How Good UX Drives E-commerce Success

According to Eurostat’s “Digitalisation in Europe – 2024 ” report, around 11% of users face usability issues when shopping online . Poor usability is annoying for users and results in a bad experience that impacts the brand perception and ultimately customer loyalty.

More obvious however is the immediate impact on sales, when people abandon carts after encountering problems with the interface, like hard-to-navigate menus, slow load times or a complicated checkout process.

💸 The Cost of Complexity Link to this headline

Let’s look at the implications on revenue by using an online shop as an example. A reasonably successful e-commerce business might see 20,000 visitors per month. The global average across all e-commerce sectors is a 1.8% conversion rate (according to Statista ). Let’s assume an 100€ average order value (at the lower end of the 100–499€ bracket into which the majority of online purchases fall).

With these numbers, the store would generate €36,000 in sales each month.

🪄 A Case for Clarity Link to this headline

Now, what if this store could improve its usability? Even small improvements can increase the conversion rate. Improving the conversion rate just by 10% to 1.98% will boost sales to €39,600 per month.

That’s an extra €3,600 in monthly revenue, or €43,200 annually.

According to , a well-designed website can increase conversion rates by up to 200%. We don’t want to speculate too much, but this shows the potential of how valuable investing in usability design can be.

🎯 Investing in Usability Link to this headline

Improving usability isn’t just about changing colors or fonts. It’s about understanding user behavior and making it easy for them to buy. Some key areas to focus on include:

• Simplifying navigation to reduce the steps to make a purchase.
• Speeding up page load times to keep users engaged.
• Making checkout and forms easier to fill out to reduce mistakes and cart abandonments.
• Layouts and designs optimized for mobile devices.

📈 The Broader Benefits Link to this headline

Better usability doesn’t only boost sales. It also increases customer satisfaction, encourages repeat visits, and leads to more recommendations—factors that can’t always be measured but are crucial for long-term success.

In conclusion, while improving usability may seem costly at first, the return on investment is obvious. In today’s digital world, a smooth, user-friendly website can make or break an e-commerce business.