When you run an ecommerce store, conversion rates will be one of the stats you spend the majority of your time obsessing over. It becomes a number that fixes it’s way to the forefront of your brain, teasing you with every slight movement up or down. In this post, we’re throwing you a bunch of the handiest hacks to increase your conversions with almost immediate impact. Have a read through to ensure you’re not missing out on any of these tasty little tricks!
Simplify your pages for maximum results
There are several key advantages to an elegant page design. The main one being it gives users the impression you’re cool and worth dealing with. Take Apple’s approach for example – the world’s most powerful mobile device brand isn’t exactly going to sell things the wrong way. Within 10 seconds of scanning through their pages the impression you receive is cemented. Only the most vital elements exist to ensure all of your attention is either spent admiring in awe or taking action.
The other benefit of simplicity in design is, of course, lightning loading times. The more complex a page is, the longer it’s going to take to respond. The longer pages take to pop up, the faster your users are going to lose patience and bow out. Cut everything back, drop excess weight, say as little as possible, make your pages faster than greased-lighting, and watch your conversions climb. Here at Bulldog, we use GTmetrix to measure site speed and test factors affecting the speed.
Cut average photos and only keep top quality images
Your images are the most impactful selling tool you have. There’s no room for photos that are just acceptable, you should only be using images that are breathtaking. This is one of the fastest ways to boost your conversions. Again, paying attention to leaders in the market is never a bad idea. Let’s take a look at Nike:
Every sales page absolutely hammers you with a volley of images, even if the product is relatively simple. And most importantly, every image is world class. Look at Asos, or any other online retail market heavyweight and you’ll notice huge similarities across the photos they use. Sharp as ice, plain light backgrounds, plain models, and gigantic resolutions that make them a peach for close ups.
This is the level of photography you should be aiming for, no matter what you’re selling or who to. The better they can see it, the more likely they’ll hit “checkout”.
Add video footage
If you think your product descriptions are doing a fine enough job convincing people to buy on their own, you’re probably wrong. If you’re not already showing your products off with catchy videos, good news! You’ve got a huge opportunity to boost conversions by upping your vid game right away.
64% of people are more likely to buy online after watching a helpful video of the product in action.
90% of consumers say that some from of video will play a huge role in helping them make a purchasing decision.
Now is not the time to underestimate the power of motion on people’s perceptions. We love video because it has a way of transmitting information to us so much faster and easier than reading blocks of one-dimensional text. Youtube is on the up as well as Instagram lives, Netflix, and every diversification that Amazon touches. Video is increasingly becoming the most crucial fabric that online marketing is made from. It’s impossible to ignore, so get on board.
Pick one of your most complex products and make a short video showing how it works in real life with your own hands. If you’ve got it right, you’ll post it up and watch your conversion rates increase dramatically!
Remove hidden fees
Have a look through your checkout process and see if any charges are applied after the initial basket page. If you do apply fees at any point along this journey, you can bet your bottom penny it’s at this precise step that a chunk of your users will be ducking out. Try being upfront with all charges from the beginning and you’ll more than likely see a meaningful gain.
Accept as many payment options as you can
If you’re only accepting payment by card, you’re missing a trick. In an ideal world, everyone would be using the same visa card to buy everything. That would make things simple. In reality, however, things are very different. You can’t expect every single user that wants to buy from you to do it with a card. There’s now a wide variety of online payment options out there and every shopper has their own preferences.
Think about Paypal, Apple Pay, and even Amazon payments. Yes, you pay a small fee per transaction to these third-party solutions, but if your customers find them much easier and far more safe to use, you bet your conversions will climb if these options are available. Don’t let your ecommerce SEO efforts down by your lack of payment options.
Make product recommendations
Personalisation is very quickly becoming one of the most important features of modern ecommerce.
49% of shoppers will spend on spontaneous purchases when shown a range of options that relate to the items they’ve already viewed.
Present customers with items that combine well with their items of interest or show them alternative options. By recommending products you’re effectively upselling to anyone that will ever look at anything on your pages around the clock.
Not only does this feature spur shoppers to spend more per visit, it also gives them a sense that your brand cares. Personalisation has a way of reaching each individual user with a tailored experience. The more your store does to personalise each customer visit, the greater the chance that they’ll come running back the next time they need what you’re offering.
There you have it! Those are our favourite ways to increase conversions as soon as possible for your ecommerce store. Take up any of the above suggestions and you’re bound to see direct gains in your sales. Think we’ve missed something? Feel free to let us know in the comments below!