The significance of eCommerce websites in achieving business success has grown substantially. The surge in online sales amid the pandemic prompted business proprietors to transition from traditional brick-and-mortar stores to digital platforms for online selling, enabling them to broaden their audience and boost revenue.

01. Zulu Longines

Longines is a luxury watchmaker with a long history, and this eCommerce website is a tribute to aviation pioneers who used the company’s watches in their campaigns.

Its interactive homepage reveals how the products’ cutting-edge features and durability help aviators from different generations adjust to time zones and travel in extreme conditions.

Best Design Elements:

• Scroll-triggered animations. Visitors will see moving objects, like planes and the world map, as they scroll through the homepage.
• Serif fonts. Using this font type in its headings and quotes maintains Longines’ elegant brand image.
• Interactive timeline slider. This unique element in the history page illustrates the company’s journey using a parallax scrolling effect.

Key Takeaways:

Luxury and classic brands should consider using serif fonts to convey sophistication and elegance. Also, integrate an interactive timeline to display the company history or project roadmap.

 

02. Potion

Offering video-making software, Potion’s digital storefront is modern and fun. It uses ample white space to direct readers’ focus toward elements like calls-to-action (CTAs). It also utilizes a pastel color palette with bright tones to emphasize certain words, images, and videos.

This online business website applies parallax scrolling and 3D animations to make the user experience (UX) more engaging.

Best Design Elements:

• 3D looping animations. Potion’s cat mascot uses claymorphism, a simplified version of three-dimensional elements resembling items made out of clay.
• Movable elements. The oval-shaped items on the integrations page are interactive. Readers can move, drag, and rotate these objects.
• Graphic Interchange Format (GIF). The usage of GIFs helps Potion grab the audience’s attention and communicate product benefits better than static images.

Key Takeaways:

Sell online services effectively by making your site’s interface engaging using interactive elements like animations, movable objects, and GIFs.

 

03. Bite Toothpaste Bits

Bite’s online shop is one of the best examples of an effective eCommerce website. The beautifully-designed homepage grabs visitors’ attention and immediately communicates sustainability as one of its core values, which is also a popular eCommerce trend.

Best Design Elements:

• Expandable chatbox. A small speech bubble on Bite’s homepage is a great way to encourage visitors to reach out without intruding on their browsing experience. Instead, the icon subtly changes colors each second to grab attention.
• Strong messaging. Bite promotes sustainability across various web elements, including its subheadings and testimonials. This is an effective method to enhance the company’s overall branding.
• High-quality photos. This fantastic eCommerce site uses product images with intense sharpness and exposure, making them stand out against the soft pastel background.

Key Takeaways:

Communicate your product and brand values clearly to showcase what you stand for and attract relevant potential customers.

 

04. Black Star Pastry

Black Star Pastry’s online store has a fun and child-like web design, from the logo to typography and icons. Most of the elements use rounded corners, while simple illustrations accompany each sliding menu item.

Best Design Elements:

• Card menu items. This online store gamifies its homepage by displaying multiple cards as its menu instead of using a standard navigation bar or grid layout. To scroll through the cards, customers can drag and drop the cursor to the right or left, or click the arrows at the bottom of the page.
• Movable elements. The text and photos on the Locations and About Us page are draggable, adding a unique experience to the website.
• Illustration-like product images. This eCommerce website’s product images look like digital illustrations with high contrast and saturation, making them stand out against the black-and-white background.

Key Takeaways:

Gamify your eCommerce store to add interest and interactivity.

 

05. Zeuss

Zeuss sells personalized weight loss, hair, and skin care treatments. This eCommerce website utilizes a split-screen interface for its landing page with high-quality photos of models showcasing the product.

Best Design Elements:

• Clear navigation. With minimal distracting elements and sections dedicated to specific customers and products, visitors can easily find what they need.
• Horizontal scrolling. Each page has a combination of vertical and horizontal scrolling. The latter uses a Scroll button as a cue and shows Zeuss’ product benefits.
• Toggle headings. These enable Zeuss to build hierarchical sections and keep the site well-structured. Visitors can then expand each section for more information.

Key Takeaways:

Apply a split-screen layout if you are promoting a few key products to quickly direct consumers to the relevant web pages.

 

06. Make Architects

Make Architects offers architectural and interior design services internationally. Although we can’t classify this as a traditional online store, the company sells its services effectively via a captivating website design.

It uses an image-heavy layout to directly showcase the design team and past projects on the homepage. Overlaying the photos, Make Architects writes its value proposition and brief company history to attract visitors.

Best Design Elements:

• Background videos on the homepage. These are eye-catching and add movement to the site’s interface, making any eCommerce website stand out right away.
• Large images. High-quality and large photos of completed projects capture attention and provide a detailed look without users needing to zoom in.
• Step-by-step processes. Make Architects displays the entire project development process using sketches, videos, photos, and detailed descriptions, so visitors can fully immerse themselves in the company’s journey.

Key Takeaways:

Show your projects’ or products’ behind-the-scenes processes to increase transparency, enhance branding, and build trust.

 

07. Crate & Barrel

Crate & Barrel sells home essentials and houseware, from furniture and kitchen appliances to decor and lighting. Founded in 1962, this eCommerce business establishes itself as offering sophisticated, modern, and high-quality homeware.

The company’s eCommerce platform reflects its branding with a light and clean interface. To help audiences navigate the store, it uses a mega menu and displays categories on the homepage, ensuring visitors can quickly find relevant products.

Best Design Elements:

• Images on the navigation menu. Besides having extensive menu categories, Crate & Barrel displays featured product photos to help users visualize the items.
• Breadcrumbs. To help users keep track of their current location within the website’s hierarchical structure, this eCommerce store puts breadcrumbs below the navigation menus and lists previously visited product categories.
• Detailed filtering and sorting options. Crate & Barrel has a comprehensive filtering system based on attributes like features, prices, and materials, so visitors can quickly discover specific items.

Key Takeaways:

Online stores offering many products should consider using breadcrumbs, a mega menu, and detailed filtering options to improve findability.

 

08. Allbirds

Allbirds’ online clothing and shoes store effectively reflects its values – simplicity and sustainability – from the headline and copy to the warm-toned editorial shots. It only takes a few scrolls on the homepage to read about the company’s sustainable practices and main product categories, like the newest collections and collaborations.

Best Design Elements:

• Informative product pages. Allbirds provides thorough product information, describing core features and materials, and includes close-up photos and videos to help customers visualize each product.
• Advanced review system. Below the product descriptions, Allbirds presents user reviews. It’s an excellent way to help visitors make purchasing decisions and enhance customer trust.
• Product recommendations. Allbirds shows related item recommendations across the site, including the checkout, product, and product category pages, to attract customers and increase conversions.

Key Takeaways:

Make your product pages as informative and appealing as possible to convert site visitors into customers. Using descriptive language and targeted keywords can also improve your eCommerce site’s search engine optimization (SEO).

 

09. Nike

Another online fashion store that can be an excellent reference is Nike. From the navigation to filtering options, this brand’s eCommerce platform demonstrates the “less is more” principle well. It uses ample white space and image blocks with a plain backdrop, allowing the products to stand out.

Best Design Elements:

• Minimalist look. Simplicity in Nike’s eCommerce website eliminates distractions. This online store highlights large product images and maintains a black-and-white color palette.
• Guest checkout. Around 23% of consumers will abandon their shopping cart if they have to create a user account. To avoid this, Nike offers a guest checkout option, enabling shoppers to purchase without logging in.
• Comprehensive helpdesk. This streamlines the information flow, so customers can find relevant information without waiting for customer support.

Key Takeaways:

Sell online to a broad audience by enabling guest checkout for a faster purchasing experience and lower cart abandonment rates.

 

10. The Scott Resort & Spa

If you want to create an online store for an accommodation business, see The Scott Resort & Spa’s eCommerce website design for reference. This Arizona-based hotel channels a tropical holiday feel on its website using earth tones.

Best Design Elements:

• Details on the checkout page. Besides the progress indicator at the top of the reservation page, this WordPress site also lets customers review their bookings and offers different payment methods.
• Striking imagery. This eCommerce website uses imagery to sell its services and create a relaxing ambiance – from full-width galleries to looping videos.
• Full-screen overlay menu. Once visitors click on the hamburger menu, they’ll see a full-screen page showing links for different packages and offers. This approach saves space while providing visitors with clear navigation.

Key Takeaways:

Avoid overused stock images and invest in professional photography to showcase your products and services and strengthen your branding.