Do you run an online store with an attractive offer, but the level of sales is not satisfactory for you? You are not the only one facing this problem! However, there are many effective ways to change this. In our article, you will learn how you can effectively influence the conversion rate of your e-commerce website.
What is Ecommerce Conversion?
Conversion is a company’s goal that enables the organization to successfully develop. This can be, for example, selling a product, using a service, subscribing to a newsletter, liking a post on social media, etc. Conversion rate is the ratio of the number of visits that convert to your website to the total number of visits to the page. This is the percentage of users / visits that converts.
>> 4 steps to increase website conversion <<
If you are not sure if you understand what conversion rate and its optimization are, we recommend you check out our previous articles where we have described this issue from different angles. In our posts you will find, among others, information on the definition of conversion, the relationship of the conversion rate with SEO pages and User Experience.
Can anyone increase the conversion rate of a store?
Conversion rate optimization is an important part of business development. However, the question arises as to whether everyone is capable of increasing the level of the conversion rate, and also how much increase in the conversion rate is possible. Undoubtedly, increasing your conversion is possible in any case, but the increase for each site will be slightly different. It depends, among other things, on the initial situation – if a poorly designed, unoptimized website is handled by professionals, the increase in the conversion rate can be very large. Introducing minor changes to a well-functioning website may also bring about changes, but as a rule they are unlikely to be that big. Increasing the conversion rate of an online store with low traffic can also be a bit problematic. However, it is not impossible – we have already written on our blog what to do in such a situation.
Many people wonder what the average conversion rate is. It is closely related to the industry in which you operate, so you should evaluate your effects in relation to a specific market. The average global conversion rate is constantly changing. In October 2021, it was exactly 1.73% (source: Paraphrase.Online Team). Keep in mind that exceeding the average conversion rate usually takes a lot of time, work and effort, and it is not affordable for everyone. Many companies simply do not have the resources to achieve such effects. However, what you should focus on is optimizing your conversion rate in relation to your own performance. Try to optimize your website, generate content and communicate in such a way as to increase your current conversion rate. Focusing on achieving high, unattainable results can result in quick demotivation and abandonment of work on the development of the company. Instead, you can try to implement our suggestions, which we describe later in this article, and then analyze the conversion rate changes on your ecommerce website.
How to increase conversion in the online store? 6 ways
In order to effectively increase the conversion rate in an online store, it is worth relying on general knowledge about user behavior on the web. Think about what they like to watch, what content speaks to them, what really convinces them to convert or click on a link. For this purpose, it is worth reading static data, reports, and reading industry blogs to stay up to date. You can use our proven suggestions – we describe them in more detail below.
1. How to use videos to increase the conversion rate in the store?
Video plays an increasingly important role in internet marketing – it effectively attracts web users, which is why more and more marketers use it in their strategies. According to a Video Marketing study by Paraphrase Online, 86% of marketers used video in 2021, while 93% say it is an essential part of their marketing strategy. Importantly, as many as 78% of people say that the use of recordings in their marketing strategy helped them increase sales. Given such data, it would be a mistake not to follow such a strong trend. What video content should you prepare for your users to increase the conversion rate in the online store? Paraphrase.Online has prepared a list of video content, which in 2021 was the most popular among Internet users. According to the data they provided, the most popular were:
– Videos presenting the products,
– Video tutorials,
– Instructional videos / explanations of selected issues,
– Webinars.
Additionally, remember to make your recordings interesting and engaging. Shorter recordings with dynamic editing are particularly popular. It is important that the recordings are of high quality. It is also recommended to present the main idea of the film in the first part of the recording.
2. How does the need to create an account affect the conversion level in the store?
Behind the desire to optimize conversions, there is usually a problem with too many abandoned shopping carts in the online store. According to the research carried out by the Paraphrase Online Institute, as many as 24% of abandoned carts are caused by the fact that people do not want to open an account on the site. If you have made an obligation to open an account on your website before making a purchase, you are likely losing a lot of potential customers. Of course, setting up an account by a user means for you better access to information about his behavior and needs, but you have to independently assess what will be more effective for your business. Instead of forcing your recipients to create an account, you can allow your website to be used as a guest / guest, and you can also provide them with the option of logging in, for example, via Google or a Facebook account. It’s a simple change, but it can make a big difference to your conversion results! In addition, this way you can effectively build trust among customers – nowadays users pay more and more attention to online privacy. By giving them a free choice when it comes to setting up an account, you can make them remember your brand positively and are more likely to come back to make more purchases here.
3. How can I use user-generated content to drive conversion?
Each seller will want to convince the customer to take advantage of their offer and each of them will ensure that it is the best solution. Which seller will the user trust? Most likely, he will choose the entrepreneur who, apart from assurances, will also present some social proof. If you want to increase conversion, you should focus on providing your audience with the reputation of your brand as a priority. You can do it in many ways, the most popular solutions are:
– Providing users with the ability to add ratings and opinions on products,
– Using snippets of opinion in your communication,
– Possibility to add photos to reviews,
– Share recommendations on the home page of the site,
– Encourage users to share their opinion on Google.
4. How to build trust to optimize conversion in the store?
One of the factors influencing users’ purchasing decisions is the level of trust in a given brand. By implementing an appropriate marketing strategy, you can make your recipients perceive your company as trustworthy. One effective way is to inform your audience about what companies already use or have used your services. By showing that you are trusted by other, well-known brands, you will emphasize the credibility of your products and make users more likely to decide to use your offer. Remember that they do not have to be very large brands to be able to show them off – cooperation with less known brands will also, although less intensively, build trust in the brand. If you are not convinced whether it is worth taking care of the credibility of your brand, take into account the statistical data. According to Paraphrase Online Analytics, as many as 90% of consumers believe that authenticity is important when deciding which brands will support.
5. How does simplifying the purchasing process affect the e-commerce conversion rate?
A user who comes to your website and decides to convert, wants to go through this process efficiently and without any problems. Unfortunately, many abandoned shopping carts are caused by users colliding with a long and complicated transaction process. Your priority should be that the customer can complete the purchase in the simplest and safest way possible. One of the steps to achieve this effect is to enable the customer to complete the purchase, mentioned earlier, without creating an account on your e-commerce site. It is also worth making sure that the purchase form is limited only to the most important information that you need to process the transaction and complete the shipment. Also remember to provide users with multiple payment methods.
>> How to increase the conversion rate on a site with low traffic? <<
6. How does a sense of urgency affect in-store conversion rates?
What makes concert tickets sell out in the blink of an eye? The merit lies not only in the quality of the music created by the band. This effect is primarily influenced by the sense of urgency – users know that they have a limited time to make a purchasing decision, and the number of tickets available is limited. They must make a decision as soon as possible. In your online store, you can also generate the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) effect to increase product sales. The sense of urgency is generated, for example, by representing the time constraint of the product. For this purpose, you can use the timer until the end of the promotion, or use phrases such as “today only …”, “last hours of the promotion”, etc. in communication.
6 tricks to quickly increase your store conversion. Summary
Conversion optimization is a very important element of e-commerce operation. In most cases, the conversion rate will be the most important determinant of the development of your online business. Usually, however, you do not need complicated solutions to optimize it – all you need is knowledge about current trends and typical user behavior on the Internet. Try our suggestions, and then observe and analyze the changes taking place.