration in online shopping, the module has grown and changed into an innovating online shopping experience that is aligned with the customer needs, wants, desires, and even mindset.

To keep up with the competition, eCommerce brands should rethink their marketplaces from the perspective of web design trends 2021. Whether you are trying to impress new customers or old, using the best eCommerce design trends portrays that your brand is modern and sets you apart from the stale-old competition.

In this guide, we present you the top nine incredible web design trends that are anticipated to gain momentum this year in eCommerce. So without further ado, let’s dive in:

1.    Multidirectional Layouts

The trend of the unconventional layout has been popular before. However, this year it evolves with brands experimenting more freely in creating multi-product galleries with grids that don’t just go up and down but left and right and sometimes even diagonally. This intuitive approach to navigation gives customers the freedom to navigate freely, even when they are just browsing from the bed.

This also comes at a perfect time as mobile eCommerce has taken over the desktop and as more and more consumers enjoy eCommerce from mobile – the design trend will help make their experience more attractive and enjoyable.

2. Smart Content Load

Many modern and visually appealing websites take a long time to load. According to a survey conducted by Retail System Research, 90% of the consumers will abandon a site if it doesn’t load within a reasonable time. Therefore, to avoid losing customers because of long waiting times, designers have developed several approaches to solve this problem including lazy loading and infinite scrolling.

However, in the year 2021 we will also see another design trend by the name of smart content load. This feature will allow users to upload only those graphics that are critical will be quickly loaded without any unnecessary waiting time.

3. Dynamic Product Images

Whether you use custom product photos or buy stock photos, high-quality is appreciated by the shoppers. However, today the shoppers like to see products in action before making a purchase. This is why besides product photography, you should utilize videos and moving images like GIFs and animations to fully show all aspects of a product.

Dynamic images are great to use on a website so don’t be afraid to test it out to find out how it resonates with your audience. But do avoid using them too frequently throughout the pages, so you don’t overwhelm the visitors.

4. Dark Mode

Since Google launched dark mode in 2019, many other social media platforms have followed the protocol to reduce their audience’s eye strain and give them a visually appealing experience.

To implement the same on your design structure, pay attention to the design of the landing pages of large brands. Apple, Mercedes-Benz, and many others are already using dark mode on their websites. And you may notice that a simple color change gave their web design a complete new look.

You too can follow the same in your eCommerce store as dark mode:

• makes design elements more prominent
• increases the contrast ratio
• reduces eye strain
• makes the site more elegant

Above all, dark themes are great for OLED screens, which is why it is rapidly becoming one of the most popular design trends of 2021.

5. Vaporware Aesthetics

Another wonderful and incredible eCommerce website design trend that is awaiting us this year is the vaporware influence. What was once pop culture has evolved into the new modern web today.

The most common feature of a vaporware style is the bold palette, neon tones, and old-school typography. You will also see retro gradients, abstract forms, and a sudden rise of antique sculptures in the web design form of vaporware aesthetics.

6. Artificial Intelligence

While we haven’t reached the point where artificial intelligence (AI) can do all our jobs, it is starting to penetrate more and more into the spheres of our lives – including marketing. Once you implement AI into your eCommerce site, you can:

• collect more data about the visitors;
• conduct testing;
• place elements of attention in the most prominent places;
• Suggest recommendations according to the visitor’s interest and behavior.

In simple words, AI has the ability to create targeted and personalized pages focused specifically on the visitor. In fact, AI is the best way to give visitors of a web page exactly what they are looking for

7. Chatbots

With the growth of eCommerce, we are seeing a rapid rise in the integration of chatbots. In fact, the chatbots are fast becoming a must-have for businesses and give business persons ample free time by interacting with customers and answering their general queries.

Chatbots provide instant satisfaction to the visitors of your webpage. This is because instead of making a phone call or waiting around for an email, visitors can get instant reply to their questions and issues through prompt responses from chatbots.

In eCommerce, chatbots come in handy for providing information, taking orders, and offering customer services to the users. Unlike generic marketing, they offer personalized service which is why they are one of the most substantial trends in web design that we will see in the year 2021 and beyond.

8. Voice Search

With nearly 40% of internet users in the USA using voice to conduct searches, the internet trend is expected to increase phenomenally this year. And if you have ever used Google Assistant, you would agree that voice typing makes searches easier and more convenient.

While the technology is still in its infancy for small eCommerce retailers, giants like Google and Walmart are implementing the concept of ‘voice shopping’ with the help of Google Assistant.

Domino’s has also turned to Amazon Echo that allows customers in the UK to order pizza with the help of voice technology. And since smartphone usage is mainstream nowadays, we can safely say that the future will show us more usage of this technology as part of the eCommerce world.

9. Light colors

Using light colors on the web interface represents one of the biggest differences between print marketing and eCommerce stores. The quality and visibility of light colors often gets compromised when they are used in print design. However, they regain their effect when portrayed on-screen and are often preferred over dark, bolder colors.

This is why this year the designers are embracing the advantage of using lighter colors to give user’s a soothing visual experience. It is also noted that lighter colors are less overbearing than their darker counterparts and often encourages the visitor’s to stay on the page longer.

Wrapping it up

These were just some of the trends to look out for in the eCommerce world in the year 2021. Carefully consider how to integrate these design trends in your individual case scenario and grab the audience’s interest as efficiently as possible.

Good luck!