Do you want to maximise your profits without breaking the bank on ads? Then it’s time to boost your conversion rate and start seeing more of a return on your investment!
Don’t beat yourself up about your site’s conversion rate because the truth is that most e-commerce sites out there could benefit from conversion rate optimization.
Why? The average conversion rate on a Shopify store is only 1.4%!
To put this into perspective, if you had 1000 website visitors, only 14 would make a purchase.
Think it’s now time to improve your conversion rate? Don’t worry; we’ve got your back.
We’ll go through 5 of the most common conversion rate blunders and teach you how to get it right.
Apply these changes to your web page and you’ll see the money pour in!
Conversion Killer #1 – Slow Loading Time Without Mobile Optimization
If your e-commerce site is a snail on steroids, you’ll find site visitors leaving as quickly as they came – and that means fewer conversions for your e-commerce site.
In fact, 53% of people leave a mobile website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load!
Search engines also take into account website speed, so a slow website harms your search engine results page and SEO efforts.
If your website isn’t optimised for mobile devices, visitors will find it difficult to navigate your website and will be in no hurry to purchase.
And if you’re one of those who think ‘hardly anybody actually shops online,’ think again.
A recent study showed that mobile phones were used for 56% of all online sales in 2022!
With this number continuing to rise year by year, not having a mobile-optimized website can result in a significant loss of conversions.
Here are some quick wins you can do today to improve website speed and mobile optimization:
- Optimize images: Reduce image file sizes to decrease loading times.
- Minimize code: Remove unnecessary code and scripts to speed up the website.
- Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): Distribute the website’s content across multiple servers, making it faster for visitors to access.
- Use a caching plugin: Speed up page loading times by reducing the number of times a visitor’s browser needs to request information from the server.
- Use a mobile-responsive design: Automatically adjust the website’s layout and content to fit the visitor’s device.
- Test website speed and mobile optimization: Use tools such as Google’s PageSpeed Insights and mobile-friendly tests to identify any issues and improve them.
- Consider using Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP): Utilise an open-source initiative that helps your web page to load faster on mobile devices.
Conversion rate optimization means providing visitors with a fast and seamless website experience that gives them something to smile about, resulting in higher conversions!
Conversion Killer #2 – Visitors Don’t Trust Your Website Because There’s No Social Proof
Humans are like sheep; we are attracted to what others are ‘flocking’ towards, especially when putting money on the line.
So, if there’s no sign of others having a positive experience with your product/service, then people are instantly dissuaded from purchasing.
E-commerce sites that want to boost their sales can tap into the power of social proof to show visitors there is practically no risk in making a purchase.
Otherwise, visitors may have a hard time trusting the website and the product or service it offers.
We ask ourselves, “What’s wrong with it? Is it too expensive? Is the quality bad?”, all which lead to low conversion rates.
On the other hand, with social proof, you can turn strangers into customers as 88% of consumers trust reviews just much as personal recommendations.
And if you have business customers, don’t leave them out. According to Voices.com showing the logos of these businesses can increase your conversions by up to 400%!
Besides this, there are several effective ways to add social proof to an e-commerce website:
- Customer testimonials: Give visitors numerous first-hand accounts of the product or service you offer on your website.
- Trust badges: Include accepted payment logos, seals and a guaranteed secure checkout SSL to help visitors feel more secure in their purchase.
- Number of sales: Showing the number of units sold shows that many people have found value in your product or service.
- User-generated content: Encourage customers to post photos of themselves using your products on social media and re-post the best ones on your website.
- Media mentions: If you’ve been featured in any publications or news websites, include those logos on your website and provide a link to the articles.
Do this and before long, you can tap into the power of herd mentality and see your conversion rate skyrocket.
Conversion Rate Killer #3 – Underperforming Checkout UX (User Experience)
You’re asking people to put down their hard-earned money for your product/service.
So, when encountered with a landing page that’s confusing, slow to load and has clunky navigation – it certainly doesn’t inspire people to invest in your offer.
Even the most patient and understanding customers can quickly become infuriated when they encounter a bad user experience on a website.
Companies must ensure that even mundane tasks like filling out online forms are straightforward for customers.
Otherwise, get used to your low conversion rate because it won’t budge anytime soon.
Particularly the checkout process should be as smooth and painless as possible.
Many websites use a complicated checkout process that isn’t intuitive and ultimately thwarts the store’s conversion rate.
Don’t believe us? A study found that 74% of people will switch to a competitor brand if they find the checkout process too lengthy and difficult.
A seamless checkout process is essential!
Shopping at your store will get a whole lot easier when you take these conversion optimization steps:
- Simplify the navigation: Make it easy for visitors to find what they are looking for by using clear and intuitive labels for categories and products.
- Streamline the checkout process: Simplify the process for paying customers by minimising the number of steps required to complete a purchase.
- Clearly communicate the pricing: Display the final price and any additional costs (such as shipping and handling) before the visitor completes their purchase.
- Optimise the cart: Allow visitors to easily update the quantity or remove items from their cart before completing their purchase to increase conversions.
- Make it easy to access customer service: Provide easy-to-find contact information, such as a phone number or email address, in case visitors have questions or concerns.
- Clarify the return policy: Clearly display the return policy so visitors can find it in case they want to return the product.
- Offer guest checkout: Allow visitors to purchase without needing to create an account to avoid the friction of account creation.
In a nutshell, a guaranteed path to conversion rates optimization is to improve the user experience on your website.
Conversion Rate Killer #4 – Complex Messaging That Confuses Your Visitors
Unclear messaging can make it difficult for visitors to understand what your website or product does.
The result? Confusion and a lack of interest (we all know what happens after that).
The biggest tell-tale sign of lousy website copy is getting bogged down in the features of your product/service on the landing page.
After all, what good are all the best features of your product, if nobody reaps any benefits from them?
For example, you’re selling a laptop and exclusively list its technical specifications in the product description.
You detail its RAM, storage and graphics card but you don’t explain how the laptop will improve the customer’s life.
Does its battery life last a full day of work?
Does it have a lightweight design that makes it portable? Is the high-resolution display suitable for graphic design work?
They have no idea because you were too busy talking about details that very few people care about.
Customers should be able to understand exactly how your product/service can solve their problems or enhance their life within a few seconds.
If your UVP or product description is unclear on the landing page, then you can expect 46% of traffic to leave your website, so get fixing it!
Complete this checklist on all of your web pages to ensure transparent messaging to your visitors:
- Use clear and concise language: Communicate your website’s message and the product’s unique value proposition quickly to site visitors.
- Focus on benefits: Highlight how the product will improve the customer’s life, not just the features of the product.
- Use persuasive product descriptions: Use storytelling to make the product more appealing and to relate to the visitor.
- Create a clear UVP: Explain what makes your product unique and how it solves the problem of your website visitors.
- Use clear call-to-actions: Use action-oriented language such as “Buy Now” “Add To Cart” or “Learn more”. Make the desired action clear to improve the conversion funnel.
- Use visuals: Images and videos help website visitors understand the product’s benefits.
Address these problems and check off these conversion rate optimization strategies and you’ll see an automatic boost in your conversion rate.
Conversion Rate Killer #5 – Not Tracking Your Website Performance
Without tracking results, it’s difficult to know what’s working and not, making it impossible to make informed decisions that will improve your website conversion rate.
It’s like going on a journey without a map or compass – sure, you might eventually stumble across something that works.
But chances are it will take a lot longer than if you knew exactly where to go in the first place!
So take out your map and start assessing every nook and cranny of all your web pages.
In particular, A/B testing is a highly effective way of increasing your conversion rates with Smart Insights positioning it as the no.1 conversion rate optimization method.
Not to mention, the vast improvement it can bring to your revenue.
A study found that successful A/B testing can increase each customer’s revenue by 50% for ecommerce sites!
So it’s important to set up a system for tracking results and making changes accordingly as part of your conversion rate optimization process. This includes:
- Set up web analytics tools: Use conversion rate optimization tools such as Google Analytics to track website traffic and Lucky Orange to monitor visitor behaviour on landing pages.
- Identify key performance indicators (KPIs): Assess the number of visitors, bounce rate, conversion rate and average order value.
- Regularly monitoring data: Regularly review the data from google analytics and other tools to identify patterns, trends and areas for improvement.
- A/B testing: Conduct split testing of website elements on your landing pages, such as headlines, images and layout to see which ones are performing.
- Implementing changes: Collect quantitative and qualitative data so you can make research-driven changes to the website based on the testing results.
- Re-testing: Continuously monitor your results after making changes to see if they have been successful.
So start tracking results and digging into the data, your website conversion rate will thank you for it!
Skyrocketing Your Conversion Rate Is A Piece Of Cake With Blue Square Media
Conversion rate optimization is CRUCIAL for your business’ success.
A low conversion rate is like a speed bump on the road to success – it slows you down and lets your competitors race ahead while you’re throwing money and customers down the drain.
Essentially, without a strong conversion rate, you’re on a direct route to joining the other 95% of Shopify stores that have closed shop.
Luckily, you can turn the tables with a conversion rate strategy that will maximise your return on investment and turn your website into a money magnet.
So, why take the long route when you can get expert help from Blue Square Media and skyrocket your conversion rate?
References
https://www.littledata.io/average/ecommerce-conversion-rate-(all-devices)/Shopify
https://luckyduck.co/blog/checkout-ux-design/
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-proof-examples
https://www.hobo-web.co.uk/your-website-design-should-load-in-4-seconds/
