Online shopping and eCommerce have changed how we do business and reach customers. Shopping trips to the store have been replaced by endless scrolls through eCommerce websites and mobile apps.
Data from early 2023 found that 43% of U.S. consumers prefer shopping online than in-store. After all, eCommerce offers the convenience and discount deals that brick-and-mortar stores can’t match.
However, the massive success of the eCommerce industry also lends itself to competition. It can be challenging to carve out a name for yourself when thousands or millions of other stores try to do the same thing.
It then becomes important for eCommerce businesses to focus on improving the user experience and increasing conversion rates to ensure profitability and success in the industry.
In this blog post, we’ll cover essential tips, which include:
• Assess Your Website’s Trouble Spots
• Optimize Your Product Pages
• Streamline the Checkout Process
• Use High-Quality Visuals
• Leverage Customer Reviews and Social Proof
• Utilize Personalization and Retargeting
• Implement A/B Testing
7 Smart Ways To Maximize Your eCommerce Conversion Rate
competing for your audience’s attention, it’s critical that you maintain a solid strategy to attract website visitors and turn them into paying customers.
Depending on the sector, most eCommerce conversion rates are around 2%. However, with the right strategies, you can surpass this metric and increase sales.
Calculate your eCommerce conversion rate using a conversion rate calculator or formula, then try the strategies below to improve your numbers:
1. Assess Your Website’s Trouble Spots
An important first step in effective eCommerce conversion optimization is thoroughly analyzing your current performance.
This step involves identifying and addressing any friction points on your website. Trouble spots or friction points are areas where users may face challenges, discouraging them from going through the shopping process.
These issues may include slow-loading pages, unclear product descriptions or unresponsive buttons or links.
Here are some ways you might identify these friction points:
Look at the FAQs
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) are a standard section on any company website. Aside from providing site visitors with answers to common concerns, they can also be a valuable resource for identifying which aspects of your business are confusing or unclear to your customers.
Look at which questions get the most attention and try to find ways to resolve the issue or make the solution more accessible.
Review Heatmaps
Heatmaps are data visualization tools that show how visitors interact with your website. Reviewing heatmaps on your web pages can reveal where audiences click and scroll the most. You can use this information alongside your conversion rate calculator or conversion rate formula to uncover potential problem areas or friction points.
Identify Drop-offs in the Conversion Funnel
Conversion funnels allow you to track your leads’ activity throughout the customer journey. Analyzing their behavior as they move through the funnel can help you find problem areas that may discourage them from purchasing.
2. Optimize Your Product Pages
Product pages lay at the heart of any eCommerce website. A well-optimized product page effectively showcases your wares and can make the difference between a person casually browsing your website and actually making a purchase.
The key is to provide relevant information while creating a sense of encouragement, trust and urgency. These principles contribute to your overall eCommerce search engine optimization and conversion rate optimization (CRO) efforts.
Use these elements to improve your eCommerce product pages:
Clear and Compelling Calls to Action (CTAs)
A good, actionable CTA is crucial to landing a purchase. Ensure your CTA button is concise and stands out on your page. A simple “Add to cart” or “Buy now” can work perfectly.
Descriptive Titles
Product or service titles play a key role in eCommerce website optimization. Ensure your titles are concise yet detailed enough to describe your product effectively. Avoid vague language.
Detailed Product Descriptions
Write descriptions that highlight your product’s benefits — not just its features or specifications. Address customer concerns or pain points and show them how your product can help. Targeting industry-specific keywords can also help in your eCommerce search engine optimization efforts.
3. Streamline the Checkout Process
Keep things simple. A complicated checkout process can sometimes be the main reason customers abandon their carts. For successful eCommerce conversion optimization, making the checkout process as straightforward and seamless as possible is best.
Removing unnecessary barriers during checkout is also crucial to your eCommerce website optimization efforts, improving the user experience.
Try these tips to streamline the customer checkout process:
Provide Guest Checkout Options
Imagine you’re a new customer visiting an eCommerce store for the first time. You aren’t that familiar with the quality of their goods and services firsthand, and you’re planning to try out their services first.
A checkout process that requires you to fill out lengthy forms and create a new account might turn you off from making a purchase. It’s best to allow customers to check out as guests first, then give them the option to sign up after the purchase.
Screenshot from Etsy
Offer Free Shipping
Expensive shipping fees can discourage customers from completing a transaction, especially if the fees are just as much or higher than the price of the item they’re buying.
While delivery fees are essential to running a profitable business, try to keep shipping fees as low as possible. You can even offer free shipping as a reward for meeting a minimum order requirement, encouraging customers to make bigger purchases.
Reduce Form Fields
Keep checkout forms efficient. Only ask for the most important information, such as the person’s name, address, phone number and credit card information. Longer forms can intimidate potential customers, causing them to abandon the checkout process.
Enable Multiple Payment Options
Customers can have different preferences when paying for their online purchases. Offering various options, such as credit and debit cards, PayPal and digital wallets, can create a smoother checkout experience.
Be Mobile-Friendly
A majority of consumers use smartphones to shop online. For this reason, it’s crucial to make your website as mobile-friendly as possible. If you have the resources, you can create an app to make the checkout process even more user-friendly.
4. Use High-Quality Visuals
Visuals like photographs and graphics are essential in eCommerce optimization. Unlike physical stores, online customers cannot touch or try your products. The images and videos you provide are their only way to evaluate the look and quality of your offerings.
High-quality visuals allow you to present your products in their best light and increase customer confidence, boosting conversion rate optimization for landing pages and product pages.
Try the tips below to produce and publish A-grade eCommerce visuals:
Link Pictures to Product Variants
If your product has multiple variants, such as different colors or sizes, add photos for each one. When customers click on a product variant, they should be able to see what the differences are. This way, they know what to expect and can choose the one that best suits their needs or preferences.
Make Them Aspirational
Your product visuals should include a lifestyle slant. Sure, straightforward photos on a plain background can do the job, but your conversion rate optimization efforts would be more effective if you tell a story.
Show the benefits of your products. What kind of lifestyle comes with your brand? How can you add value to your customers’ lives?
Use Product Videos
Product videos are another great way to showcase your product in action and boost your eCommerce optimization efforts. They allow you to demonstrate how the product works, showcase its features or highlight its benefits. Product videos are particularly helpful for products with multiple uses or that require some explanation.
Add a Zoom Feature
A zoom feature to your images lets customers appreciate your product up close. This feature helps them better understand your product’s color, texture and other features.
5. Leverage Customer Reviews and Social Proof
Social proof is a powerful psychological phenomenon that can significantly affect purchasing decisions and reinforce your eCommerce conversion optimization efforts. People are more likely to buy something when they see others who are satisfied with the product and their purchasing experience.
Here are some tips to maximize your use of social proof:
Add a Reviews Section
Each product page should include a reviews section where customers can see other people’s opinions and experiences. Encourage customers to leave feedback after their purchase.
Screenshot from Adidas
Showcase Testimonials
If some customers offer glowing and detailed reviews or testimonials, consider featuring them on your home page. Video testimonials are especially powerful at improving conversion rate optimization for landing pages.
6. Utilize Personalization and Retargeting
Personalization has become a vital strategy in eCommerce optimization. Customers are more likely to convert when they feel their shopping experience caters to their needs and preferences.
Retargeting refers to the process of reaching out to previous website visitors and encouraging them to revisit your business. Personalizing retargeting strategies can be a powerful way to attract and retain customers.
Here are some ways to incorporate personalization and retargeting in your eCommerce strategy:
Offer Personalized Recommendations
Show customers products related to what they have viewed or purchased previously. For example, if they viewed headphone product pages, you can show them listings for headphone cases and accessories.
Use Retargeting Ads
Show ads to customers who have visited your website in the past but have yet to make a purchase. These ads can include products they viewed previously or added to their cart, encouraging them to come back and complete the purchase.
7. Implement A/B Testing
Continuous improvement is vital to improving your eCommerce conversion rates, and A/B testing can help you achieve this goal. A/B testing allows you to compare two versions of an email, social media post or web page to see which performs better.
This data-driven approach allows you to make targeted changes that will have the greatest impact on your website and conversion rates.
Here are some best practices to improve your A/B testing process:
Isolate Your Variables
You can test multiple elements of each page or marketing strategy. However, it’s best to do so one at a time to see which elements have the most impact.
Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
KPIs or metrics allow you to effectively monitor your testing processes and evaluate their success. Aside from conversion rates, you might want to look at click-through rates, return on investment and average order value.
Boost Your Bottom Line With Thrive
Improving conversion rates for your eCommerce store involves a lot of moving parts. And, it’s not a one-off task, but an ongoing process requiring continuous monitoring, testing and optimization.
The seven strategies outlined above can be an excellent starting point for making meaningful changes to your eCommerce site. If you need more help, you can reach out to our eCommerce experts at Thrive.
Thrive Internet Marketing Agency has worked in the eCommerce marketing space for nearly two decades now. We can help you develop a comprehensive strategy to boost your eCommerce conversion rates and maintain sustainable growth.
