Every click counts!
If you run an e-commerce store, every click needs to count. In the highly competitive world of e-commerce, getting the right number of clicks to achieve consistent sales and obtain revenue from adverts is a skilful business. Too many clicks and your viewers will have disappeared from your e-commerce store, never to return.
If you want to improve your conversion rates and increase your revenue here are some useful tips.
Too much choice can be confusing
Whilst you may think that providing your customers with a wide range of choices is helpful it can actually be confusing. It means that people will take longer to consider the choices available to them, which in effect increases the time it takes to make a sale.
Viewers may feel overwhelmed if the choices are too great so rather than being helpful it will result in them turning their backs on the website.
Structure your webpages so that viewers have a clear route through your site and limit the number of actions available on each page to one, whether this is signing up to a newsletter, or adding an item to a shopping basket.
Your website should provide easy to find product information, including reviews. Display the price as well as clear call to action.
Avoid using too much text and unnecessary banners which rather than promoting sales will actually make it harder for the viewer to make a transaction. In the world of e-commerce, less is definitely more!
Encourage customers to leave reviews
Having reviews on your e-commerce site will give reassurance to other customers both about specific products and your business. Incorporating a content management system such as a form or enabling feedback via Facebook, and Google+ will allow customers to provide feedback easily. Adding a small incentive such as 10% reduction from their next order or the chance to win a prize will also improve the feedback received.
If negative comments are received take them on board and use them as an opportunity to improve your product portfolio or customer service. Having negative feedback can actually strengthen the value of positive feedback as it will endorse it as being genuine.
Display stock numbers
If a potential customer sees that there is only limited stock left on an item they are considering purchasing it can give them the additional incentive they need to make a purchase. After all, nobody wants to miss out on their dream item.
If you are not sure about the effectiveness of this consider eBay. Indicating the number of times the item has been sold as well as the number of items remaining encourages customers to make the purchasing decision.
Promote customer loyalty
Everyone loves a freebie, so offering customers incentives to make repeat purchases can be very tempting and establishing a core customer base will provide stability for your business. Use data obtained from previous transactions and sign-ups for newsletters to analyses your customer profiles so that you can identify incentives your customers will appreciate. If you are in doubt, why not create a competition and allow customers to vote for the incentive they like best? Apart from identifying the most appropriate incentive this will also encourage customer engagement and improve your SEO.
Typical incentives include a discount on specific products or incentives for customers who make new referrals. Use your imagination and if you can create an on-line debate about the incentives customers would like, better still. Regardless of the incentive chosen by engaging customers, this will promote brand loyalty.
Contact us?
How do your customers contact you? Having a contact page which only has an email address will not inspire confidence in your viewers, especially if the email address is based on a Hotmail, Gmail or Yahoo account. Make sure you have a professional email address linked to your business, and a full contact page which includes an address and physical store locations, if there are any. Having a contact form looks professional but include your email address too so that customers have both options.
Avoid complicated navigation
Make sure that when someone lands on your website there are clear links guiding them to where they want to go. Poor or unnecessarily complicated navigation will frustrate potential customers and put them off before they reach the transaction stage. Check the functionality of the website to ensure that there are no broken links and check the number of clicks it takes to make a purchase or sign up to a newsletter. Is there a more direct route?
Navigation is typically indicated either at the top or left hand side of the website so make sure it is clearly visible and easy to find.
Monitor your viewer statistics continually, and particularly if you make any changes to the website as what you may consider a site improvement may actually alienate viewers.
Include a recommended products section
Whilst it may not be possible to include a personal shopper on your e-commerce site, including a recommended products selection is the next best thing. If the viewer is looking at a dress why not link it to matching accessories or if they are looking at a green shirt, why not display similar products in a viewing panel. Showing related products may encourage customers to make an additional purchase or at the very least stop them from going to your competitors.
Don’t skip on the images
Your e-commerce site acts as your shop window so display your products in the best possible light. Use high quality images or bespoke photographs to show your products off. Make sure that the image resolution is high, even on mobile sites where it is necessary to reduce resolution to improve performance, high quality images are still important.
If you are not sure where to start, review your e-commerce site from a customer’s perspective. What works well and what is a turn-off? Ensuring that the customer experience is enjoyable will help you to engage viewers and increase your conversions.