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Customers are attracted to online shopping not only because of high levels of convenience, but also because of broader selections, competitive pricing, and greater access to information.^[13][14] Business organizations seek to offer online shopping not only because it is of much lower cost compared to bricks and mortar stores, but also because it offers access to a world wide market, increases customer value, and builds sustainable capabilities.^{[clarification needed][15]}

Designers of online shops are concerned with the effects of information load. Information load is a product of the spatial and temporal arrangements of stimuli in the webstore.^[16] Compared with conventional retail shopping, the information environment of virtual shopping is enhanced by providing additional product information such as comparative products and services, as well as various alternatives and attributes of each alternative, etc.^[17]

Two major dimensions of information load are complexity and novelty.^[18] Complexity refers to the number of different elements or features of a site, often the result of increased information diversity. Novelty involves the unexpected, suppressed, new, or unfamiliar aspects of the site. The novelty dimension may keep consumers exploring a shopping site, whereas the complexity dimension may induce impulse purchases.^[17]

A successful webstore is not just a good looking website with dynamic technical features, listed in many search engines.^[19] In addition to disseminating information, it is also about building a relationship with customers and making money.

Businesses often attempt to adopt online shopping techniques without understanding them and/or without a sound business model; often, businesses produce webstores that support the organizations' culture and brand name without satisfying consumer expectations. User-centered design is critical. Understanding the customer's wants and needs is essential. Living up to the company's promises gives customers a reason to come back and meeting their expectations gives them a reason to stay. It is important that the website communicates how much the company values its customers.^[19]

Customer needs and expectations are not the same for all customers. Age, gender, experience and culture are all important factors. For example, Japanese cultural norms may lead users there to feel privacy is especially critical on shopping sites and emotional involvement is highly important on financial pensions sites.^[15] Users with more online experience focus more on the variables that directly influence the task, while novice users focus on understanding the information.^[20]

To increase online purchases, businesses must use significant time and money to define, design, develop, test, implement, and maintain the webstore.^[19] Truly said, it is easier to lose a customer than to gain one. Even a "top-rated" website will not succeed if the organization fails to practice common etiquette such as responding to e-mails in a timely fashion, notifying customers of problems, being honest, and being good stewards of the customers' data.^[19] Because it is so important to eliminate mistakes and be more appealing to online shoppers, many webshop designers study research on consumer expectations.^[21]

The most important factors determining whether customers return to a website are ease of use and the presence of user-friendly features.^[22] Usability testing is important for finding problems and improvements in a web site. Methods for evaluating usability include heuristic evaluation, cognitive walkthrough, and user testing. Each technique has its own characteristics and emphasizes different aspects of the user experience.^[22]