Web Content & Design

Product photos from my client with The Shop Shop If the love you felt for your eStore has faded, you can bring back that old romance with some creative projects. Instead of rebuilding your entire website, you can refresh the style of your site (often without changing the site theme). Rework Your Homepage Sometimes, clients tell me they hate their eStore theme. Once we talk through the specifics, they actually just dislike the homepage. The other pages (like their Shop, About, or Contact pages) and their site header, site footer, and navigation are fine. If you find yourself discontented with [...]

Product Photos from The Shop Shop Whenever I am putting together a wireframe for an online store, I design with the customer in mind. The most helpful online store features encourage customers to navigate through the shop seamlessly. Cart and Coupons Obviously, your online store needs a cart. The actual "view cart" button should be featured prominently in the upper righthand corner of your website. Most websites place it in the area and customers expect this location. Also, you need to place a "my account" link in a secondary menu or the footer. People need this to manage their cart [...]

Whenever a potential client asks me for an estimate, I ask a few key questions. We discuss these before design details because it helps me understand the goals for their website. Most of the time, they catch people a little off-guard. Usually, they've seen my work and just want to know how much it would cost to "get the same thing" as another client. However, that can lead to an inaccurate estimate because function matters just as much as design. Below are the first questions I ask as a web designer in Lynchburg, VA. Do you offer a product or [...]

From header logo to your footer contact information, your store website probably uses similar blocks and eStore sections to other shops. Most stores have the same sections to highlight everything their store offers. Common Homepage Sections Hero: This is usually a large, full-width section with a headline and call-to-action button. About: Most sites use some text that describes their store with a button to more of their story. Categories: I always suggest a category section on the homepage. It helps people see all of your offerings in addition to a drop-down list in the navigation bar. Featured products: Previewing hot [...]

How to Create a Toggle Box for a SquareSpace Site   Overall, this created an easy-to-navigation section on the homepage that holds several paragraphs of text. More Website Design Ideas You can find more website design ideas on my Website Design Inspiration board on Pinterest. I save design layouts that work well for small business website. https://www.pinterest.com/verderamade/website-design-inspiration/   Stay in Touch If you enjoyed this post, please follow me in your favorite platform. I regularly update Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest with ideas and information. Jump over to my articles to find more inspiration. I regularly post about website [...]

I love designing online store layouts because they marry function with flair. Whenever I start a wireframe, I consider which tools my customer will need such as an overview of categories, featured collections, sales event art, and links to their loyalty program. Then, I layer design elements over these key sections to create a beautiful online store — starting with the homepage. Online Store Layouts Most online store layouts focus on four key areas. First, the homepage offers a first impression. Second, the "Shop All" or "Shop" page becomes a prime spot for customers to search your categories and view [...]

While I am not a WordPress apologist, most people run their eStores from this platform. If you are thinking about setting up a WordPress website to sell your products online, there are a few key steps to understand. Most notably, you have to turn a normal website into an actual eStore by adding the shopping cart function and product management system. Learn how to sell online with a WordPress website below. How to Sell Online with a WordPress Website When you start with a WordPress website, you need to subscribe to a business plan (at minimum). Otherwise, you can't use [...]