00:00 Radek: Hi!

00:01 Ilona: Welcome to another episode of the Design and Business podcast. Today, we'll share our four years of experience building e-commerce platforms for furniture stores. In short, we'll tell you how to sell furniture online.

00:16 Radek: Exactly. As it turns out, it's not an easy task, because people buy all sorts of things online.

00:24 Ilona: From small items like hair ties.

00:28 Radek: To huge things like wardrobes. And now, how do you sell a wardrobe or a bed online? These are large and quite challenging products to buy over the internet.

00:42 Ilona: And even though the customer journey will look very similar, it will have its own differences. And it's precisely these differences we want to discuss today. We've prepared six points that will address our observations and lessons from designing for brands like Graingold, Yestersen, Litex, and HVYT.

01:07 Radek: I think the first thing that most often comes up when it comes to a user's problem

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01:16 Ilona: And it is the most common, the biggest pain point.

01:18 Radek: Right. And e-commerce businesses that have been selling furniture for a while are noticing this. The problem that arises is with delivery and delivery information – specifically, when their furniture will arrive. Why is that? Because users are used to shopping online with brands like Zalando, Allegro

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01:43 Ilona: Amazon, Next Day Delivery.

01:44 Radek: So generally, in places where delivery is express, sometimes even on the same day. However, when it comes to furniture, specifically our titular bed today.

01:59 Ilona: The situation is entirely different.

02:02 Radek: Exactly. Delivery most likely won't be on the same day.

02:06 Ilona: It won't be the next day, either.

02:07 Radek:  And that's not just because the item is simply large and requires a bit more logistics to transport it – for instance, getting feedback from the customer about where to deliver it, whether it needs to be carried inside, and organizing the entire transport and bringing it in. But also because furniture is often... it's actually made to order.

02:33 Ilona: Even manufactured to order.

02:34 Radek: Even produced to order. So often, this delivery isn't just a simple shipment from our warehouse. The first thing you need to check is whether the item is in stock at the online store's warehouse. The second is whether the item actually exists already, or if it still needs to be produced. 

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02:57 Ilona: Yes, and these two factors will influence not only the delivery time but also the accuracy of its prediction. And if we look back at our history from when we were designing furniture stores and talking to users, these customers are often, for example, in the middle of a renovation or in the process of buying an apartment.

03:24 Ilona: They're wondering what sofa, bed, or piece of furniture to choose, and they don't realize they're unable to plan. Often it's their first renovation, second, or even third, but they're still unable to plan. They don't have the experience to plan the timeline. I remember from my own experience, when I ordered a lamp for my apartment, and I thought lighting should be ordered last. The lamp was quite large, a bulky item. And I was quite surprised when I saw '12 weeks delivery' on the product page. Because it turned out that all those things you mentioned, well... The lamp hadn't been manufactured, the lamp wasn't 

It wasn't from stock; it came directly from the factory, so 12 weeks was the minimum. 

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04:14 Radek: It's good that you were informed, because many stores often make the mistake of only providing delivery dates at checkout. People who are just finishing renovations and leave the furnishing for last, they're counting on it being the icing on the cake – that once they order, they can move right in. 

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04:37 Radek: And this makes them very disappointed, bitter, angry, and in a panic. Often, this information also appears somewhere along the customer journey. You noticed those 12 weeks, based on your experience, but often customers don't notice this information because they're simply used to it and don't read everything. So, it's really a serious oversight not to provide such information in a clear way, so that the customer truly understands when making a purchase that the furniture will arrive later.

05:14 Ilona: Yes, but let's also talk about how this can be addressed, because we're discussing the user journey, which begins when a customer browses various products and lands on a product page, and this information should, of course, appear there, but it also shouldn't be missing at checkout. You gave a good example of someone only providing information at checkout, but now imagine this information flowing with the user all the way to... the confirmation email. A similar situation occurs with products we pre-order, where we also think they'll be available shortly, but in reality, we still have to wait for them. Here, we have an exactly analogous situation. And it would be worthwhile, if you, the listener,

06:00 Radek: listener

06:03 Ilona: you're selling furniture, large items online, you need to make sure that this information reaches the user at various stages of the purchasing process. Because sometimes it might seem to us that providing it once is enough – after all, we don't want to duplicate information. That's a very common argument you hear from UX designers or from the business side, right? No. We *have* to repeat this information so that it sinks in and there's no disappointment later.

06:31 Radek: Exactly. As for the second point, this is my favorite: showing the scale of an item. I'll start with an anecdote that I've already... 

I've mentioned this here on the podcast. This is the story of our client, Open Gift, an e-commerce company that sells all sorts of gadgets. The sheer variety of items they offer is enormous. So it's no surprise that a story like this could happen. Specifically, one of their clients once ordered helmets. Oh, let's start with the fact that they ordered helmets. Large quantities, they were in a big hurry, it was for an event. Probably a construction company, for all their employees. And imagine their surprise when the client received, in bulk, these

07:31 Ilona: stress balls.

07:34 Radek: Small anti-stress balls. Anti-stress ones for squeezing. And this perfectly illustrates how crucial it is to display furniture to scale, because customers have varying levels of attention. They often shop quickly, on the go, via phone. There are many situations that lead to this reduced attention span. This can also be significant for furniture, although the selection and decision-making process isn't as quick; it's more about careful consideration. However, what can greatly simplify a customer's choice, for instance, of our featured bed, is definitely showing the furniture to scale.

08:14 Radek: So, how does he relate to friends, to the client?

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08:17 Ilona: dimensions. So, for example, you can show it next to a person. I've also seen in some... in some stores, references to animals. There was a silhouette of a person and simultaneously a silhouette of an animal. And then you could roughly get an idea of its size relative to a cat.

08:34 Radek: Depends on the cat.

08:35 Ilona: Depends on the cat, certainly not mine. Mine wouldn't work. It would definitely throw off the proportions. But yes, it's really great and conveys that information we want users to grasp in a very nice visual way. And here I have to point out that... it was both a surprise and not a surprise to me when we were conducting usability studies for a new interface for one of the online stores I mentioned. And I realized how much customers lack spatial awareness. I only truly grasped this when we showed our concepts, where not only did we show the product – the furniture – in contrast to a person, but we also displayed the dimensions directly on the packshot. And I remember the joy of one of the respondents who said, "Wow, I finally understand, this is awesome!"

09:56 Radek: You're talking about width, height.

10:02 Ilona: Yes, the width, height, and length were applied directly to the packshot. So I didn't have to wonder about the correct order or how those dimensions were actually presented. I didn't have to Google it; instead, we suggested putting it directly on... on the packshot on the product page.

10:20 Radek: I think these are very much connected. I believe this can be demonstrated in several ways. In that sense, we have dimensions – that moment when we present some technical documentation, but also schematic illustrations that include a reference to a person or another object, allowing for comparison on a familiar scale. And then there are photos – simply product photos featuring a person, for example, surrounded by other products with standard dimensions that we are very familiar with from our daily lives. So, that's also a crucial aspect.

11:02 Radek: I mentioned photos here, and I think this is a good moment to move on to the next stage.

11:09 Ilona: To the third point.

11:10 Radek: Which is inspiring sales. And this is where photos play a huge role, because people buy...

11:17 Ilona:Inspiring purchases.

11:18 Radek: Yes, purchases. People buy with their eyes. Especially when it comes to... this isn't ordering food, it's not ordering some elements for a renovation; it's about ordering something you need to feel comfortable and good with. And the visual aspect, when it comes to furniture, is hugely important. The design of the furniture. But... okay, the furniture itself might be nice, or it might have some distinctive features that we can show in a photo, but it also needs to fit in somehow. It needs to fit into a context. And that's why we use specific types of photos – to show the customer that this piece of furniture can fit into a particular interior. It will also look good in this style. So, this is super important. Here, we also collaborated with an e-commerce company that sells umbrellas. And there, too, showing the context was very important.

12:15 Ilona: But what kind of umbrellas? Garden umbrellas. To convey that dimension, that scale.

12:18 Radek: But now, back to garden products. And where, to what kind of garden? Because gardens can be really diverse. It could be a garden at a house, you know, in the countryside. Or it could be a terrace garden in the city. And showing that, for example, the same umbrella can perfectly match my country vibe, but also look great on a penthouse terrace. So it's also important to demonstrate this, to give the client a vision of how they'll live with that umbrella, you know, in what context it will truly fit in. What's also important, and what came up as a task to address, is that these umbrellas were sold to individual customers on one hand, but there were also products specifically designed for... business clients.

And those inspirations, particularly concerning customization, were incredibly important. These umbrellas weren't just functional – meaning they'd shield my customers while they ate, drank, or spent time at my establishment – but they also helped me build my brand. So, again, to inspire, the photos showed visualizations of branding elements that could be placed on a specific umbrella. This was also extremely important. And it wasn't about showing specific, you know, actual logos, but rather showcasing various branding elements that could be applied – perhaps more serious ones, right? Ones that characterize very exclusive establishments, or perhaps more casual, pub-like ones that sell beer and are more like bars. The point is, all of this matters a great deal, and as a client, I need to quickly find what I'm looking for, and photos help us do that.

14:21 Ilona: Yes. Here, another aspect of point three comes to mind, specifically regarding the gallery and photos. One thing is to provide inspiration and show it in the right context, demonstrating which style the umbrella, in this case, would suit. But I don't know if you remember, in the case of furniture like beds, wardrobes, or other pieces you choose for your home.

14:50 Ilona: Often, the customer journey is such that when we talk to an architect, or even when we choose the style ourselves, in which 

We want our apartment to be decorated, so we use Pinterest. We make a board, a moodboard on Pinterest, or, you know, we cut things out from magazines, though probably less often now,

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15:11 Radek: Oh, Ilona!

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15:14 Ilona: She's doing retro. 

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15:19 Ilona: So, getting back to the topic. It's worth thinking about the user journey here – someone who will initially create a board on Pinterest, and then come to our store and search and browse for furniture in a similar way. My observation, while designing several furniture stores, was that... while 'nice' is one way to put it, from a business effectiveness standpoint, it's better to present the gallery in a slightly different way – a way that inspires the customer, shows a wall with photos, shows how people function in that space. IKEA does this brilliantly. Before we even get to the product and see that Pax wardrobe, which every customer probably knows, IKEA shows it in various contexts, in various settings. The website layout is also very tile-based, Pinterest-like, and you can draw inspiration from this customer path, where they've been browsing, to... to show something similar and thereby improve conversion.

16:34 Radek: Another important thing when it comes to furniture is showing hard-to-understand elements, which can seem abstract if you only read about them.

16:47 Ilona: And also making it easier to deliver this information. 

16:49 Radek: Imagine, for example... Imagine an interface or an online store that described the colors and fabrics, for instance, used on a sofa or an armchair, using only words. Or assembly instructions for a particular item, described only in words, without any images.

17:12 Ilona: Those parameters we mentioned earlier.

17:14 Radek: Of course, that wouldn't work; we definitely wouldn't sell anything. So, of course, IKEA is the master at this, but it's really crucial. For example, there are categories – I see this – where it's incredibly important and always a challenge to address. This involves displaying color – how to accurately show a color on screen and build trust so that you don't have to come to us for a sample. Or, if you do, we provide you with access, and there's a feature that...

17:46 Ilona: Yes, or somehow make it easier for the client to purchase these samples.

17:48 Radek: Exactly, that's one thing. Two, it's the invoice. That's also  super important.

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17:53 Ilona: But we're not talking about a sales document; we're talking about a material invoice.

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17:55 Radek: Another thing is maintenance. How can we quickly explain to the user what's washable and what's not, what's removable and what's not?

18:08 Ilona: Or perhaps such maintenance won't even be needed, because that might actually be a selling point for the furniture – that it doesn't require very extensive, time-consuming upkeep.

18:18 Radek: And the most challenging aspect, of course, is assembly – how a particular bed, umbrella, or sofa is put together. This includes the initial assembly at home, whether it requires any specialized tools or handling, and how it functions in terms of daily use.

18:40 Iloana: Maintenance, you could say.

18:41 Radek: No, but I'm also talking about things like how you open the storage compartment of a bed – will I need something specific, or will it be difficult for me? Or when I'm using that aforementioned umbrella, is it easy for me? If I, for example, as a woman who will primarily be tending the garden, will I easily fold it? How do I fold this umbrella? Is it heavy or light for me? All of this is incredibly important, and you can't just leave it in the description alone. Instead, it's worth ensuring that such information is conveyed as visually as possible.

19:17 Ilona: Yes, and contextually, for example, with delivery, products are legally required to have their instructions. But these instructions can be presented briefly and concisely, or they can be user-friendly and very easy to follow. However, we might lose those instructions, so it's worth having that information available on your website as well.

19:40 Radek: Well, but visual language... you can't tell everything with a picture, can you? And what then?

19:49 Ilona: What's your solution, Radek? You want to make animations?

19:52 Radek: No, I think then you need to use very simple, non-technical language.

Right, and this brings us to the next point. Often, when we design e-commerce stores that specialize in a particular niche – for example, if someone sells only beds that they also manufacture – we know we're dealing with a specialized company, and the people working there use specific terminology. On the other hand, we have a customer who is likely buying their first, second, or third bed ever and has no idea what certain terms might mean. That's why it's crucial to avoid overly specialized terms. Or, if you can't avoid them – because sometimes a specific term is required – then you must explain them.

20:58 Radek: Yes, exactly. So, if a product or its instructions are complicated, then you should strive to use very simple language that everyone can understand. We're not a government office. Let's move on to the sixth and final point, which I think is important. This is that every e-commerce store is different, and every product sold within a given e-commerce platform demands or necessitates a specific customer journey and appropriate design. And it might seem that in an era where e-commerce has already paved so many paths and we have so many templates that we essentially know everything, the specificity of products sold under a particular brand still requires a thorough understanding of how these customer journeys should look. Because, on one hand, we have the characteristics of the item itself – what kind of bed are we selling? – and on the other hand, who are we selling it to? – who is our customer? These two things must meet, and they do meet precisely in the specific design of the interface and the customer journey.

22:15 Ilona: To add a few things to what you said, above all, I'd like you to take away from that last point that simply grabbing a template and setting up an online furniture store with just any template might not be the best idea. This is because there will be different characteristic elements for a store selling clothes compared to one selling large furniture. 

So, if you're going to use a template, choose one that's as close as possible to the furniture industry. For instance, pay attention to how your product looks, even for something as seemingly trivial as whether the photos are horizontal or vertical. If you're selling lamps, which are usually vertical, the page layout should be designed to accommodate the largest possible image. But if you're selling low cabinets, where a different layout would be better, or a sofa – oh, a sofa is a better example – where the photo layout should be more horizontal. These are small details we might not think about at first, but they matter and make a difference in how customers perceive your store.

23:55 Radek: So, to summarize, if you want to sell a bed online, you need to prioritize clear delivery information: when the bed will arrive, whether it's already in stock and ready to be shipped, or if it's a made-to-order product, which would mean a very long waiting time. Also, remember to show the bed to scale. The best way to do this is probably by including a human silhouette.

24:26 Ilona: Make sure to display furniture in various styles and present a photo gallery that inspires customers to make a purchase.

24:34 Radek: Clarify elements that are difficult to understand, so that users and clients can be confident in their selections – whether it's color, texture, or maintenance information – ensuring everything is clear and inspires trust.

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24:51 Ilona: Another thing, try to avoid using complicated, industry-specific jargon. If you need to introduce a concept from your field, make sure to explain it.

25:01 Radek: Before you decide to choose a template for your furniture e-commerce store, consider the characteristics of the product you want to sell and who you're offering it to. It might turn out that the template won't fully meet your expectations.

25:19 Ilona: Thank you so much for listening to this episode, and we'll talk to you in the next one. Bye! 

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