When persuading visitors to convert to paying customers, even little changes to an e-commerce site’s purchase flow may have a significant impact. Designers may make it simpler for consumers to locate what they’re searching for, add things to their carts, and eventually complete purchases by implementing Fitts’ Law to an e-commerce site’s interface.
Fitts’ Law states that the length of time needed to move a pointer to a target is proportional to the target’s size times its distance. In essence, it implies that interacting with larger and closer objects is simpler. According to studies on the human motor system conducted in 1954 by psychologist Paul Fitts, the time it takes to move toward a target relies on the distance to it but is inversely proportional to its size.
Even though it might seem straightforward, Fitts’ Law does not advocate enlarging UI components for aesthetic reasons. It aims to shorten the time a user has to move their finger or mouse over a component. This concept frequently entails enlarging a UI element. But it may also involve using other strategies that make it easier for visitors to navigate an e-commerce site and eventually purchase something.
How Fitts’ Law & E-commerce UI Design Makes a Perfect Fit?
Fitts’ Law allows designers to reduce the time it takes a user to find what they’re searching for, add it to their cart, and proceed to the checkout. Let us go through some principles:
1. Optimizing Design for Product Discovery
Successful e-commerce websites make it simple to locate their items. Fitts’ Law enhances product discovery by including search functionality on the homepage’s hero area. People often scan online pages in regular patterns, and cursor motions and scanning behavior are strongly connected.
The distance a user would need to move their mouse to input a search query might be significantly decreased by placing a search bar at a location where you’d anticipate visitors to stare and, consequently, place their cursor to make their prime pixel. Furthermore, predictive search can help consumers find their desired listings more quickly.
2. Make E-Commerce Menus Better
Any effective e-commerce site must have a menu that customers browse quickly and locate the categories and items they’re looking for. Use Fitts’ Law by implementing a pop-up menu that automatically opens when a consumer mouses over a content category. To ensure users don’t have to move the mouse too far to choose an item, try to limit the number of items in a list. Use effective information architecture and product photography to provide users with greater target areas and reduce the distance their cursors must travel to make selections.
3. Increase the Call-to-Surface Action’s Area Buttons
In our last project with a Custom Software Development Company named Smash Cloud, we observed that they were more focused on CTA buttons. One of the professionals indicated that applying Fitts’ Law to a CTA button that will result in a purchase is the logical place to start. Larger buttons are easier to click and stand out more, and they also need less precision to acquire larger targets. Therefore, the team makes buttons clear by positioning them above the fold, using accessible contrast, and spacing it far enough from other elements to prevent visitors from clicking on the erroneous one.
So, make sure the button’s microscopy is understandable and helpful to increase consumers’ trust in their decision-making better. To make the most of the so-called “magic pixels,” or regions of the screen where a user may browse swiftly and erratically while still hitting the objective, think about positioning the CTA button at the screen border of the screen.
4. Make Sure Tasks are Complex
Fitts’ Law is typically used by e-commerce UI designers to accelerate user interactions. They might wish to slow them down in some situations, though. For product add-ons that are farther from the primary pixel (which in this case is probably a “Add to Cart” button), designers may, for example, use little check boxes. By doing this, customers would be compelled to choose more things with more care, preventing them from unintentionally making needless purchases.
Also Read: What Characteristics Define Python
Final thoughts
Fitts’ Law is a fantastic place to start when developing usability criteria, although it’s not always accurate. Never underestimate the power of data over theory. Testing your design on actual users is the best approach to determine whether it is user-friendly – by enabling visitors to navigate your website more quickly, Fitts’ Law may increase online sales through e-commerce user interface design.
Asking questions and looking for a deeper understanding of why something is functioning is always good. Think practically about what you’re applying it to in the actual world after using theory as a starting point. These so-called “laws” are really recommendations that should not be mindlessly followed.
Think about the calls to action on your website or application, how you space and size your buttons, and where you might reduce interaction costs.
