02 Jan How to Improve Your E-Commerce Website’s Conversion Rate

in Ecommerce

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If you have an e-commerce website, you started your business with a certain set of expectations – which, assuming you did your homework – included a target conversion rate. Now that a certain amount of time has passed and you’re not hitting that target, you may be wondering why. We’re also assuming you have good products that are competitively priced, and meet the needs of your target market. So why aren’t they buying – or, at least, buying from your website?

Unfortunately, poor conversion rates are an all-too common problem for e-commerce websites. Fortunately, you don’t have to waste any more valuable time wondering what’s preventing your site from achieving optimal sales! We’ll look at the numerous factors that result in low conversion rates – and, of course, provide pointers on how to correct course.

Major Factors Contributing to Low Conversion Rates

User Experience Issues:

Poor site design: Cluttered layout, outdated aesthetics, inconsistent branding and low-quality images.
Difficult navigation: Unclear menu structure, hard-to-find products.
Slow loading times: Website takes too long to load, frustrating users. Our blog post – “Why Your Website Needs to be Up-to-Speed” – covers this topic in detail.
Poor mobile optimization: Website not optimized for mobile devices, leading to a bad experience on smartphones.

Lack of Trust and Transparency:

Missing trust signals: No customer reviews, security badges, or testimonials.
Hidden costs: Unexpected fees appearing only at checkout.
Unclear return policy: Difficulty finding information about returns and exchanges.

Product Information Issues:

Insufficient product details: Lack of descriptions, specifications and high-quality images.
Inconsistent sizing and color options: Confusion regarding product variations.

Checkout Process Issues:

Complicated checkout steps: Too many forms to fill out, unnecessary fields.
Unreliable payment options: Limited payment methods, lack of secure gateways.
High shipping costs: Unexpectedly high shipping fees deterring customers.

Marketing and Targeting Issues:

Irrelevant ad campaigns: Ads not targeting the right audience with appropriate interests
Poor call-to-action (CTA): Unclear or weak prompts to purchase.
Lack of personalization: Not tailoring content and offers to individual customer needs.

How to Improve Conversion Rates

Addressing all of the issues listed above will be a major step in the right direction! The following is a basic guideline.

Optimize website design: Ensure a clean, user-friendly layout with intuitive navigation.
Enhance product pages: Provide detailed descriptions, high-quality images and customer reviews.
Streamline checkout process: Minimize steps, offer guest checkout and clearly display shipping costs.
Build trust signals: Display security badges, customer testimonials and social proof
Optimize for mobile: Ensure website functions flawlessly on all devices.
Implement effective marketing strategies: Target relevant audiences with personalized messaging and compelling offers.
Continuously test and analyze: Track key metrics, run A/B tests to identify areas for improvement.

A Deeper Dive Into Improving Your E-commerce Site’s Conversion Rates

Admittedly, this is easier said than done. LinkedIn provides practical advice on making improvements to areas of your e-commerce website that may be lacking.

To remedy slow loading times:

Optimize images: Large, high-resolution images can be a major drag on your page’s loading speed. Use tools to compress and resize images without sacrificing quality. This makes your pages load faster and keeps visitors happy.
Leverage browser caching: Browser caching helps store certain elements of your site on a visitor’s device so they don’t have to reload everything every time they visit. Set up proper caching to speed up repeat visits.
Minimize HTTP requests: Each element on your page – from images to scripts – requires an HTTP request. Reducing the number of requests by combining files and simplifying your design can help your pages load faster.

To remedy poor site navigation:

Use clear categories: Organize your products into logical, easy-to-understand categories. Ensure that your categories and subcategories are labeled clearly, so customers can browse effortlessly. This is critical for conversion rate optimization.
Implement a search function: Offering a powerful search tool on your site can help customers quickly find specific items they’re interested in. Make sure the search bar is visible and functions effectively, as this can prevent frustration and help drive conversion rate optimization.
Keep the navigation bar simple: Avoid overloading your navigation bar with too many links. Stick to the most essential categories and provide dropdown menus for any subcategories. Simple navigation can solve several e-commerce store issues and make the shopping process more enjoyable for customers.
Test for usability: Regularly test your navigation system to ensure it’s working well on both desktop and mobile devices. Smooth navigation on all platforms can eliminate possible causes of low conversion rates in e-commerce stores.

To remedy trust issues:

Display security badges: Prominently show security badges and certifications on your checkout pages. These symbols reassure customers that their payment information is protected, addressing one of the key e-commerce store issues.
Showcase customer reviews: Display authentic customer reviews and ratings on product pages. Positive reviews can build credibility and provide social proof, which is vital for improving e-commerce conversion rates.
Offer clear return policies: Make your return and refund policies easy to find and understand. A transparent return policy can reduce buyer hesitation by ensuring customers that they can return items if needed, which helps in conversion rate optimization.
Include contact information: Provide clear and accessible contact information, such as a phone number or live chat support. This availability can reassure customers that they can get help if they encounter issues, further addressing e-commerce store issues.

To remedy product information issues:

Focus on benefits: Highlight how the product will improve the customer’s life rather than just listing features. Customers want to know why the product matters to them, which is key to increasing e-commerce conversion rates.
Use high-quality images: Pair your descriptions with clear, professional product images that show the item from multiple angles. This helps customers visualize the product and builds confidence, aligning with strategies to improve conversion rates in e-commerce websites.
Include customer reviews: Adding authentic customer testimonials to your product pages can offer social proof and further convince visitors to complete their purchase. This can be one of the most effective strategies to improve conversion rates in e-commerce websites.
Keep it clear and concise: While being detailed, avoid overwhelming customers with too much information. Stick to the most important points that will help them make a quick decision.

To remedy checkout process issues:

Offer guest checkout options: Allowing customers to check out without creating an account can reduce friction and speed up the purchase process. Many shoppers prefer the convenience of a guest checkout, which can help increase conversion rates.
Minimize required fields: The fewer fields customers need to fill out, the better. Streamline your forms by only asking for essential information. This helps in reducing drop-offs (the dreaded “abandoned shopping cart”) during checkout and improving the user experience.
Enable autofill and save information: Implement autofill features for returning customers and allow them to save their payment and shipping information. This can make future purchases faster and more convenient, enhancing overall e-commerce store issues resolution.
Provide clear progress indicators: Show customers a clear, step-by-step progress indicator during checkout. This helps them understand how many steps are left and reassures them that they’re moving towards completing their purchase.
Optimize mobile checkout: Ensure your checkout process is as smooth on mobile devices as it is on desktops. A mobile-friendly checkout experience is crucial for reducing possible causes of low conversion rates in e-commerce stores and boosting sales.

The Take-Home Message and Our Blatant Self-Promotion

As you may have learned, an e-commerce website doesn’t operate on what we call the “Field of Dreams” principle – that is, if you build it, they will come. Taking the necessary steps to achieve a high conversion rate requires a great deal of knowledge about website development, website design best practices, and metrics to determine visitor engagement and conversion rates.

Although your business is e-business, designing and running your e-business website shouldn’t be a full-time job in itself! That’s what Virtual Stacks Systems is here for! Our web development team has extensive experience in designing e-commerce websites for businesses of all sizes, in a wide variety of industries. We also provide experienced website content writing to create the right brand voice and positioning for your business, concise product descriptions and actionable CTAs. We do what we’re best at, so you can focus on doing what you’re best at and enjoy success!

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ecommerce, Website’s Conversion Rate