Once you’ve established your online store, the next big question is: Are your visitors actually buying? Your e-commerce conversion rate will shed light on this, indicating the success of your site in getting visitors to purchase.
Understanding the conversion rate of your website is the first step – it paves the way for site optimisations and potential sales growth.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- The methodology to compute your e-commerce conversion rate
- Typical conversion rate benchmarks
- 16 strategies to enhance your conversion rate and drive sales
Whether you’re just launching your e-commerce journey or are a seasoned veteran in the field, our aim is that by the conclusion of this article, you’ll possess a robust plan to enhance your website, elevate user experience, and boost your sales metrics.
Understanding Your E=commerce Conversion Rate
Within the realm of websites, the term ‘conversions’ encompasses a myriad of actions. It could be an email subscription, a click from a social media promotion, or an ebook acquisition.
However, for the scope of this discussion, we’ll zero in on what’s arguably the pivotal conversion for e-commerce platforms: an actual purchase.
If you’re utilizing analytics tools for your site, that’s your go-to for retrieving conversion rate data.
Identify the total site visitors and completed transactions over a designated time frame. Next, determine your e-commerce platform’s conversion rate using this equation:
(Total transactions / total site visitors) x 100
The result? A clear conversion rate in percentage form.
But the insights don’t end here.
By delving into the nuances of the data, you can assess conversion rates based on traffic sources, user devices, or customer demographics.
This granular approach provides a more comprehensive view of your site’s performance across varied user segments, empowering you to finetune your conversion strategies.
Reverting to the essentials: Once you’ve discerned your website’s overarching conversion rate, how can you gauge its effectiveness?
Typical Conversion Rates in E-commerce
General e-commerce conversion rates can differ based on geographical areas and the specific market sector.
In the UK, the typical conversion rate hovers around the 4% mark. This implies that out of every 100 site visitors, four proceed to make a purchase.
On a global scale, this average dips slightly to a range between 2.5% and 3%.
Differences in the conversion rate also emerge based on the nature of the product being sold.
Sectors like cosmetics, haircare, and food and beverages tend to experience higher conversion rates, while industries such as home decor and premium handbags face more challenges in this regard.
As you gear up to dive deep into CRO (conversion rate optimisation), it’s prudent to keep these industry standards in mind as reference points.
Strategies to Elevate Your E-commerce Conversion Rate
Are your conversion figures not meeting your expectations? To give your conversion rate a boost and drive more sales, consider these 16 actionable tips.
1. Prioritise Intuitive E-commerce Site Design
The design of an e-commerce site is integral to its conversion success.
What should you aim for? A streamlined website design featuring:
- Ample white space
- An intuitive F-layout
- Compelling, impactful visuals
- Unambiguous CTAs (Call to Actions)
It’s crucial to provide users with choices for navigation, yet ensure they don’t feel swamped with too many options.
The significance of consistent website branding can’t be understated. Ensure uniformity in your website’s aesthetics to match other customer interaction platforms.
Achieve this balance, and irrespective of your brand’s tone, visitors will perceive you as trustworthy and credible – the sort of business they’d want to patronise.
Assessing the effectiveness of your e-commerce site design? Enhance your brand’s digital representation and conversion prowess by reaching out to the We Are Jungle Web Design experts today.
2. Emphasise Premium Imagery and Video Content
Top-tier e-commerce platforms consistently feature expertly crafted photos and video content.
Depict your items from diverse perspectives. Highlight intricate details with close-up shots. Incorporate videos demonstrating your product in action. If variations in design or colour of your product exist, ensure every variant is visually represented.
Since online buyers lack the tactile experience of in-store shopping, your visual content must emulate the physical shopping experience as closely as feasible.
3. Prioritise User-Friendly Site Navigation
Effective e-commerce sites champion ease of navigation. They adeptly steer visitors deeper into the conversion journey. A visitor should instinctively discern how to:
- Browse items
- Refine product listings
- Log into their profile
- Delve deeper into product details
- Bookmark a product
- Recommend a product to someone
- Place a product in their basket
- Inspect their basket
- Proceed to payment
If users can seamlessly navigate your platform, they’re more inclined to stay and finalise a purchase. However, achieving this seamless navigation hinges on adept e-commerce website crafting.
With a streamlined site design, CTAs become more pronounced. The dimensions, positioning, wording, hue, and typography of your action buttons can be orchestrated to captivate user attention, guide their next steps, and prompt decisive actions.
4. Differentiate Your E-commerce Site Through Design and Content
Shoppers typically favour a consistent online purchasing journey. They anticipate standard procedures for searching, filtering, picking products, and completing transactions.
However, it doesn’t imply your e-commerce site should blend in with the masses.
With a tailored, custom web design—diverging from generic templates—you can offer visitors a captivating and unforgettable browsing experience. Such individuality can amplify your conversions amidst the bustling digital marketplace.
The content you curate plays a pivotal role. Every content piece, be it landing pages, menus, blogs, or even checkout directives, should resonate with your brand’s identity.
Personalised product descriptions further augment this identity. Furnish all essential details that potential buyers might seek, but ensure it aligns with your brand’s narrative and style.
By doing so, you authentically engage your intended demographic, fostering a rapport that catalyses conversions.
5. Implement a Robust Product Filtering System
What’s crucial for optimising e-commerce conversion rates?
Customers may abandon your online store if they struggle to locate desired products. Introducing efficient filter and sort mechanisms can mitigate such occurrences.
Standard filters encompass:
- Cost
- Hue
- Dimension
- Fabric
- Design
- Manufacturer
- Principal attributes
Nevertheless, these filters can be tailored to suit various items within your collection. It’s also wise to analyse customer queries and common questions.
As an illustration, if a recurring search revolves around V-neck sweaters, integrating a filter for different neckline designs becomes a pragmatic choice.
6. Guarantee Seamless Functionality Across All Devices
With an increasing shift towards mobile commerce, a significant number of users now shop using their smartphones. Yet, the online shopping experience often involves interchanging between desktop and mobile platforms.
Studies like the one from Techjury indicate that 46% of adults scout products on their mobiles but eventually switch to their desktops to finalize purchases.
This diverse usage underscores the necessity for your website to be speedy, visually appealing, and deliver a top-notch user experience on every device.
7. Tailor a Personalised User Experience
As per insights from McKinsey, a striking 76% of shoppers show a preference towards brands that offer a bespoke experience.
Therefore, crafting individualised user journeys on your e-commerce site can significantly elevate your conversion metrics.
A straightforward approach to personalisation involves segmenting your audience based on their interaction history:
- First-time visitors
- Recurring visitors
- Repeat customers
- Dedicated patrons
By understanding these segments, you can refine their browsing experience, serving customised product suggestions, promotions, and messages.
Master this approach, and you can further enrich the experience by grouping users based on parameters like geography, device usage, referral channels, and more.
8. Prioritize Quick Site Load Times
In a study from 2006, Amazon discovered that an increase of 100ms in page loading time led to a 1% decline in sales. At that time, this slight delay translated to a massive $107 million drop in revenue.
Setting aside the scale of Amazon’s finances, this study underscores a crucial observation.
Online shoppers have little patience for sluggish websites. If a site is laggy or unresponsive, potential customers may abandon it in favor of a faster, more user-friendly competitor’s site.
To retain visitors, it’s vital that every page on your website loads swiftly across all platforms. Proper e-commerce web development is a key factor in ensuring brisk load times.
9. Embrace the Power of Reviews
Did you know that 95% of online shoppers consult reviews prior to making a purchase? Furthermore, a compelling 58% are willing to pay a premium for products from brands with positive reviews.
If you’re not yet a household name, leveraging the trust of your satisfied customers can give potential buyers the confidence they need. This is where social proof comes into play.
Featuring a Trustpilot or Google star rating prominently on your site provides immediate assurance of your brand’s reliability. Additionally, integrating product reviews and average star ratings from past patrons can significantly elevate your conversion rates. After all, a positive endorsement can be a game-changer for potential buyers.
10. Simplify Your Checkout for Better Conversions
In the fast-paced digital age, patience is a rare commodity. An intricate checkout process with excessive steps or multiple pages can deter customers from finalizing their purchase.
To enhance your checkout experience and boost conversions, consider the following:
- Minimize form fields: Only request essential information to expedite the process.
- Consolidate the process: Whenever feasible, integrate multiple steps into a single webpage.
- Offer guest checkout: Give customers the choice to buy without setting up an account or providing exhaustive details. Sometimes, simplicity and speed are the keys to sealing the deal.
By streamlining the checkout experience, you can make the buying process more user-friendly, encouraging more customers to take the final step and complete their purchase.
11. Cater to Varied Shipping Preferences
In the world of e-commerce, Amazon often sets the expectations. With their prompt delivery options, consumers now anticipate similar service from other retailers. While some customers are willing to pay a premium for faster delivery, others may prioritize saving money over speed. Therefore, it’s essential to provide diverse delivery choices to cater to individual preferences and enhance the shopping experience.
12. Prioritize Offering Free Shipping
Unexpected costs during the checkout process can be a deterrent for many shoppers. One solution to this challenge is to offer free shipping. Even if this means adjusting product prices slightly, free shipping has become an influential conversion factor. A whopping 75% of consumers have come to expect this perk. By integrating the cost of shipping into your pricing structure, you can minimize checkout friction and create a more seamless purchasing journey for your customers.
13. Emphasize Checkout Security
In an era where online scams are prevalent, consumers seek assurance when sharing personal details. Boost your site’s credibility and customer trust by:
- Displaying trusted payment icons like credit cards.
- Featuring trust marks from recognized internet security brands such as Norton or McAfee.
- Ensuring site-wide SSL installation.
- Integrating a consistent design on your payment page.
14. Address Abandoned Carts Proactively
With the right tools, you can engage users who leave their carts, enticing them back with reminders, relevant product suggestions, or even special discounts.
By showcasing product availability or current page viewership, you can prompt quicker purchase decisions from potential customers.
16. Harness Data to Enhance Conversions
Optimise conversion rates by understanding customer interactions. Analyse where users typically drop off, use heat maps for click patterns, and consider A/B testing to refine your approach. Encourage feedback from acquaintances to pinpoint potential issues, and employ research to mitigate points of friction.
Maximise E-commerce Conversions with Expert Web Design
Combining excellent e-commerce website development and design ensures you hit all the marks for a high conversion rate.
- Brand-aligned design
- High-quality functionality
- Intuitive navigation
- Distinct CTAs
- Visible social proof
- Efficient, trustworthy checkout
- Increased sales
Seeing subpar sales from your e-commerce site? Consider reaching out to the We Are Jungle Web Design team.
Let’s discuss your business aspirations over coffee, aiming to elevate your site and business performance.
