Top Ten Tips To Boost Your E-commerce Conversions
Having been around some of the leading e-commerce retailers for the past decade, we'veseen what works and what doesn't.
From return reasons to customer interactions, we've a wealth of information available to our clients to prevent them from making the same mistakes as others in the industry.
There are many simple changes companies looking to boost their conversation rate can make, without needing to redevelop their website.
We've listed some of most important tweaks we believe you should be making to take you to the next level.
Product images and copy
People, quite rightly, want to see exactly what they are buying before they commit to a purchase. High quality images are therefore key to increasing conversion rates. The more photographs available to scroll through, the better!
And there's no limit to the type of photographs that should be used either. Capturing products from every different angle and making them zoom-able, is an absolute must.
But that's not all. Great product copy goes hand-in-hand with images. Descriptions provide buyers with the information they need, along with confirmation that the product they are looking at is for them.
A vast number of returned products come back because there wasn't enough information available at the time of the purchase - if you make this mistake then update the listing! Learn from the experience and it won't happen again. Whether it's a lack of measurements or detailed information, remember that the customer only has the information you provide.
Text should feature a combination of punchier paragraphs and longer descriptions, steering away from jargon and providing exactly what customers need to know.
Shipping costs
Asking consumers to foot the bill for delivery costs is a conversion killer, especially given the fact some global companies are offering free delivery on the vast majority of their products.
Where possible, try to offer competitive costs or a flat fee and always make sure shipping charges are displayed before the final stage of the checkout. This will avoid any nasty surprises being sprung on the customer at the last minute, which may lead them to terminating their transaction.
Tracking progress
People want to know exactly just how many stages their transaction will involve.
Providing numbered lists that show which stage in the process consumers are, is one the easiest ways of providing a clear progress indicator.
A three-stage process is more bearable for consumers if they can see the finishing line, as opposed to consumers not knowing how many more fields and pages they need to scroll through before reaching the checkout.
Persistent shopping baskets
Created using persistent cookies, these baskets ensure consumers' shopping is available for them to pick up again, even if they have left your site and want to return to it at a later date.
People naturally want to shop around in a bid to find themselves the best price for their money. There's nothing more frustrating or off-putting than adding items, only to find they have disappeared as a result of the shopping basket expiring.
It's highly unlikely that consumers will have the time, or will go to the effort of remembering their items and putting them back in their basket once they have disappeared. Consumers who can return to their products are far more likely to pick up where they left off and convert than those who have to start all over again from scratch.
Trust is king
It's vital consumers are provided with the peace of mind that they are shopping securely. If you haven't already done so, display Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certified and Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance to avoid running the risk of your shoppers going elsewhere.
Equally, not clearly displaying your customer support email or phone number, may jeopardise your reputation, by making you appear a company that cannot be trusted.
This can easily be eradicated by not only making sure your contact details are prominently displayed, but your terms and conditions, enabling consumers to check out your returns policy, especially if they are buying items, such as clothing.
Bargain hunters
According to 2011 research, 47 per cent of online buyers, would only buy discounted products, an outlook they would only steer away from in exceptional circumstances. And 62 per cent revealed they only looked for sales and specials sections while shopping online.
Having a dedicated sales section on your website is one of the main ways you can attract consumers who are keen to bag themselves a bargain.
However, it's important this area of your site is easy to find, immediately visible and contains regularly updated offers.
Multiple payment options
If preferred payment options aren't available, consumers are more inclined to cancel their purchase and never return to your site. The risk of online fraud has also made some shoppers far less reluctant to make a purchase via credit card.
This can easily be rectified by introducing payment options, such as PayPal or, if you want to look to the future, Google Wallet.
What's more, providing the latest payment options will help further position you as a trusted, credible supplier.
Online reviews
Reviews are key to shaping people's opinions. Whether they are for a restaurant or theatre production, they form a fundamental part of the online retail journey, especially when it comes to more technical products.
You can easily showcase reviews on your site, all you need to do is to make sure this option is available. However, if you can't encourage your consumers to share their thoughts just now, why not consider harnessing comments from credible external sites.
Upselling
The average order size can easily be boosted through the art of cross-selling and upselling.
However, there are some rules you need to bear in mind when adopting this approach:
Only offer related products Your offer must be at least 60 per cent cheaper than the product that has just been added to your consumer's basket Shopping on the move
Finally, last but not least, it's common knowledge that consumers are increasingly using smartphone technology to make their next purchase, making usability your new best friend.
Making sure a user friendly version of your website specifically for this type of shopping is the solution to ensuring you don't send these consumers away and, in turn, lose out on scores of potential sales.
About the Author
Specialising in fashion, homeware, consumer and electrical goods, we have over a decade's experience of delivering market-leading ecommerce, payment and logistics solutions across Europe. For fulfilment, ecommerce fulfilment and fulfillment services talk to us today. http://www.docdata.co.uk/
Tell others about
this page:
Comments? Questions? Email Here