Industry leaders say the average e-commerce conversion rate is 2.5-3%. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t rise above this range with the right tactics and improve your online store’s revenue.
Let’s explore five effective tactics to boost e-commerce conversions.
Invest in Good Design, Product Images, and Videos
What’s the first thing that catches your eye when you’re online shopping? Likely, the website’s design and how individual product pages look.
We are visual creatures, so it only makes sense that we notice visual elements first. When done right, we like and trust the site and are more likely to place an order.
So, the first thing to do is invest in a good-looking website that looks modern and has quality images and videos of your products.
Offer Competitive Pricing and Free Shipping
According to Michael Levin from CBD.market, offering free shipping and competitive prices can be difficult, especially when starting. However, it’s a strategy worth exploring, even if it means smaller profit margins (at first).
Thanks to giants like Amazon, people today are used to free shipping. So, one of the simplest ways to increase online sales is to offer free shipping yourself.
If competitive prices and free shipping don’t make sense at this stage, consider increasing the cost of products to compensate. However, be careful not to go overboard, as people are used to checking prices in several places.
Build Customer Trust
Ensuring that customers feel secure while shopping online is a top priority. Let visitors know that their credit card information is protected by using simple security signals. Display SSL certificates at checkout and across your site, and include familiar payment icons like those for credit cards and PayPal.
Also, add active security badges from trusted companies instead of just showing an image. These steps help show that your store is legitimate and that you care about protecting customer data.
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Streamline Your Checkout Process
You can boost your e-commerce conversion rate by streamlining the checkout process. Instead of overwhelming customers with too many complex forms, simplify the experience by removing unnecessary fields and make the navigation clear.
Regularly test different layouts, button placements, and call-to-action language, and use smart defaults, auto-fill features, and guest checkout options to simplify the shopping experience. Ensure your design is mobile-friendly and includes trust signals like security badges to boost overall conversion rates.
Consider Cart Abandonment Software
A high cart abandonment rate is one of the most frustrating stats. Fortunately, you can install abandoned cart software for e-commerce checkout optimization.
Here’s how this software works:
It typically stores the cookies of users who have added items to their carts but have left before placing an order. If they return to your website within a certain period (say, 30 days), the items are still in the cart, and they can quickly complete the order.
Capturing a user’s email before they leave (on exit intent) also works and provides more opportunities. For example, you can set up an automated system to remind them to complete the order.
While the second option won’t directly reduce cart abandonment, it can still help capture previously incomplete orders.
Structure Your Site Well
Important pages like product categories should be as close to the homepage as possible. This means the user should be able to navigate to these pages with a maximum of one or two clicks.
Also, optimizing the categories and subcategories will help users more easily find what they are looking for, which is essential for selling.
For example, if you have a clothing e-commerce store, you could have large categories for men and women, sub-categories for types of clothing, and filters for characteristics like size, material, color, and fit.
Of course, this is an oversimplified explanation, so research the proper online store structures for your specific business.
Provide Detailed Product Descriptions
Make sure your product descriptions are clear so customers know exactly what they are buying. Since they can’t physically touch the product or ask questions like in a store, providing all the information helps prevent confusion and return requests. Adding a video or demonstration of the product can also be a great addition to the description, showing the product in action.
Allow Customers to Leave Reviews
Another effective tactic for e-commerce conversion rate optimization is to let previous buyers leave reviews for products. This is particularly beneficial when selling tech devices like laptops, smartphones, tablets, computer mice, keyboards, and headphones.
Most people want to see reviews for such products and what others like or dislike, especially when spending more money.
If your online store doesn’t offer this, potential customers are more likely to search for the same product elsewhere.
Conclusion
These proven e-commerce strategies to boost conversion rate and increase revenue without necessarily boosting traffic numbers.
As you can see, there are plenty of ways to improve the customer experience and get more sales for your business. So, which of these tactics do you plan on trying first?
Michael Levin is an enthusiast, a researcher, writer and editor in the wellness space, and educator. He believes supplements can help improve our overall health and wellbeing.
