If you don't have much enjoyment on the conversion rate of your online store, then you need to give attention on how to improve the shopping cart. At most times, the conversion rate fluctuates every now and then. A drop or increase of the conversion sales means a lot to losing money or enjoying high return on investments.
Conversion rate includes web visitors that click on ads or make an order. Not all visitors landing on your store will make an action. Others will leave the page right after they see the landing page, while others leave the store when they cannot find the right product they need. Only a small portion of the traffic will be converted into actual purchases or clicks.
Here are some tips to improve your shopping cart and increase conversion sales:
1. Great Looking Themes. As cited above, most web users leave the website right after they land on the page. Why? For certain, the store theme is not too impressive and attention-grabbing. We are battling here with the split-second attention of web users. This is the first instance of marketing products. How can you start the sales marketing when you cannot get their eyes on it? The aesthetic of great looking themes locks the eyes of the web users on the website. You don't know if the visitor makes a purchase or not, but you are going to nail sales when you can get their attention.
2. Easy Checkout Process. Sophisticated navigation of checkout process hinders sales. Instead of buying the product, a potential customer leaves the checkout page due to inconvenience and more necessary details to fill in. The 4-steps conventional checkout process is still favored by online shoppers. The process includes a shopping cart, the billing details, the shipping info, and a payment page. Nowadays, more and more stores opt for the one-page checkout process. The marketing principle of the one-page checkout process is to close purchases while the emotion of the shopper is still at its peak. Allowing much time for the shopper to think on the purchase may defeat the conversion.
2. Easy Checkout Process. Sophisticated navigation of checkout process hinders sales. Instead of buying the product, a potential customer leaves the checkout page due to inconvenience and more necessary details to fill in. The 4-steps conventional checkout process is still favored by online shoppers. The process includes a shopping cart, the billing details, the shipping info, and a payment page. Nowadays, more and more stores opt for the one-page checkout process. The marketing principle of the one-page checkout process is to close purchases while the emotion of the shopper is still at its peak. Allowing much time for the shopper to think on the purchase may defeat the conversion.
3. Lots of Payments. In connection with easy checkout process, creating a hassle-free e-commerce business is shaping inconvenience in payment methods. Hassle in payment option results to customers discarding the checkout process, and your potential return on investment is gone to dust. Confining the online store on a single payment method results to disenfranchisement of online shoppers without the said payment option. If you want to cater for the biggest part of the market, you have to provide shoppers varied payment options such as credit card payment and online payment processors.
4. Lots of Shipping Options. Years back, customers perceived shipping as a benefit, but today's customers believe shipping is an obligation of online retailers. Of course, when customers have paid for the goods and services, the store must deliver the product to keep competitive advantage. Varied shipping options allow customers to explore the speed of transit, cost of the service, and availability of the service in a particular region. Customers may prefer a certain carrier than other companies, and you just need to provide for that preference.
5. 'Buy' Button. The 'Buy' button of the online store matters bigtime in increasing conversion sales. The most commonly used design is the 'Belcher Button'. According to Perry Belcher, the creator the button design, he tested the design element of the button in more than 10, 000 transactions, which increase the conversion from 35% to 320%. You have to try different elements of button design to come up with a powerful 'Buy' button for sales conversion.
6. Simple and Easy-to-Follow Navigation. No marketing guru will tell you to make it hard for your customers. Even among 'brick-and-mortar' stores, you must arrange the store accordingly for customers to easily locate their needs. In an online store, you must lead customers where they want to go. They must have ease in finding their way in the site architecture. Breadcrumbs are commonly used by online stores for customers to know their current location and where they must go.
7. Product Details and Image. Aside from the aesthetic of the online store, customers read product details and based their product judgment on the look of it. Good images build the credibility of the product and of your store. When people see (even an image) the product, they more likely purchase the product. 3-D images are highly-appreciated by most customers. Product description helps customers to know specifications on how the product can solve problems of customers. Well-written description convince customers of the product usefulness and worthiness.
8. Testimonials and Reviews. Even if the online merchant hypes up on the product, customers still have high trust on what others say about the product. Testimonials and reviews are free advertisement and promotion of products. In fact, some customers read reviews and testimonials than product descriptions. As long as the reviews are positive, you are surely making it right in increasing conversion sales of the particular product.
9. Price Marketing. Products priced for $99.95 will likely sell than products priced for $100. The psychological impact of 'charm prices' was studied by William Poundstone, which reported 24 percent increase in conversion. The pricing and shipping are interdependent elements of e-commerce. Most customers would pay premium for faster transit of goods, if the need is very high. There are several techniques you can explore to increase conversion through pricing.
10. Limited Time Offer. How can you engage customers waiting on the sideline? Offer them products with limited time offer. By pulling strings of psychological fear on running out of products, customers purchase products actively. Signaling urgency increase strength of the store in conversion. There are other limited offers including discount coupons that they can use within a specific period.
11. Third-Party Reinforcement. How you can you reassure customers that purchasing products is secure? Adding logos of third-party security and payment companies will add credibility and reputation to the online store. Verisign, Truste, MasterCard, American Express, and Better Business Bureau are some of the examples of the reinforcement that can add your store's conversion strength. For a note, be sure to have these services before adding logos. Honest marketing produces long-term results.
12. Be Contactable. Keeping open communication lines can help your online store to increase conversion through customer support. Make customers feel welcome and cared, for certain, you will reap conversions. Provide varied communication methods to cater for the needs of customers. Some others may just give you a call to ask details of products, or a customer may ask for live chat to clarify order details.
13. Recommendations. Netflix, eBay and Amazon are leaders in cross-selling of products. Using a systematic recommendation following the user's purchase or search history, online merchants can promote products that customers are likely to buy. There are shopping carts and e-commerce software that automatically sets up the recommendation cross-selling and up-selling feature of the online store.
14. Return Policy. One of the barriers to conversion on online stores is return policy. Returns remain an elusive and controversial issue when buying through online stores. Due to the fear of customers that they may not be able to return the product, even if they like a product, they are adamant to buy it. Online merchants should counter this behavior through distinct and clear return policies. Free return shipping is a good option to explore if you want to build trust with customers. In the same manner, you may allow phone communication in explaining the problem. Consumers want to discuss things more personal and direct. Lastly, with return policy, give a good time period for consumers to evaluate the products; 2 to 4 weeks will greatly serve the purpose.
15. Keep Things Simple. With the above-mentioned tips, you are possibly thinking it is hard to improve the shopping cart conversion. Forget it. Just keep everything simple and do not overwork these tips. In talking to customers, do not attempt to impress them with industry jargon. Consumers are not after long narration of industry knowledge. Be straightforward with your lines, buttons, and information. Don't beat on the bush.
8. Testimonials and Reviews. Even if the online merchant hypes up on the product, customers still have high trust on what others say about the product. Testimonials and reviews are free advertisement and promotion of products. In fact, some customers read reviews and testimonials than product descriptions. As long as the reviews are positive, you are surely making it right in increasing conversion sales of the particular product.
9. Price Marketing. Products priced for $99.95 will likely sell than products priced for $100. The psychological impact of 'charm prices' was studied by William Poundstone, which reported 24 percent increase in conversion. The pricing and shipping are interdependent elements of e-commerce. Most customers would pay premium for faster transit of goods, if the need is very high. There are several techniques you can explore to increase conversion through pricing.
10. Limited Time Offer. How can you engage customers waiting on the sideline? Offer them products with limited time offer. By pulling strings of psychological fear on running out of products, customers purchase products actively. Signaling urgency increase strength of the store in conversion. There are other limited offers including discount coupons that they can use within a specific period.
11. Third-Party Reinforcement. How you can you reassure customers that purchasing products is secure? Adding logos of third-party security and payment companies will add credibility and reputation to the online store. Verisign, Truste, MasterCard, American Express, and Better Business Bureau are some of the examples of the reinforcement that can add your store's conversion strength. For a note, be sure to have these services before adding logos. Honest marketing produces long-term results.
12. Be Contactable. Keeping open communication lines can help your online store to increase conversion through customer support. Make customers feel welcome and cared, for certain, you will reap conversions. Provide varied communication methods to cater for the needs of customers. Some others may just give you a call to ask details of products, or a customer may ask for live chat to clarify order details.
13. Recommendations. Netflix, eBay and Amazon are leaders in cross-selling of products. Using a systematic recommendation following the user's purchase or search history, online merchants can promote products that customers are likely to buy. There are shopping carts and e-commerce software that automatically sets up the recommendation cross-selling and up-selling feature of the online store.
14. Return Policy. One of the barriers to conversion on online stores is return policy. Returns remain an elusive and controversial issue when buying through online stores. Due to the fear of customers that they may not be able to return the product, even if they like a product, they are adamant to buy it. Online merchants should counter this behavior through distinct and clear return policies. Free return shipping is a good option to explore if you want to build trust with customers. In the same manner, you may allow phone communication in explaining the problem. Consumers want to discuss things more personal and direct. Lastly, with return policy, give a good time period for consumers to evaluate the products; 2 to 4 weeks will greatly serve the purpose.
15. Keep Things Simple. With the above-mentioned tips, you are possibly thinking it is hard to improve the shopping cart conversion. Forget it. Just keep everything simple and do not overwork these tips. In talking to customers, do not attempt to impress them with industry jargon. Consumers are not after long narration of industry knowledge. Be straightforward with your lines, buttons, and information. Don't beat on the bush.
Aside from these tips mentioned, you have to remember the essentials of marketing. Keep the beat alive. Bryan Eisenberg said “Conversion is a process, not an event.” Conversion does not happen in a snap. It could be that you won the heart of potential customer with the store's attention-grabbing theme, but the checkout process is just to hassle that the potential customer left the purchase. Keeping the tone of the store ensures purchase conversions.
In the same manner, do not hide anything from your customers. It is not just about making sales. It is building a market. Repeat customers give you not just profit, but free advertisement through referrals. As much as you want to continue striving in the competitive market, you need to retain customers as you acquire more.
