How to improve your e-commerce conversion rate?

There is a lot of revenue to gain from e-commerce. This year, retail e-commerce sales are expected to exceed 6.3 trillion USD globally. If your conversion rate is strong, you can tap into these endless opportunities. Our guide will explain the nuts and bolts of how to improve your e-commerce conversion rate. Essentially, this key metric shows how well you turn visitors into customers. Every percentage point gained in conversion rate makes a difference. So, let’s see how you can improve yours.

What is an e-commerce conversion rate?

Simply put, your e-commerce conversion rate is the measure of how effectively your website turns visitors into customers. It is calculated by dividing the number of completed transactions by the total number of visitors. It provides a snapshot of your website’s performance and shows you how well your website convinces visitors to buy.

You could pour your efforts into driving traffic to your website but if they don’t purchase (sign up/subscribe), you’ve gained nothing. This figure is something you can track over time and so it shows you when you do something successful (or not). You can monitor this metric on platforms like Google Analytics. And when you do, you can gain insights into visitor behaviour and implement strategies for improvement.

How to improve your e-commerce conversion rate

To improve your e-commerce conversion rate, you first need to understand your audience: what are they looking for and what do they need? Once you have this knowledge, you can then act strategically to optimise your website accordingly.

Here are some strategies that might help:

Review User Journey

Put yourself in the position of a website visitor and look at their website journey. Scrutinise how they navigate through the various steps from when they land on your homepage to the point of completing a purchase. Look for any obstacles or friction points that may act as a deterrent, then adjust to streamline the process.

Here’s how you can approach this:

1. Use fresh eyes: Distance yourself from your role and imagine you are a customer visiting for the first time.
2. Test on a range of devices: Check that your website is consistent across all devices. Test the functionality on mobile, desktop and table. Don’t forget to try different operating systems like iOS and Android.
3. Observe user journey: Pay attention to the flow. Is it intuitive? Is it effortless? Is it frustrating? Look at your calls-to-action (CTAs) and your checkout process. Don’t forget to review the accessibility of key information too.
4. Identify pain points: Look at your menus, forms and pop-ups. Consider whether they impede the user journey and discourage conversions.

Optimise Page Speed

Every second counts when it comes to e-commerce. Websites that load slowly frustrate visitors and drive them away before they look properly. According to studies, a delay of just one second in loading results in 16% lower user satisfaction—and if a mobile site takes more than 3 seconds to load, over half of its customers will be lost.

Page speed is also important for search engine optimisation. Although we’re talking about conversion rates of visitors, you could be missing out on more visitors by having a poor loading speed. Having higher traffic will automatically drive conversion rates.

You can optimise website speed by:

• Compressing images
• Minimising server response time
• Use browser caching
• Reduce redirects
• Optimising it for mobile.
• Reducing load times

Limited-Time Sales

Creating a sense of urgency and generating buzz prompts visitors to buy now instead of later. This uses the scarcity principle. This is a psychological phenomenon when people perceive things as more valuable when they are in short supply. Clearance events, flash sales and seasonal promotions are all incentives that drive conversions because they capitalise on the fear of missing out (FOMO). When offers seem time-sensitive, they encourage customers to buy. This boosts conversion rates because essentially, it enhances the perceived value of your products and services in your customers’ eyes.

Use Quality Images

The visual appeal of your website matters. You should invest in high-quality images that showcase your products well. They should be clear, vibrant and engaging while also conveying professionalism. Be mindful that the imagery of your website shapes the perception of your brand too. Through quality photography, you can stand out from competitors to create an immersive experience—just don’t forget to compress them so your page speed isn’t affected.

Sell The Benefits

E-commerce is competitive. Listing the features of your products isn’t enough. Rather, you need to emphasise their benefits. The features don’t do enough to describe what your products do. The benefits, however, explain how the product fulfils a need or solves a problem.

Selling the benefits helps your e-commerce conversion rate because it:

1. Addresses customer needs and the reasons they’re on your website in the first place.
2. Appeals to their emotions—purchasing decisions are often driven by emotions over logic.
3. Differentiates you from the competition. Even if your product or service has similar features, you can show it has unique benefits.
4. Uses compelling language and persuasive messaging rather than being just ‘spec.’
5. Shows long-term value.

Improve Trust Signals

Trust is essential and using trust signals like customer reviews and testimonials instil confidence and credibility. Displaying these as well as ratings from independent parties like Trustpilot and Google provides positive proof that reassures potential customers and encourages conversions. When customers see positivity shared by others, they are more likely to trust your brand and make a purchase.

Trust signals also show you’re open as a brand and establish your credibility. Consumers naturally feel cautious about purchasing from a new brand but this helps to alleviate their concerns.

Key Takeaways:

Improving your e-commerce conversion rate isn’t only about boosting your sales. Rather, it’s about maximising the potential of each and every visitor that lands on your website. By using strategies to optimise your online store, you can drive conversions and build customer trust and loyalty. Every percentage point gained in your conversion rate means growth in revenue so it’s worth taking time to review your site thoroughly.