Planning to start an ecommerce store, or already have one? The e-commerce world is quite competitive, and turning your website visitors into paying customers is crucial for your business success. Getting more successful conversions will make your business more profitable. It is one of the best ways to boost your online sales.
What is a good conversion rate?
Well, according to industry leaders, the average ecommerce conversion rates are around 2.5% to 3%. Conversion rates are the lifeline of your business, they simply represent the percentage of website visitors who take the desired action, for example, making a purchase. Whether you own a large ecommerce store, or you’re a small business owner, your primary focus should be on your store’s conversion rate.
Although there are many approaches for increasing your website's conversion rate. To set your business up for success, here are some e-commerce boosters that will help your store optimize and increase its conversion rates:
12 e-commerce boosters for maximizing conversions for e-commerce store owners
1. Simplify your website design with high-quality images:
50% of online shoppers say that images help them decide on what to buy. They want to see exactly what they are buying before they commit. Ensure that your website is professional, clean, and very easy to navigate. A product image is one of the important elements that can attract customers to your online store. Use high-quality product images that are zoomable and clear product descriptions, and ensure that your products are displayed from different angles and different contexts. This will increase your store’s conversion rates.
Not to mention, make sure your website is designed to function well on mobile devices. This means easy navigation, fast loading speed, and adjustment to different screen sizes. A mobile-friendly website can improve user experience and the chance of increased conversions.
2. Add customer reviews for social proof:
The absence of social proof such as customer reviews, can easily impede your store's conversion rate. Having great customer reviews on your website will help potential customers make informed decisions about the products they would like to purchase. Yes, reviews influence buying decisions. Statistics reveal that 95% of customers read online reviews before they buy a product, so, ensure you display customer reviews prominently on your website. Real reviews from real customers will show that your products are selling and that they are of good quality. They don’t all need to be 5-star reviews. Encourage your customers to share their experiences through reviews.
Additionally, you can also integrate widgets or plugins to display your online presence and reviews from platforms like Facebook, Etsy, Amazon, etc.
3. Check and improve the speed of your website:
“Slow-loading websites can turn visitors away”. What good is a high quality website if it doesn't load instantly then? A website that loads quickly will receive more traffic and have better conversion rates. Optimizing the speed of your website will also boost your search engine rankings. The speed of your website is the very first thing your website visitors will notice when navigating your website pages. Always monitor your website’s loading speed to ensure a smooth and seamless user experience.
4. Offer incentives:
Offering incentives like discounts and free shipping is a great way to attract new customers, it is also a great way to keep your loyal customers happy. Studies show customers tend to be more loyal to businesses that offer free shipping and discounts over those that don’t. A recent survey shows that about 60% of customers say that they are willing to increase their purchases from a retailer that offers free shipping. High shipping fees can drive your customers away and negatively impact your store’s conversion rate.
Not considering free shipping? That’s okay, it’s always important to factor in shipping costs when determining the price of your products and to consider your profit margins. Shipping information can still be managed to avoid cart abandonment. The average cart abandonment rate in the US is quite high. This is due to the additional shipping costs, taxes, and fees. The solution to this problem is simply ‘transparency’. Be transparent with your shipping information and cost in advance, this will help your customers make informed decisions regarding the product they would want to purchase.
5. Easy and quick checkout process:
The checkout process is the last step in the customer journey, this is where potential buyers become paying customers. Simplifying the checkout process means reducing the number of steps involved, making it easier for customers to complete their purchases quickly. An easy and quick checkout process can reduce cart abandonment or second thoughts. Some customers may not be patient enough to fill the checkout forms especially if the forms require them to fill in their data more than once. Ensure that customers have minimum data and forms to fill. A simplified checkout process will improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, and increase conversion rates.
6. Offer different payment methods:
Providing different payment methods allows you to cater to a larger audience. Having multiple payment options is a good way to increase your conversion rate. Offering customers different payment options will allow them to choose their preferred method of payment, thus, increasing the chance of a successful transaction. Payment options like debit cards, credit cards, PayPal, Shop Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, etc., will help you attract and win over more customers which is a sustainable growth tool.
7. Simple and clear call-to-action:
Clear call-to-action can easily guide website visitors to complete your online business goal, It could be signing up to your mailing list or making a purchase. A vague call-to-action can affect your potential customers because it doesn’t tell the customer what happens when they click or perform a specific action. Ensure to use a clear and compelling call-to-action on your landing page, this will easily direct visitors toward the next steps such as “buy now”, or “claim your discount offer”.
8. Prompt customer support:
Good customer service will always keep your customers coming back for more purchases. Ensuring your customers have all the answers to their questions is key to customer satisfaction, and we encourage having optimum customer support options on your platforms. Integrating AI chat boxes is a good way to provide prompt customer support. Customers can get answers to frequently asked questions and personalized product and service recommendations from the AI chat box on your website. You can also integrate a live chat option that uses humans as well, that way, they can also connect with your brand representatives for more distinct queries and problems.
9. Reach customers in their native language:
Your audience won’t understand what you’re offering if your website content is only in one language. If it is in multiple languages, you are more likely to reach a broader audience. Let’s face it, a multilingual website is kind of a boast, it is a way to show that you are running a global business.
10. Always stay in touch:
When you always stay in touch with your customers, they will see you as something valuable. Send emails to your customers frequently, and look for new ways to talk to your community. Create engaging content, you can create content based on which customers will find interesting. Every content should serve a different purpose but in all, they must benefit your business.
11. Display contact information on your landing page:
Your contact page should give your visitor more information about your business, such as your business hours, location, customer service contact information, and other relevant details. No one wants to search your entire website for contact information or phone numbers.
12. Send cart abandonment email:
Sending a cart abandonment email is a way to draw customers back to your website, this email encourages them to complete the purchase they were already trying to make. A website visitor might be one or two clicks away from purchasing on your website, they select the product they want to buy and add it to their cart. However, for some reason, they didn’t buy the product. This customer is already familiar with your brand or product, so getting them to convert is much easier than finding a new customer, don't you think?
Ideally, the wait time before sending out the email should be 30 minutes to one hour after someone has placed items in their cart. Abandoned cart emails are a great idea, these emails can increase your e-commerce store’s conversion rate due to their attractive offers and contents.
Additionally, for online retailers, the cart abandonment rate can help them understand the shopping behavior of their website visitors and customers.
When it comes to maximizing conversions for your e-commerce store, there isn’t any size fits all, but these few tips will help you to effectively optimize your e-commerce store conversion rate and create a stress-free shopping experience that keeps customers coming back for more.
Maximizing Conversions: Tips for Optimizing Your E-commerce Store
From website design to customer engagement, learn how to increase sales and boost your store's conversion rate with these practical tips!