The following is a guest post from Kate Webster. Kate Webster writes for lead generation resource, ResourceNation.com. She focuses on a variety of topics including ecommerce web design.
3 Tips to Improve Ecommerce Website Conversions
When a customer stumbles upon your ecommerce website in the shopping mall of the internet, your main objective is to convert the customer from a visitor into a buyer. According to the National Retail Federation, the average conversion rate in 2011 was only 2-3%.
As the owner of an online business, it is important for you to not only attract people to your website, but to get them to buy. Lowering prices and offering deals are reliable methods of raising your website conversion, but there are a few subtle web design tactics you can use to convince your customer to buy.
SEO Strategy
Using search engine optimization as one of these tactics will make your ecommerce site more likely to be picked up by your online shoppers. While developing SEO starts in the first stages of building your site, you can make these changes on an existing website, as well.
- Including keywords and internal links throughout your site will improve your chances of being the first link on a Google search. Be sure to choose the keywords your website is hoping to rank for.
- Your site’s loading speed also factors into Google’s sorting algorithms. Make sure there are no lose ends that are slowing down your site.
- Be sure that your site uses a clear layout, with a sitemap and clearly defined pages, so that search engines can effectively screen your site.
Check-Out Design
Making an easy-to-use checkout page is essential for getting customers to buy your product. If they finally choose an item to purchase and then are confronted with a difficult or stressful checkout process, they are less likely to follow through– this is the definition of shopping cart abandonment. Here are some ideas about how to improve the design.
- Keep it clean. Don’t clutter the page with unnecessary links or bodies of text that could be distracting to the buyer. You might even consider removing the site heading and all other sales features to focus the customer on their payment information.
- Don’t have too many information fields. People hate filling out too many little boxes of information in a checkout. Have a box to click if the shipping address is the same as the billing address, or eliminate it completely if the content is digital. Offering PayPal creates a faster option for your customers.
- Show them where they are. Include a process indicator of 3 to 4 steps so that the customer knows how much more information they will be asked for.
- Make your customer comfortable by displaying SSL security badges.
Add Testimonials and Endorsements
According to Nielson Company survey, 57% of customers considered posted reviews before buying. Including previous customer reviews is a great way to increase your conversion rate.
- Include customer ratings and satisfied reviews and place them close to the checkout button. Online shoppers usually trust fellow shopper’s opinions over the merchant for truthful reviews.
- Positive press or news features can also help to convince customers to buy
- Endorsements from reputable companies or celebrities are also effective in converting your site visitors to buy.
Because the average conversion rate is so small on ecommerce sites, not only is it important to draw customers to your site, but to keep them purchasing once they get there. By including these practices and features on your site, you can increase your conversion rate and get more business on your ecommerce site.
Have any tips that help boost ecommerce conversion rates? Leave in the comments section below!
