Store redesigns often take the back burner in the craziness that is running your Shopify store. At Blend we understand; with so much going on, your business may be running like a well-oiled machine, you keep putting a redesign off even though you know it’s been years. Unfortunately, procrastination will have to be put on the back burner for some time. If you don’t feel like reading this blog and you know you need a store redesign you can get in touch with us today.
The truth is, in a post-pandemic world (I feel like this sentence introduction is common as it’s the cause of so much change), the eCommerce industry has boomed with 12-24 million eCommerce sites up and running currently. This means more competition and not only that but competition with fresh stores implementing critical steps needed in the modern customer journey.
If you’re still not sure whether your store needs a redesign, we’ve collected the 5 signs your Shopify store needs a redesign including what tech stack to consider after you’ve had your redesign.
1. High Bounce Rate
If your bounce rate is anything above 45%, you may have a problem. What does a high bounce rate mean? It simply means that customers and potential customers alike are bouncing off your store. There could be a few reasons for this; namely that your site is too difficult to navigate or they don’t find it aesthetically pleasing or engaging enough.
You will need to view your bounce rate in the last 30, 60, and 90 days and if your bounce rate is high, you should look at the behavioural insights to see where exactly these customers are experiencing problems or inconsistencies.
While lowering your bounce rate is a challenge in itself, you could begin with optimising your navigation and search functionality. In the same breath, seeing where customers are dropping off will help you when it comes to investigating the problems on your Shopify store.
2. Mobile-Friendly Optimisation
As of 2022, 58.99% of internet users use mobile devices instead of desktops. If your site isn’t optimised for mobile, that means 58.99% of visitors to your site will bounce due to difficulty, miscommunication, or simply because they don’t like what it looks like. And their first reaction is not to put their phone down and pick up their laptop. Instead, they hit the back button and scroll to find a competitor.
You will need to measure the mobile traffic analytics to discover what percentage of your store visitors are using mobile, measure what your mobile bounce rate is (the same way you did in the previous section), and find out where these customers drop off. If they’re dropping off on the first page or home page, there is a strong chance your mobile optimisation isn’t up to scratch. You can also measure your mobile conversion rate to discover what percentage of customers are reaching the end goal of your site.
3. Slow Loading
These days, customers expect most (if not all) things to be immediate. And if it takes too long, they will move on to the next thing - with the next thing being your competitor. Your Shopify store’s load speed is critical in keeping customers around once they’ve chosen to visit your store.
But that’s not the only reason it’s an important part of your redesign. Search engines consider your store’s page speed as one of the main influences on your platform ranking. Pages loading within 3 seconds have a higher ranking than others; so there’s your optimal benchmark.
There could be a few reasons as to why your page speed is on the low end including having too many media files like images or videos; it could even be outdated codes. You can check your speed on PageSpeed Insights as well as finding where the main drop-offs are like the home page.
One of the best things to implement is lazy loading. Without lazy loading, your store will load all images to their full size by default, making everything take longer than it should. Lazy loading will have an impact not only on your site speed but on your SEO too.
4. Synced Branding
If your store has been a while, you may have tweaked it as the years went on. It’s not uncommon for tastes to change. The problem arrives when your storefront is different compared to the public outlook shown on social media when reaching your target market.
You will need to analyse the brand vision across all marketing channels and decide visually whether these are in sync. Small things like fonts, tone of voice, and colours make a huge impact on audiences and you may notice drop-offs due to this inconsistency. You want to ensure that your brand message is consistent throughout.
5. Security
If your site is old, you will be open to many security risks. Coding needs to be updated to the current standard, latest security patches, and customer data needs to be kept safe. With a growing company, adding more sales channels will make you more susceptible to hacks - something that could be detrimental to your Shopify store.
Customers need to feel consistently safe throughout their journey, especially during the checkout process. One of your largest indicators is a high drop off rate on your checkout page. Adding icons and changes as well as updating your systems will ensure your customers feel safe while on your store.
Like with a real life store, insurance is never a bad idea and you may only realise this after something bad has happened. If you’re worried about the security of your store, we highly suggest taking a look at why eCommerce stores use Rewind.
Tech Stack to Consider
Once you have completed your Shopify store redesign, there are a few items from the tech department you need to seriously consider. Apps like these can increase your CLV, repeat revenue, and conversion rates. By using certain apps, you will allow your customers to feel at home the second they load your store - and why wouldn’t you want that?
While many think email is dead, the truth is this is where you can connect with your customers and it’s not like the old days where you just threw in the first name variable and hoped that it would grab their attention. The possibilities these days are endless - allowing for a true connection and giving customers exactly what they want when they want it. Klaviyo is the best choice when it comes to providing your customers with quality information and communication.
The best part is that Klaviyo integrates not only with your Shopify store but also with the rest of this tech stack. Octane AI allows you to collect zero-party data from your customers, feed that information into Klaviyo; and from there the world is your oyster. With the right questions in the perfect platform, you can get to the root of your customers' needs.
Reviews.io connects with your customers on a post-purchase level, not only to boost your ego but to make tweaks where you see necessary and provide a reputable reason for new customers to try your products for the first time.
Gorgias elevates your customer service, making sure your customers will never feel lost or be left wanting in your store. By giving natural, conversational responses, saving the interaction, and feeding that information straight to you, it’s just another way to boost the customer experience.
LoyaltyLion assists with increasing brand loyalty, brand awareness, and repeat revenue. Giving your customers a reason to come back is the whole point of your store, so why not have some help along the way?
If you want an in-depth look at these apps and how they integrate with Klaviyo to improve your store, take a look at how we use the Klaviyo Nucleus approach for Shopify.
A Headless Redesign
We know how overwhelming a Shopify store redesign can feel before you’ve even started, which is probably the reason for procrastination. Luckily, we aim to make it the smoothest transition with attention to detail and ensuring that your customers have the best experience in your store. It’s as easy as booking a no-obligation call with Blend.
Published: August 24, 2022
Last updated: October 18, 2024
