Making information work

I was out shopping today, and started focusing on the interior design of the different stores I visited. I was struck by the major differences in layout, colors, focus etc., and started pondering if the increased cost of exclusive and dynamic store interior design paid off.

Clearly, it must. If not directly by increasing sales, perhaps then by motivating sales at a higher price. I came to the conclusion that if I was to open a store I would spend a lot of time designing its interior to be attractive and interesting.

All of this must be true online as well, right? Probably – a nice storefront online very likely has the same effect a nice one does offline – it increases the premium feeling of the store, and in extension of the brand. This is a store in which I have a stake:

It sells Latin American goods to the world via eBay, and it does fairly well. One of the tools we use to manage eBay listings comes with an alternative storefront, which doesn’t look particularly attractive, if you ask me. And, as one might expect, this storefront does not generate sales.

How would the sales look if we had a storefront that looked like the one below, which is a screenshot from Template Monster.

My guess is that sales would improve. The cost? Around $150. The time? A couple of hours. Worth it? Of course.

Simply put – never ever forget the importance of intelligent design online. No matter if you are trying to sell a product or convey a message, the look and feel needs to be solid.

David