20 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ECOMMERCE CONVERSION RATE OPTIMISATION
Every business needs to maintain a solid online presence in this modern era. Marketing teams work hard to ensure that traffic is redirected to their website. After all, websites with more traffic are likely to increase sales. This is how the world works, especially the eCommerce marketing world.
When you want to gain more traffic to your website, it is essential to focus on conversion rate optimisation (CRO) strategies. By definition, conversion rate optimisation is a simple, streamlined process that allows people to execute a particular action when they land on your website.
This will increase the chances of a visitor becoming a customer or a lead. With this being said, here are the top 20 conversion rate optimisation strategies for you.
#1 Simplify the UX
The landing page plays a vital role in conversion rates. Every marketer values the landing page. This is because the landing page is what converts visitors into potential customers. And, when an existing customer visits the website, they will be drawn deeper into your brand.
This is why developers are encouraged to run frequent tests on the landing pages. You must ensure that the landing page promises high performance and is simple. Also, you must see if all the options are flawless and easy to reach. The images, content, website questions, and design should be appropriate.
#2 Special Offers
The talk about eCommerce conversion rate optimisation will be complete with special offers!. Everyone loves deals and special discounts. After all, there is a reason why seasonal sales are more famous than conventional shopping. This is because customers are always looking for something cheap and exciting. This is why special offers play an essential role in any business model.
When you decide to have an online sale, ensure that the content is as exciting as the sale. Use colours, videos, and images to highlight the sale. Once again, these are simple changes that can attract thousands of customers.
#3 Use Testimonies
Finally, make use of testimonies from your existing customers. The use of testimonies has many perks. First of all, it can help you establish trust with the visitor. Two, it will help in building loyalty. And, if you have testimonies from celebrities or Fortune 500 companies, you are in luck. This is what most people look for. A business with high-profile customers is likely to attract more.
#4 Product Discovery
Visitors will only scan through some of the products on your website. Instead, they will be keen on a specific product. This means you need a system that helps them find products quickly. The website’s navigation structure should be straightforward.
Also, don’t forget to include an interactive search functionality. If you have the right resources and budget, make the search functionality as intelligent as possible. For example, you can introduce options like sorting and filtering in the search box. These will make the job easier for your customers. As a result, they may stick to your business for a longer time.
#5 Arranging the Home Page
Once you build a site for mobile and desktop devices, you should be keen on how the homepage appears. Remember, your primary goal is to boost conversion rates. And this optimisation needs a perfect home page. The interface must be consistent and should keep the visitor engaged. At all times, your website should convince the visitor to read, explore, and make a buy. Simplify this experience for the visitor. This strategy plays a vital role in conversion rate optimisation.
#6 Make use of error 404 Page
Is your website down? Will it be difficult for your customers to execute an order? If yes, make use of the 404 page. Most of the time, customers are tech-savvy. And they understand that websites cannot run all the time. Every site is bound to have downtime.
What differentiates one site from the other is the duration. When you decide to pull your page down or when a product is not available – try using the 404 technique.
#7 Add Instagram Feed
The link between Instagram and businesses has increased drastically in this modern era. Companies need to maintain a perfect Instagram feed. In fact, the social media networking website has improved with unique business pages. These pages will help list your products with descriptions and price tags.
Any business not into Instagram will benefit from many critical marketing strategies. And, without the assistance of Instagram feeds that are up and active – you will not be able to achieve optimal conversion rates.
#8 Quality Images & Page Contents
Next, ensure that all the pages on your website are loaded with high-quality content. Don’t restrict content to simple text or blogs. Instead, focus on the images and links too! Every link on your website should be tested.
And when you choose an image, ensure it is of high quality. The image should be paired with “Alt Texts”. These texts are essential for search engines to spot your website when users engage in image searches.
#9 Price, Delivery and Stock
When you run an eCommerce website, you must be very careful about the price, delivery, and stock. These three crucial pieces of information can keep a customer glued to your website. And these are three details that can send customers away from your site.
- When you quote a price, ensure that it is the most recent and accurate.
- Regarding delivery, be precise about when and where the shipment will reach. If possible, delight your customers with a tracking system.
- The stock displayed on your website should be up to date. Tag all products that are out of stock. And ask the customer if he/she would like a notification when the stock is available.
#10 Power of Product Reviews
The talk about conversion rate optimisation will be complete with product reviews. There is a marked difference between products that have reviews and ratings, from those that don’t. Let’s understand this with an example:
You ought to buy a camera, and there are two models. One has 500 reviews, and the other has none. Which one would you prefer? Ideally, the one with 500 reviews will be perfect.
#11 Curated Instagram
As mentioned previously, Instagram plays a vital role in the growth of any eCommerce website. Your Instagram feed should be planned wisely to stay ahead in the race. For example, be relevant to what you post on the site. Don’t mix your personal and business Instagram pages. You will be astonished that many businesses tend to make this mistake. Well, this can cost you oodles of new orders.
The process of curating Instagram for your business is an art. You need to use high-quality images. The content needs to be designed. And every post has to be planned. If you need to learn how to curate your feed like a true professional, check out the Instagram feed of your rivals. You are bound to get some ideas.
#12 Ask Less Customer Information at Checkout
Most customers hate filling out forms after or during a buy. Indeed, it is essential to ensure that the entire checkout process is smooth and quick. This way, the chances of you losing a customer is less. One of the best ways to keep a customer excited and attached to your website is with the help of a pre-filled customer checkout form.
Most eCommerce websites will expect customers to fill out forms when they sign up. Details from these forms can be used during the checkout phase.
#13 Send Emails for Abandoned Cart
Have you ever wondered if remarketing will be apt for your business? Most of the time, businesses must remember to engage in remarketing efforts.
What would you do when a customer decides to leave your website? How will you help the customer find his way back to your business? In such cases, remarketing will be extremely useful. One of the simplest ways to remind a customer of his/her buy would be through emails.
Try to send periodic emails to your customers. Tell them that something special is left in the cart. This way, they will be reminded and encouraged to re-visit. Remarketing helps customers understand how keen you are about their business.
#14 Use Thank You Emails Wisely
Once the business gets done, don’t forget your customers. Any online venture needs customers who are loyal and willing to return. For this, you need to help them with signs of gratitude. One might consider this as an old way of doing business.
Traditional or online – you need to make space for thank you emails and messages. The moment you send such emails, customers are likely to feel special. Even when the email lands in their spam or social category – it will reach their sight at some point. This is when the real magic happens.
#15 Use Free Shipping to your advantage
Customers often shun eCommerce websites when they have to pay for shipping. Paying for an item and delivery doesn’t sync with eCommerce. After all, a significant reason why customers prefer online shopping is convenience. Things get a little complicated when you attach a price tag to this factor. The best way to avoid such issues is by offering free shipping.
Of course, free shipping can be attached to a few “ifs” and “buts”. Yet, the overall service offered by your eCommerce website should favour free shipping. Customers can sense “any additional charge” attached to their orders.
#16 Refund Policies!
Another critical aspect that needs to be sorted would be a “Refund”. It won’t be a surprise if a customer wants to return a product. And, is your website return-friendly? Well, this is an important question you must raise. Your store needs to have customer-friendly return policies.
And all of these policies should be mentioned on the website. Make sure to give your potential customers surprises. This would be a big turndown. And customers who shun away from sites because of surprises will never return.
Ensure that your policies allow customers to make the best and most refunds. You should offer a 100% refund for all the returns.
#17 Tell A Story
When you want to build a successful and significant business, connecting with your customers better is crucial. This is where “stories” come into the picture. A lot of people mistake stories for testimonies. Well, these are two different zones.
Connecting with customers through stories is all about understanding their needs. When your eCommerce website meets its requirements, it will likely engage in business with you. And you need to share your purpose and values with them. Make the discussion engaging and authentic.
#18 Meaningful Contact Page
Moving on, customers may want to get in touch with your store anytime and for any reason. This is why you need a well-planned contact page. The contact page should be readily accessible. And it should have accurate details.
A recent survey revealed that most businesses have contact pages with incorrect or old data. This is a bad move for your business. You need to be transparent if you want customers to feel safe and secure with their orders. And your first level of transparency can be showcased through the contact page. Verify every piece of information on this site.
#19 Always have a Responsive Site
It won’t be an exaggeration if someone tells you that the world is more mobile than ever. More than 60% of people make purchases using their smart devices. And if your website is not mobile-friendly – it will harm your business.
Building a responsive site is not rocket science. Suppose your developer is skilled and truly experienced in eCommerce sites. In that case, he/she can pull together an mobile-friendly design. Once again, you should be aware that websites that don’t render correctly on mobile devices can annoy visitors.
#20 Be Conscious about Loading Times
So, how quickly is your page? Do you stick to a 2-second policy? There are numerous reasons why businesses want their websites to load quickly. This is because customers are always impatient. They don’t have the time or energy to wait for your page to load.
After all, they have so many other eCommerce websites to choose from. If you want to stay ahead in the race and attract new customers – you need to be fast. Always upgrade your technology, and use methods that would reduce loading time. This can change your business model by leaps and bounds.
Conclusion
On the whole, conversion rate optimisation for your eCommerce website is essential. But this is not rocket science. You can easily improvise your conversion rate optimisation strategies with a pinch of creativity, the right technologies, and expert advice.