Your conversion rate is a measure of the number of potential customers that actually go on to make a purchase from your website. Many websites concentrate solely on increasing the number of visitors to their site, when often they have fairly simple problems that, if solved, would have a huge effect on their conversion rate. Improving a website conversion rate can be relatively simple, here are 5 proven and easy to implement tips increase your conversion rate.
1. Promote Search Function Usability
The best practice for an eCommerce website is to offer an easy to use search function facility. Your potential customer has probably been to hundreds of eCommerce websites and has come to expect certain practices within the search function. For example, your shopper wants to be able to easily navigate around your site in a quick fashion. Since common practice is for the search bar to be placed at the top right hand side of a website, you will want to follow suit.
By not even having a search bar, TJ Maxx is making it very hard for potential customers to navigate their site!
If your site offers many products, the option to refine searches by category will effectively prevent shoppers from getting lost in a sea of options. Furthermore, refined search functionality helps customers engage more with the site and keeps them looking through your products longer which increases conversion rates.
2. Enhance Credibility by Including a Sales Phone Number
Purchasing online is a process that can include many steps and be confusing for some people. By providing a phone number, the potential customer is able to directly call to either place their order or to discuss any questions or comments that they may have about the product. Online purchasing is undoubtedly convenient , but phone or in-person sales are still ideal for establishing long lasting relationships!
3. Speed Up Your Site
Slow page load times are the number one reason for poor conversion rates. Common sense tells us that if a page is too slow to load, we go straight to the next result. Patience is not a virtue of Internet shoppers. Do whatever you can to make the pages pop up as quickly as possible, such as optimizing your images or switching to a different hosting server.
4. Follow the Shopping Cart Basics
The fact that a someone has added something to their shopping cart is a very good sign – it means that they want to buy from you. By asking them to log in before adding to the cart, you are killing your conversion rate. Many people dislike registering for countless sites and may abandon the cart altogether. Differentiate your site from the countless others that enforce this requirement and allow your customers to create an account after the sale is finalized. It has been found that 80% of potential customers are initially searching for the best price offer that they can find before they decide where to buy from. If you require your customers to log in before adding a product to the shopping cart, you might be left with only 20% of potential customers!
5. Always Show Total Costs!
If there is anything that shoppers hate, it is getting to the end of the checkout process to find a whole slew of extra hidden costs. To avoid producing unhappy shoppers, provide a shipping calculator with the final cost available to view before beginning the checkout process. This way, shoppers will know exactly what to expect and be more likely to have enjoyed the experience of your site as a whole.
You should be told before you enter your credit card details exactly how much shipping will cost you!
Considering the cluttered designs of many eCommerce sites, online shoppers appreciate transparent, stress-free, and easy transactions. Just like traditional salespeople in brick-and-mortar stores, your eCommerce site should function to reduce buyer anxiety and facilitate purchasing. Following these 5 tips will ensure that your site produces the highest possible conversion rates!
