25 Ecommerce Conversion Hacks to Make Your Website Profitable (Infographic) Simply starting an ecommerce website will not get you into the Fortune 500, but these tips can definitely help your bottom line.
By Peter Gasca Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
There are roughly 47 billion web pages competing for our attention. Of these, about 12 to 24 million are ecommerce websites, though only 650,000 (or 3 percent) actually net more than $1,000 per year in revenue.
While this may seem few in the big scheme of things, consider that if you were to endeavor to visit each revenue-generating ecommerce site from the comfort of your couch and with a bag of Doritos, spending only one minute per page for 18 hours every day, it would take over one and a half years to visit all of them -- and probably more than a few bags of Doritos.
In other words, it takes more than a Squarespace ecommerce platform and a few products to get your business into the Fortune 500.
Related: Ecommerce Basics: 10 Questions to Ask When Creating an Online Store
To get noticed through this saturation, Technorian, an ecommerce website developer that provides high-quality "valet-type services" to its businesses has developed a list of 25 powerful ecommerce conversion hacks all entrepreneurs can use to increase traffic and improve conversion rates.
1. Speed up to amp up conversion rates.
As internet speeds get faster, even a few extra seconds to load a page can create a poor shopping experience. Make sure your site is operating on the highest speed bandwidth you can afford.
2. Maximize on-page SEO.
Focus on "conversion-oriented" keywords, which will get highly targeted traffic to your online store.
3. Use responsive design.
Your website should have a responsive design and be easy to view, navigate and read. More important, you should be focused on a mobile-first strategy, since most web traffic will soon be coming from mobile devices.
4. Test different website layouts.
In order to understand what works best with your consumers, test different layouts of your website ("A/B Testing") and monitor which results in the best customer conversion rates.
5. Show contact information.
Make it very clear and easy for visitors to find your contact information, including all social media links, and consider providing instant online live-chat options for visitors.
6. Make your 'Call to Action' bold and clear.
Be clear and tell your visitors what you would like them to do. Do you want them to buy a product, download a free brochure, or sign up for a newsletter? By being transparent, you generate trust and will increase conversion rates.
7. Create smooth navigation between pages.
Do not create confusing or misleading distractions between pages that will ultimately create frustration and resentment with your visitors.
8. Improve site search and recommendations.
When customers want to find something quickly, they will look immediately for a "search" function. If your search function is difficult to find or does not help visitors find what they seek, they are more likely to leave without searching themselves.
9. Provide social proof.
Visitors are much more likely to purchase from a site that has positive feedback, testimonials and endorsements posted where they can easily be seen.
10. Actively pursue reviews.
While it may seem vain and imposing to your customers, asking them to review your products online will help generate social proof.
11. Add security seals.
In light of the increasing importance of cybersecurity, visitors want to know that they will be safe while visiting your site and that their information and data will be protected. Partner with a reputable site security provider and clearly show their seal on your website.
Related: Etsy's New Web Service Is Its Answer to Wordpress and Squarespace
12. Personalize the experience.
Use software that allows you to track visitor history and provide personalized recommendations, feedback and interactions.
13. Highlight your return and guarantee policy.
Put your consumer at ease by promptly stating your policies on returns and refunds front and center.
14. Provide a section for sales and specials.
Just like people who dash right for the clearance rack in the back of a clothing store (it is not just me, right?), provide a link to a page that provides information on available specials at the time of visit.
15. Get visual with your products.
Provide ample photos of your product, both by alone and while being used, in order to show perspective. To make a real impact, produce high-quality videos of your products in action.
16. Write spectacular descriptions.
In addition to helping with SEO, carefully crafting your descriptions, or "copy," will set proper expectations and provide your customers with clear descriptions of what they are buying.
17. Manage shipping costs.
All businesses understand that shipping can make up a significant portion of the product cost. Closely managing this cost allows you to pass along lower prices to customers and even offer free shipping -- something that can dramatically impact conversions.
18. Use trigger words.
Placing words like "free" or "special" can give your visitors the impression that they have visited at the right time. Just be sure that you what you offer as "free" or "special" will actually add value to your customer.
19. Create urgency.
Marketers have long known that creating a sense of urgency is one of the best ways to increase conversions. Special offers, such as "Limited-time" specials and deals, are one way to do this online.
20. Offer first-time visitors a discount.
The cost of acquiring customers can be very high for an ecommerce site. For this reason, it is important to make good impression and convert these first time visitors when you have them.
21. Offer a price-match guarantee.
If you are like me, you have no less than 10 browser tabs open when you shop online, comparing prices of identical and similar items across multiple websites. Put your customers at ease by assuring them they will get the best deal possible with a price-match guarantee.
22. Upsell and cross sell.
Use data to understand your website visitors and upsell or cross sell a product or service as often as possible. These day, most visitors will not mind the personalized recommendations, as long as they are relevant.
23. Make checkout (ridiculously) easy.
Most of us are familiar with the situation when, after spending a good amount of time shopping online, we get to the checkout step only to find a complicated and imposing multi-step process process that ultimately just makes us leave. Streamline your checkout process and reduce the number of chances you give a visitor to abandon their virtual shopping cart.
24. Offer multiple payment options.
Your website should be flexible enough to deal with a wide range of shoppers, from the conservative and anxious to the more liberal and trusting.
Related: How To Find Your Ecommerce Business Niche
25. Improve your post-interaction emails.
Use a professional customer relationship management (CRM) software, such as MailChimp or Infusionsoft, to effectively communicate with your customers after they have visited. These "transactional emails" can have a dramatic influence on whether they return to purchase or repurchase.
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