There are hundreds of conversion optimization tips and strategies out there, but not all of them will make a noticeable difference in your sales. Instead of meticulously choosing the perfect color for your CTA buttons or the ideal font style for your product pages, focus on these actionable strategies that will increase your conversion rates in no time:
Simplify the Checkout Process
Customers expect a lot from online retailers today, especially when it comes to the checkout process. If they a form is too long, the site doesn’t seem secure, or their preferred payment method isn’t accepted, users won’t hesitate to abandon the transaction halfway through. To optimize your checkout process, be sure to address the following key areas:
- Display a security icon to reassure visitors that their information will be kept secure.
- Lay out additional costs, such as shipping charges, clearly on product pages so buyers don’t feel unpleasantly surprised when they begin the payment process.
- Offer a variety of payment options to make checking out quick and convenient.
- Allow people to check out as guests instead of requiring them to create an account.
Prioritize Mobile SEO
Mobile shopping is a global trend that retailers can’t afford to miss out on, especially since Google’s algorithm prioritizes mobile-friendly sites over traditional websites. If you don’t make your online store responsive or mobile-friendly, you’ll lower your SEO rankings and inadvertently send potential customers to your competitors.
To start catering to mobile shoppers, you can begin by:
- Crafting page titles and descriptions suitable for mobile search.
- Using relevant keywords in your online content.
- Running experiments to discover the best practices for your store.
- Optimizing your content for voice search.
Send Cart Abandonment Emails
One study revealed that online retailers experience an average cart abandonment rate of nearly 70%, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of these shoppers won’t return to the site later. People abandon carts for all sorts of reasons, from doing comparison shopping to simply exiting the site on accident. Oftentimes, retailers can encourage shoppers to complete their transactions by reminding them of the items they left behind in their cart. To successfully win back customers, here’s what the email process should entail:
- Initial email. This should be sent within a few hours of the shopper leaving the site. Merchants can ask if the user had any problems with checking out and provide a link back to their cart.
- Second email. If the shopper hasn’t returned after a day, send a friendly reminder and show them the items they left in the cart.
- Third email. After another day or two, provide an incentive by offering them a coupon or discount if they complete the purchase.
Show Off Social Proof
According to the Pew Research Center, 82% of adult shoppers read product reviews before they buy something online for the first time. If people are unable to find any user-generated content from customers who have purchased your products, it can discourage hesitant buyers from choosing your brand over a competitor’s. Your brand will seem more transparent and trustworthy to wary shoppers if you take the following steps when generating and displaying reviews:
- Encourage customers to review products after they have received their items. Send a brief email thanking them for their purchase, and ask if they would be willing to share their opinion on your site.
- Provide a section for people to upload photos of the items and try displaying these on your homepage or product pages.
- Take negative reviews in stride by apologizing to customers and responding in a timely manner.
Implement AI to Create Personalized Experiences
It’s helpful for customers to receive recommendations based on their individual preferences, but creating highly individualized shopping journeys for every person that visits your store takes a ton of data. Analyzing user behaviors, segmenting customers, and finding “problem areas” that affect conversion rates can take up countless hours of your time, but AI algorithms can quickly analyze these results within seconds. You’ll be given valuable information to help you develop personalized journeys and show relevant product suggestions to each customer, and shoppers will enjoy the convenience of finding exactly what they want in no time.
According to an article by Adobe, 80% of marketers believe that AI will revolutionize the marketing industry by 2020. Therefore, if you want to stay ahead of your competitors, you should consider implementing AI sooner rather than later.
Share Original Content
Consumers don’t want to see ads; they want to learn about new information from reliable sources! You can establish yourself as an expert in your industry by providing resources for your audience, answering common questions, and responding to relevant news. People seeking answers will be more likely to find your site, your SEO rankings will improve, and customer loyalty will increase. Whether you choose to maintain a blog or create a Youtube channel, content creation is a powerful marketing tool that all businesses can benefit from.
