Blog 5: 10 Simple Ways to Boost Conversions
Conversion Rates= Sales!
Website conversion is critical to success in the eCommerce space. Customers that generate conversions can be defined as browsers that come to your website and successfully complete a purchase. In this blog post, we are going to cover the ins and outs of eCommerce conversion rates and 10 simple ways to boost your conversion rates, which also equals increased revenue.
Most eCommerce store owners wear multiple hats and when it comes to analyzing their website and conversion rates, it often gets pushed to the back burner. As a result, there may be bottlenecks in the consumer journey that hinder a successful sale.
If you are that eCommerce store owner mentioned above, prioritizing a healthy conversion rate on your website is where these tips come into play. Remember, even if you have amazing ads and tons of traffic on your site, you may not be making sales if there are areas that need improvement on your site. By implementing some of these tips, the goal is to boost conversions from the traffic on your website and see an overall increase in conversion rate.
How to Calculate Your Site’s Conversion Rate
The first place to start is by calculating your current conversion rate; that way you will be able to analyze the numbers after implementing some of these tips to see what works best for your website. To calculate your conversion rate use the simple formula below.
Total purchases/number of visitors x 100 = conversion%
Ex. Let’s say you wanted to figure out your conversion rate for the month of July. If there were 20 sales and 500 visitors, you divide 20 by 500 (.04). Multiplied by 100 is 4%.
A gold standard conversion rate falls between 2-5%. If you are below that range, try using a few of our top tips for boosting conversions and see the difference in your monthly sales! Let’s get that number even higher!
Tip: Only implement 2-3 of these tips to see what works and slowly build up to address each one on your site for optimal conversion rates!
Top 10 Tips for Boosting Conversion Rates
Watch Your (Site) Speed!
This one may seem obvious but the longer your site takes to load the likelihood that people will
abandon the page and find a competitor rises. The software company Unbounce previously found that for every second delay in load time, conversions can drop by 12%!
Double-check your website's load speed and do what you can to make it faster by decreasing image/file sizes, and using a responsive design between desktop and mobile.
Simplify Your Home Page
First impressions are everything. Keep your homepage (and the site overall) simple and visually appealing. Avoid huge walls of text and overwhelming visitors with too much detail at first glance. Additionally, pay special attention to “above the fold”, which is the area visitors see before they have to start scrolling. After all, the rest doesn’t matter if they never feel the need to scroll and see it.
Note: A strong hero image or video (a large banner image that is front and center on your site), along with a clear CTA (call-to-action), are surefire ways to bump up conversions.
Strategic Navigation/Intelligent Search Bars
Having clear navigation as well as a search option make it easier for browsers to find what they’re after, but it can also help boost SEO. Again though, keep it simple. Aim for four to six broad categories for your navigation drop-down menu that hold more specific options when users tap or move the mouse over the menu.
Another great tip is to put the most popular category at the top. As for intelligent search, this is a great way to improve the experience of using your site. According to Cludo, their data reveals that search makes up 14% of all eCom revenue. This makes sense because if a visitor takes the time to search, they have a clear intent for being on the site. Intelligent search also helps provide personalized searches, which of course helps with conversions!
Make Special Offers Stand Out
You don’t always have to rely on coupons/discounts to rack up sales. However, when you do have special offers running, use apps to show them off. On Shopify, you can use integrated apps to make offers appear right at the top of your home page.
The Proof’s In The (Past) Purchases
Build trust by adding social proof to your product pages! This can range from testimonials, widgets that display real-time purchases, product reviews, and image reviews. Keep in mind that you can (and should) automate asking buyers to leave a review, for a steady stream of social proof for your store and to use in the future!
Clear & Obvious Call To Actions (CTAs)
Make it very clear what your visitor(s) should do next. Also, consider using first-person action verbs. Some tried and true CTAs include:
-Join Now
-Add to Cart
-Find Out More
-Get Yours Now
When possible, also make it clear what clicking through will do (even when you think it’s obvious). Even if adding an item to their online shopping cart feels harmless to you, look for ways to enhance what they will experience on your site.
One great example would be a blurb that says something like “Want to review your order before buying?” Bottom line? Look for ways to boost customers’ confidence.
Provide All Essential Product Details
You never know what detail matters most to a particular customer! Plus, providing detailed product listings can help reduce refunds. Beyond the obvious detail of price, some things to consider are delivery times, keeping on top of whether an item is out-of-stock, precise dimensions, and exactly what features are included.
Don’t forget the visual side of things! When applicable, provide pictures of products from every angle and incorporate videos of the product in use if you can.
8. Make Checkout Frictionless
Think of your checkout process like a slip-’n’-slide. You want to remove everything that might be a “speed bump” to make completing the sale as smooth as possible for shoppers. One snag could be all it takes to snap browsers out of the buying process.
For example, consider pre-filling customer info for those who have bought from you before. As for those who are new, try to keep the amount of info they need to fill in to a minimum.
9. Offer Free Shipping
Who doesn’t like free shipping, right? According to WordStream and data from Walker Sands, 79% of US consumers say free shipping would make them more likely to buy online. Even if the price works out to be the same between two orders, the fact that “Free Shipping” is available will likely make all the difference.
10. Have A Clear Refund Policy
A moment ago, we discussed providing all the essential details. This one is worth repeating.
Not only do you want to eliminate any surprises for customers who might not be able to return items under certain conditions (which could lead to bad reviews or chargebacks); however, laying out your refund policy can help instill confidence when purchasing.
Conversions Recap
This info should give you plenty of firepower when it comes to driving more sales!
At the end of the day, growing your site is a game of inches. One small change can have a dramatic, lasting impact on your bottom line. Eventually, with these tips implemented, you’ll find what works best and resonates with your target audience. Then, your biggest problem becomes keeping up with demand!