Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but functionality’s got to be a slam-dunk.
If it’s a store, it should be obvious how to buy stuff, right?
It’s a rare ecommerce site that combines beauty with utility. Some of our favorites are below – in no particular order. But remember: a website is only as functional as its hosting service.
So if you sell things online, it’s critical to find a reliable ecommerce web hosting company.

• Threadless: http://www.threadless.com/

This German company expands its core audience by offering an English version of the website.
Attractive splash page offers community and interactive features (like submitting your own tee design or voting for your favorite shirt) but lets the user who wants to cut right to the chase with links to the online store.

• Shoe Guru: http://shoeguru.ca/

No ambiguity whatsoever about what this site is selling!
The photographs on this site will turn even the most shoe-adverse into Carrie Bradshaw. Seamless navigation lets you go very deep into the site almost instantly. Our only quibble: It takes four clicks before you get to the page where you can actually buy something.

• Habitat Shoe Boutique: http://www.habitatshoes.com/

Another online shoe store with a crisp clean look that offers users not just the opportunity to browse and fall in love, but also the ability to hunt down something they’re looking for through a search box on the very first page.
Clueless and shoeless?
Then you’ll want to check out the Habitat’s Trend section (through a link on the splash page) devoted entirely to the hottest new looks. The site also allows users to compile their very own Wish Lists.

• Emptees: http://emptees.com/

Okay, this company loses points by having a name that’s not only ambiguous but, if you think about it for any length of time, is actually a deterrent to the “call for action” that all effective ecommerce is about. But once you get the website, it’s a stunner: The photos of the tees alongside the graphic art displayed upon them is so eye-catching it immediately makes you want to look some more.
You can personalize the site by creating your own account – and it’s a club most definitely any hip person – Emptees’ target audience, obviously – would like to join.

• Itself: http://www.hereitself.com/

We like this website for its minimalist design and the fact that you can start shopping on the entry page. The fish bait leads: “Free shipping on orders over $60!” Hey, we’ll spend $65! It also announces right upfront that its shopping cart is a secure technology. In these days of massive insecurity over identity theft and economic downturns, it’s always a good thing to let prospective customers know their money is safe with you.

• Fugitive Toys: http://fugitivetoys.com/

First of all, the name is just terrific. It lets you know your purchase is more than just a purchase – it’s an opt-in lifestyle.
It doesn’t get “stickier” than that. Customers will be returning to this website again and again and again.
The pricing breakdown is a terrific customer-friendly tool, as is the links to various social media on the right hand side of the page because these are purchases customers will definitely want to talk about.

Honorable Mentions:

Tilly Moss: http://tillymoss.com/

This site’s outstanding graphics will make you long to buy the product — even if you have no idea what a “sleeve” actually is.

Shop Curious: http://www.shopcurious.com/

The text is wobbly and hard to read, but we really like the eye-catching, diagonal graphic on the upper left.

Little Catwalk: http://www.little-catwalk.com/

Photographs could be somewhat better, but we the concept of lifestyle magazine content will draw perspective purchasers in.

Bridge 55: http://www.bridge55.com/

Great site in every way but one: the graphic underlying the product slideshow — a crumbling wall — is really a turn-off.