Spork_Blog_Content

13 Things The Best Auto Parts Website Designs Have In Common

While there’s a lot more that goes into ecommerce parts website success than design, there are some general design concepts that most effective sites share. Here are 13 key elements that we feel the best auto parts ecommerce sites have in common.

13 Common Website Designs for Best Website

1) F-Shaped Navigation

Users tend to follow an “F” pattern when they look at web pages, scanning along the top of the page and then down the left side. For this reason, navigation tends to work best when there’s a horizontal menu bar and a left-hand side menu.

2) Search Box Top Right

Internet users are accustomed to the search box being in the top right corner of the page. Using this placement makes it easy for people to search on your site if they can’t find their parts through navigation. (We talk more about conventional website layout, which includes a search box, in this blog post.)

3) Contact Info Top Right

Much like the search box, users have been trained to look to the top right corner of a website for “help,” whether that “help” is a search box or a phone number. Therefore, we recommend placing your phone number, customer service email address, and/or “Contact Us” link up top in your header, slid all the way over to the right.

4) A Simple Homepage

Less is more when it comes to ecommerce homepages, especially in auto parts when every decision is driven by fitment. If you present the user with a simple search form and a little bit of information, they’re far more likely to start the purchase process (e.g., finding a part that fits their vehicle by clicking on a category or entering the year, make, and model) than they are to get overwhelmed with details.

There’s an expression many designers like to use called “paralysis by analysis” – when you give people lots of choices, they often take no action out of fear of making the wrong choice. When you give people simple choices, they act.

5) Brand The Golden Triangle

The upper left-hand corner of your website is the area where many users focus their eyes on page load. Therefore, it’s a great place to put your brand name and your key message (like your slogan). That way, they’ll know what website they’re on and they’ll understand what you offer.

6) Don’t Ignore Typography

Font is important for website designThere’s a LOT that goes into creating a website that looks great, and choosing the font is one of the most important aspects of design. Many website owners get extraordinarily focused on colors and layout, ignoring the fact that the font stack is boring, hard to read, or just ugly.

The good news is that there are some great resources for choosing fonts that play well together, like FontPair.co and this BootstrapBay article.

7) Make It Responsive

A “responsive” website design is one that responds to the user’s screen size and rearranges things to be as useable as possible. Sometimes responsive design is called “mobile-friendly” design, although this is technically something different.

In any case, responsive design is easier now than ever, but it’s still a challenge for OE parts ecommerce retailers due to the proprietary platforms they must enlist to sell parts online. Fortunately, OE parts ecommerce platform providers are modernizing.

8) Make It Blaze

Keep your website speedyHigh-performance, fast-loading websites earn more money than slow ones. It’s a fact that’s been proven time and again.

9) Trust Symbols

Logos or emblems associated with trusted entities – like the “Good Housekeeping” seal of approval, credit card logos, Better Business Bureau logos, etc. engender trust, and trust leads to increased conversion rates.

While some symbols are more effective than others, any trust symbols you can add to your site to address concerns your customers may have about security, the quality of your products, etc. are generally very helpful.

10) Breadcrumb Navigation

Breadcrumb navigation on best website designsOne of the best ways to help your customers find parts is to place ‘breadcrumbs’ on your site, showing users what category they’ve navigated to, as well as the parent(s) of that category. This is most helpful when you’re looking at a site that has many layers of categories.

11) Imagery That Guides The Eye

Graphics, pictures, and text should work together to point the user to where you want them to go. Use lines to create paths, directional movement, and colors that attract the eye to point to important information or a spot you want them to go.

12) An Obvious Call To Action On Each Page

Having a clear and single purpose for each page is one of the fundamental rules of effective design. Focusing more on a single action makes it more likely that someone is going to take that action — i.e., clicking a link or button.

13) Consistent Look And Feel

It seems obvious, but it’s essential that every page of your site has a consistent appearance. It’s also important for all your advertising and social media branding to be consistent with your website’s look and feel.

While this list of 13 things shouldn’t be taken as “gospel,” most usability experts recommend all of the above as starting points for website design. We’ve certainly seen these rules benefit our clients as well.

More Content

Domain Name And Hosting FAQs

If you are creating a new website or reconsidering your existing domain name and hosting arrangement, this post is for you. We cover the basics…

Read More

What’s A Good ROAS In Parts And Accessories Advertising?

Auto parts and accessories manufacturers and retailers that advertise need to understand return on ad spend (ROAS). In this three-minute video, Spork Marketing Founder Jason…

Read More

Use A Vehicle Giveaway To Market Your Store At A Fraction Of The Cost – Shared Sweeps

photo of Craig Martens of Shared Sweeps

Few things get consumers more excited than a life-changing giveaway. Part and accessory consumers especially get excited about a chance to win a race-prepped Porsche,…

Read More
Auto parts in the cardbox. Automotive basket shop. Auto parts store.