The latest marketing data coming out of the research world has not been that encouraging for the ecommerce businesses among us. The sad fact of this data is that conversions at the majority of ecommerce sites are only averaging 1.4% with the best of the ecommerce sites taking in around 3%. Can you make more sales than just one out of every 100 visits to your site?
- The 3% range for conversions is considered to be pretty good. Almost exceptional. You need to, however, get yourself well beyond the anemic 1% rate. Your SEO marketing seems to be working and driving the traffic but your efforts seem to be getting stalled once everyone gets there. How come?
- One way to boost your conversions is to get your search box to start working harder for you. Best marketing research at the moment suggests that around 30% of your visitors are hitting the search box to look for something in particular. While most search boxes are small and sit somewhere in the header of the site, many craftier entrepreneurs are making it larger and more prominent above the fold of the site. It is causing more disruption and prompting more visitors to start searching for what you may have. It is allowing them to move deeper into your site. Also, make sure they get something for their search. Too many times searches at ecommerce sites come up empty. You might as well tell them how to get in touch with your competitors.
- This should not even have to be mentioned but to operate without a free shipping policy is a sure way to kill your businesses. It has got to the point these days where consumers are not really expecting to pay for shipping. If you can figure in the cost of shipping into the price, fine. But, if you can’t, experiment with the notion and see how it affects your overall margins. If your rivals ship for free, you really need to put it in your playbook.
- Make sure the photos of your products and the descriptions are professionally done. Don’t want to spend the money? Too bad, spend it. It is an investment in your future. Look like an amateur and you will get amateur results. This definitely includes the video presentations for your products. Don’t have any? You need to get going. Make them as professional looking as your content and your photos. Great presentation inspires trust which, of course, inspires conversions.
- Make sure they know exactly how to check out. Last year’s shopping cart abandonment rate stood at 70%. Hold their hand all the way through the process. Keep it simple and make the path easy to navigate. Also, give them plenty of options to pay you and have live support available to them even if it is only chat support. Having a live person they can talk to makes a huge difference in conversion rates.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
SearchPro Systems
2024