12 Proven eCommerce Optimization Tips To Success
With the increasing number of people heading towards the internet to buy stuff, the number of problems related to online selling is also on a rise, such as shopping cart abandonment which increased as much as 72% which imposes a real threat to your business. The rise of eCommerce has compelled all eCommerce sellers towards making their sites the best. The question you might ask yourself now is that amongst this fierce competition, what are the best ecommerce optimization tips that can make you stand out and increase your conversions?
In this article, we will discuss 12 different steps that people take while buying via an eCommerce website and will pinpoint the areas of your website that you can focus on to improve your conversion rate.
We have mentioned some proven ecommerce optimization tips that will definitely do the job.
The Home Page
AVOID COMPLICATED HOMEPAGES
If your landing page looks like this, then be informed that it is a complete turn-off.
The page looks way too complicated and contains too many pictures, colors and lacks uniformity. Such pages stimulate anxiety in visitors which is exactly what you should avoid.
What you should do is create a page that is neat and doesn’t have too much stuff and wacky colors.
A good example of how a home page should look like is Apple’s homepage.
The page looks neat and tidy and contains exactly the information that the visitors needs to know. The home page shows no offers and deals but instead shows the best available Apple products while also allowing the visitors to browse for other things.
LET PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE
Imagine you yourself stumbling upon a page of an online clothes seller who you have never heard of, the first thing you might think is the kind of clothes this particular seller sells. Now, you wouldn’t know until they tell you, right?
Below is an example of such a page:
The page tells you nothing about who the seller is, why you should consider buying from them online? A complete turn off.
This is exactly why it is so important for you to describe how is your eCommerce business unique on your main page. There are several ways to do this including using a byline, a brief sentence that appears under your logo which describes exactly what your eCommerce business does and how are you better than your competitors.
These ecommerce optimization tips are among those that are often being neglected by many people, as many are unaware of their significance.
MAKE SALES AND SPECIALS STAND OUT
One of the primary motives of people who are shopping online is to get the best deals and they love to get the best possible deal.
One of the best ideas is to mention and display all your deals on a single page which people may visit and look at the deals that you are offering. These deals can include the end of season sale, special discounts on particular products or other different products on sale.
One of the group studies identified that half of all the buyers online are only interested in buying the product that was being offered on a discount, while 62% of them were only looking for a section that was dedicated for sales and special offers.
Below is an example of JCPenny doing exactly what we have just mentioned.
The Product Page
GOOD PICTURES CAN MAKE OR BREAK SALES
Before people buy from you, they first exactly need to see what they are buying from you and thus you need to provide in pictures everything they need to see.
Following is the example from Tobi.com:
The picture displays all the information a buyer would want to know before purchasing i.e. we can see how the dress looks from the front, side and the back. The picture clearly shows how the dress looks like and its length.
Following is a bad example:
There is no information available about the bag whatsoever, we are only able to see the front side of the bag and cannot determine the available space inside the bag or if the bag has a magnet or a zipper.
An ideal photo must show all sides including the inside of the bag. The buyer should be able to see all the features of a product like an image in a brick and mortar store would show.
GET AHEAD OF THE GAME WITH PRODUCT VIDEOS
The future of online marketing are the video descriptions of your products.
Below is an example of a job well done by Home Depot as they have provided detailed videos which provide a comprehensive description of their products.
CONTENT COUNTS
Product descriptions are not merely lists about your product or what your product is.
A bad marketing strategy usually involves boring your customers into buying something. While a good marketing strategy involves finding the features of your product and turning them into benefits and telling your customers how your product is essential towards improving their lives.
Below is a good example of how it is done:
Apparently, this soap will not only clean your hands but will also improve the spirit of your holiday!
Did you realize what they did there?
What has been written by you has a bearing in the Call to Action button. This can be understood from the fact that when Dewalt was testing different call to action button text to find out that which word will bring the best conversion rate and when one such button was changed from ‘Shop Now’ to ‘Buy Now’ it, the outcome was a 17% increase in clicks.
Small changes can make big differences.
RESPOND TO PEOPLE’S DOUBTS AND FEARS
Responding to your customers about queries such as returns, shipping costs and other questions that are related to your product is essential. You can also add a tab to the description of your product which provides details to the return policies and shipping.
To provide information related to clothing, you can display a size chart so the customer exactly knows what size will fit them.
Having a Live Chat System or adding FAQ will definitely prove to be beneficial in increasing the conversion rates. Roller Skate Nation was able to increase conversion rates by 69% just by adding answers to FAQ !
Below is an example of a good product page:
Extensive information has been provided by them related to shipping returns and they are also offering further advice that the client may need. Things like these are bound to increase conversion rates and that’s why it is considered the most versatile tip among the other ecommerce optimization tips.
The Cart and Checkout
BE THE BEST PRICE (AND FLAUNT IT!)
Don’t be afraid of telling your customer if your product has a better price for quality as compared to your competitor. People usually compare-shop and are likely to abandon a cart that shows a more expensive product. To avoid abandonment, show exactly how much your customers are saving.
ALLOW CUSTOMERS TO SEE WHAT’S IN THE CART WHILE THEY BROWSE
It is normal that people add things to their cart and continue shopping.
What follows next is that they no longer remember what is in the cart and the total amount that they are spending.
What is important to do is keeping the customer aware about what he or she is doing by showing him or her what is going on inside the cart at all times, especially the number of items in the cart and a subtotal of how much he is spending.
SEND FOLLOW-UP EMAILS TO SHOPPING CART ABANDONERS
One of the most impactful ecommerce optimization tips includes the reduction of the impact created by abandoners, which is to make them enter email address as they are putting things in the cart. What this does is that even if they abandon the cart afterwards they will still receive a follow up email and later you can track the results.
KISS – KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID
The main reasons that people abandon carts are extensive forms that have to be filled, forced registrations and narrow payment options.
What you need to do is make your checkout process simple and not to force your customers to go through complicated stuff in order to finish their purchase.
Above is an example where a customer is asked to input his zip code first. What this does is that when as soon as the zip code is inserted all other information is automatically filled and this makes it very easy for the user.
If you charge for shipping, then we regret to inform you that you are part of the loosing half as more than half of the eCommerce sellers offer free shipping.
Reason?
The reason is that in this study it was found out that the most critical element for 73% of the online shoppers was free shipping. Another study outlined that a customer will purchase more when the shipping is free.
One great way to ship for free is to introduce a minimum amount that has to be spent by a customer in order to receive free shipping.
How this works can be understood by 2BIGFeet’s example where they experienced a 50% increase in conversion rate by offering free shipping on orders of more than $100.
Therefore, free delivery of products ranks among the most crucial ecommerce optimization tips.
Free shipping appeals buyers and leads to an ultimate and satisfying shopping experience for buyers which a business needs if it wants to achieve true success.
Summary
To conclude, these small ecommerce optimization tips can bring along big differences. You need to make your customers feel comfortable when they visit your page. This can be done by convincing them that you and the products that you offer are unique in some way or the other. You make your products appear unique by showing videos and pictures and also by creating a copy that eliminate and answer any question a customer may have. Ensuring that the checkout experience is comfortable and hassle free so that the customer does not abandon their cart holds immense importance. Keeping these things in mind ensures an increase in conversion rate and helps your ecommerce business reach its full potential.
