Common Ecommerce Store UX Misconceptions and Myths

An ecommerce store’s user experience (UX) can make or break it. Now, there is no single, perfect formula for having good UX. It’s an art as much as it is a science. 

But that’s the thing, it’s also a science. There are practical guidelines that can help inform decisions in countless ways and, in the same vein, myths and misconceptions that can lead store owners to commit vital mistakes. 

In this article, we go through 10 of the most common myths and misconceptions when it comes to UX design for ecommerce stores, explain why they’re misleading, and what to do instead. 

Myth 1: More Features Always Mean Better UX

Stacking your website with features, buttons, and other interactive elements doesn’t always lead to a better quality experience for the visitors of your website.

This misconception lies in the misguided belief that offering the user more options allows the store to meet the different needs of all sorts of customers. It’s essentially casting the widest net possible and being prepared for all or any concern or need a user might have. 

Showing care and thoughtfulness to meet every user’s needs sounds great. In reality, however, this can lead to an overwhelming and unfocused website, with the main issues being decision fatigue and high bounce rates. One of the first things a website can create is to simplify the information so that a potential buyer would consider a purchase.

Instead of asking, "How many features can we add?" focus on "What truly helps our users achieve their goals?" 

By offering one-click checkout, clear product filters, and intuitive search, a site can provide significantly more value than dozens of shiny yet unnecessary add-ons. 

Myth 2: Homepage Design Is the Most Important Aspect

A lot of ecommerce sites rely on flashy visuals and slogans to grab your focus when you visit their website's homepage.

And while a well-designed introduction to products and services is important, it’s only a building block. No matter how good the rest of the shopping experience is, it will all be pointless if you can’t hook them in the first place.

The problem with prioritizing the homepage, however, is that it’s becoming more common for users to enter ecommerce sites via product pages, search results, or social media links - not the homepage.

This doesn’t lessen the importance of the homepage, but the product and category pages demand equal attention. A reliable ecommerce site provides high-quality visuals with ease of access and clear product information for a smooth shopping flow.

This is also why many merchants today use modern Shopify page builders like EComposer, which allow them to optimize not only the homepage but also product, collection, and landing pages, ensuring a consistent and conversion-focused experience across the entire store.

Myth 3: Users Read Every Word on the Page

If you’re in the early stages of creating a content strategy for your website, do not make a mistake and assume that users thoroughly read what is written on your website.

In reality, people tend to scan or skim text on pages; rarely do they ever read it line by line. In fact, eye-tracking studies have confirmed what we’ve already known intuitively for a while now: the longer the text, the less likely it is to get read. 

The solution is to have a scannable design - to present information in a way that can be absorbed at a glance. The same research suggests that the text must also be next to a relevant image and not be filled with specialized words.

In combination with this, use appropriate visuals and concise bullet points. Emphasize key information with them, such as product benefits, price, and key features. 

Myth 4: Mobile UX Can Be Ignored

Arguably, the most outdated ecommerce myth is that mobile doesn’t matter - or at least matters less relative to desktop. In fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth: 80% of consumers were using smartphones when accessing a retailer’s website in 2023. 

It cannot be overstated: having a site that’s not mobile-friendly can severely hamstring an online store. 

And remember that mobile-friendly design goes beyond responsive layouts. It’s also about optimizing load speed, minimizing pop-ups (which are exponentially more frustrating to deal with on mobile), using mobile-appropriate call-to-action (CTA) buttons, and designing forms that are easy to fill on smaller screens. 

Every element of your ecommerce store should be designed with mobile users in mind.

Myth 5: Faster Checkout Alone Guarantees Conversions

Speed and responsiveness will always remain essential, but a fast checkout is far from being enough to guarantee conversions.

Yes, cumbersome checkout processes can be a major purchasing deterrent. However, not all additional steps and elements to the checkout process are harmful.

For example, elements like trust signals, alternative payment options, and clear error messaging can actually improve a potential buyer’s confidence. Providing visible links to customer support can also reassure buyers.

Instead of focusing on speed, a thorough strategy to the checkout process often results in a smoother and more reliable purchasing experience.

Myth 6: Security Features Are Secondary to UX

Some ecommerce website owners worry that adding security measures will complicate UX and annoy visitors. This leads to them treating security as a secondary priority, or even a necessary evil.

However, just as customers are becoming more discerning in their shopping habits, they’re also becoming more protective of their online data. Buyers are now creating dummy accounts, using VPNs with advanced features, or hiding their location just to purchase safely. Users are even researching what split tunneling is to route their data through encrypted paths to protect themselves when they’re shopping online. 

Security processes will only frustrate shoppers if they are implemented without care. And, in fact, modern UX design tools can integrate security seamlessly. Additionally, security features like saved payment methods, encrypted checkout, and two-factor authentication can actually enhance consumer trust in your site. 

Myth 7: High-Quality Images Are Enough

High-quality images are necessary, yes - but long gone are the days when they were sufficient on their own. Buyers are becoming more discerning in their purchasing decisions, and often want a comprehensive view of the products they’re considering. 

As such, having reviews and detailed product information pages is non-negotiable. Depending on your product, many people might expect size guides, video demonstrations, comparison charts, or user-generated content. 

New technology has even allowed for more interactive ways of viewing a product, such as 360-degree views or Augmented Reality (AR) try-on features. 

The more complete a sensory and informational experience you can provide, the better you can influence buying decisions. 

Myth 8: UX Only Matters During Initial Design

Another common misconception is that UX design is a one-and-done project. No matter how thoughtfully you might initially design your website, it’s hard to get every detail right immediately. 

After all, no one, not even the most seasoned of UX experts, can fully predict people’s ever-complex and evolving browsing and buying behavior. Add that to changing market trends and technological advances, and yesterday’s UX decisions may not hold the same way today. 

In practice, good UX is an ongoing process. It involves regular A/B testing, data gathering, and behavioral analysis to determine how things can be improved. And there is always something that can be improved - because, as mentioned, people, tech, and markets are always evolving as well.

Myth 9: The “Buy Now” Button is Always Enough

Another incredibly outdated misconception is that simply having a big, red “Buy Now!” button is effective, much less a guarantee, for conversions. With modern buyers becoming more judicious, so too must your CTA buttons be thoughtfully crafted. 

Everything, from its color and its placement to its wording and context within the user journey, must be carefully considered. The action must be appropriate for the site and the product or service offered, and be appealing to the primary target audience.

In fact, CTAs alone aren’t always enough anymore. Only when the element is placed with trust indicators such as customer reviews, guarantees, and even product ratings does it tend to perform better, reducing hesitation at the exact moment a user is deciding whether to buy.

Myth 10: UX Optimization is Expensive and Only for Big Brands

Many smaller ecommerce sites are unsure of an investment in UX due to assumptions about costly services and being only relevant for large brands. In reality, UX optimization can be affordable and incremental.

Smaller brands with more limited budgets don’t have to revamp their whole site. They can start with simple steps, like reorganizing menus, improving product images, or making page load times just a bit more responsive.  

These actions have little to no cost, and there are even free UX tools that small businesses can take advantage of:

• Google PageSpeed Insights: A tool that helps to investigate a site’s web performance on mobile and web platforms.
• Hotjar: A behavioral analytics tool that gives insights and insights into how visitors engage with the site.
• Growthbook: A platform to help a website test and implement new features without impacting real-time visitors.

Even such small actions can have a large impact on how the online store performs. 

Conclusion

Misconceptions about ecommerce UX are still widespread, and this is because many of them are rooted in sound beliefs (such as giving customers more options, having a strong first impression, or acknowledging the importance of responsiveness). 

The problem, however, lies in the fact that many UX designers arrive at the wrong conclusions or are not updated on modern trends. Giving more options doesn’t mean that you should overload your site with add-ons. And now, most users arrive at ecommerce sites through product pages instead of homepages.

Ultimately, great UX stems from gaining a keen understanding of how real users behave - and being open-minded about how such behavior evolves - not relying on outdated assumptions.