Ecommerce Conversion Optimization

The term conversion optimization in the e-commerce industry means the way to increase e-commerce conversion rates. Conversion optimization combines methods from different disciplines such as neuromarketing, behavioral psychology, user experience, and web development to create the best platform for online shopping.

Conversion optimization is the use of controlled experimentation and the correct experimental design to improve conversion rates. The goal of e-commerce conversion optimization is to increase the number and frequency of buyers who create business value by moving from one state to the next.

A purchase may not be the end goal of e-commerce optimization. It could also include a sign-up for the newsletter or any other action that is relevant to the business.

Conversion optimization has been applied to landing pages for marketing campaigns, shopping basket flows, pages that are direct to purchase, as well as key flows leading to the shopping cart such as the product pages.

Conversion Optimization Use Areas

Most conversion optimization is applied digitally to these areas.

User Experience

A variety of behavior interactions happen when a person engages in an e-commerce website. Visits begin, time is counted and clicks are made, events occur. A user experience is a visual representation of the user experience as it appears in a web browser or on a mobile app.

It includes all experiences on web elements such as colors, images, text, offers, toggles buttons, fields, layouts, formats, stylesheets, and other design elements. All of these elements can be tested. You can also test the functionality of the website, which may include the speed of downloading pages, or the ability to assess the relevancy of a query.

Email

You can also test the content and format of emails. Email subject lines are often tested. You can test the subject lines, colors, calls to action, and fonts. Make sure the email is perfect so that it has a higher chance of conversion.

Mobile

Mobile landscapes are becoming more important than ever. Mobile devices are used for e-commerce shopping and browsing. Mobile phones are used by billions of people around the world. Many of these websites are accessed via mobile browsers. There are many mobile apps that can be downloaded to smartphones.

Mobile testing can be done in both apps and on the web to ensure how well it performs. App developers who develop mobile apps test their apps using similar methods to web analytics testing.

Online Advertisement

Online ads can be a profitable business area. This includes the testing of content, creativity, size, rich-media functionality, and other areas. Different customer segments can be tested for different types of ad copy and persuasive copy, as well as promotional offers.

Social Features

Each social option can be tested to see if it was used and, if so what the effect on the business. It might be a good idea to place a list of links to other sites in a prominent area of your media website. It might be worthwhile to arbitrage traffic. However, the question is: Will people use this feature? Or will it reduce page views? These hypotheses can be tested.

Content

You can make an alternative copy of the content and test it with other content. Multivariate testing can be used to test the functions and features that allow users to interact with content. After testing content, you can publish and live final content which has a higher conversion rate.

Promotions

While some may view promotional testing as advertising testing, it is worth mentioning. Promos can include coupons, discounts, and other incentives that can change based on audience profiles and events. This allows for different pricing and options for identifiable customer segments.

Flows

The flows are the screens, sequences, and workflows that create the digital experience. Conversion flows are something you may be familiar with. This means that each page or screen in a sequence of steps can be rotated and checked.

Conversion Optimization Tips

Simple Design

Your website should be clutter-free. Make the most of whitespace on your website and limit the use of visuals. Make it easy for visitors and optimize your site structure.

Visitors can easily get distracted if your e-commerce website has too many flashing lights and bells. It allows customers to concentrate on the products and value proposition of your company, which will convince them to purchase. Simple look and fast-loading websites have a higher conversion rate.

Improve Page Loading Speed

Load time is the time taken for your website’s page to load in a browser. You may not realize how important every second of load time is to your conversion rates. A study showed that a two-second increase in load time could result in a more than doubled bounce rate.

Walmart’s analysis has shown that conversion rates decrease sharply when load times exceed one second. Pages that load faster are more popular. If pages take too long, shoppers will be less inclined to return to an e-commerce website.

You can optimize your e-commerce website to speed up loading times. Every page should be tested on both mobile and computer. Check that your files and images are not too large.

Also, ensure your web host offers the speed you require. It’s important to understand the importance of loading time. If you don’t have technical knowledge, it might be worth hiring an expert. If you are able to increase your conversion rate, you’ll get a good return on your investment.

Provide Advanced Search Feature

Customers will be able to find what they need easily with an advanced search service. Website navigation is dominated by the search bar. This is especially true for large online businesses websites. To improve conversion rates, you should make it easy to shop. Search is one way to do this.

Responsive Design

Mobile commerce is growing rapidly. 82% of internet users in the US have made online purchases using a mobile device.

A mobile-friendly e-commerce website has a 67% chance of conversion. Websites that are not mobile-friendly have a 61% more chance of visitors leaving and buying from another website.

Mobile optimization is essential for 2020 and beyond. Mobile shoppers spend twice the amount of customers who use other platforms, it’s worth noting. Your conversion rates will increase and so will your average order values.

Create a Sense of Urgency

Sales and promotions that have a clear end date can make it seems urgent to purchase now. Your customers can feel more urgency by notifying them that there is a limited edition of a product. A sticker indicating the low stock status on a product page will let customers know when it is time to purchase.

Offer Coupon Codes

Coupon codes encourage customers to buy on your website. Use Woot! to post your coupons. Groupon or Woot! Discount codes and coupons can provide valuable sales analytics. BigCommerce has a great guide on how to increase sales using coupons.

Keep CTA Button on the Landing Page

Every landing page on your e-commerce website should contain a call to action. To avoid confusing customers, we recommend that landing pages only have one clear CTA. A landing page on an e-commerce website should guide customers to buy.

Provide Multiple Payment Methods

It is not possible to assume that everyone has a Visa and Mastercard. You should accept all major credit cards, debit cards, and Amex for payment.

Even that is not enough. Accepting alternative payment methods such as PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and others is essential in today’s world.

Although we are not yet at the point that you should accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, it is something to consider in the future.

Everybody has different payment preferences. You don’t want to make people stop buying, regardless of whether it is for security, convenience, or rewards.

Simple Check out Form

It’s easy to fill out checkout orders forms. You should organize the information so that it makes sense to input. Also, ensure that all fields are properly filled out to collect all necessary information. You can clearly label form fields so that customers are aware of the information required for each field. This will help you collect accurate customer details.

High-Quality Images

Although it seems obvious, good photography is essential. You might need to hire a professional product photographer in order to get the images you want. Many e-commerce sellers have a small studio set up in their offices. This allows you to quickly capture high-quality photos of new products. Resellers should ensure that photos are at least 640×640 pixels.

Live Chat Support

It increases shoppers’ chances of buying something by providing excellent customer service. When shopping online, live chat is the best support method.

Chat agents are available to answer any questions that people have. Live chat customers are three times more likely than those who do not use it to purchase. Live chat can boost conversions by 20%, and ROI by up to 305%.

Free Shipping

Additional fees at checkout are a major reason customers abandon their orders. Free shipping lowers the cost of your order and eliminates any additional fees associated with ordering online. Customers will be more inclined to shop on your e-commerce site if shipping costs are eliminated.

Allow Guest Shopping

Your first-time buyer may not have committed to your brand yet. It’s possible she doesn’t know if she will shop with you again. You’ll see an increase in sales if you allow guest checkout. Your customer will want to register an account once she becomes a regular buyer on your site.

Return Policy

If customers know that they can return the product, they are more likely to buy. A good return policy will give customers confidence in your product and service. This will increase their likelihood of completing a purchase as there is less risk. You’ll increase your conversion rate if they don’t return in most cases.

Use Social Proof

Social media can be used as a primary channel to communicate with customers. Social media can be used to improve your content and increase confidence in your customers. Social proof increases trust in your site and gives customers the opportunity to interact with it more.

Basics of Conversion Optimization

Conversion optimization is the art and science of persuasion, framed in a digital user interface. The information architecture guides the psychological cues that are necessary to persuade. Copywriting and design work with the e-commerce experience.

Analysts are expected to influence, guide, and even invent conversion optimization projects. Conversion optimization basics are not always analytical. They are multifunctional and cross-functional basics.

Persuasion

It’s the science and art of getting people to do what you want. An e-commerce website’s goal is conversion, which can be achieved by purchasing a product. Bryan Eisenberg and Jeffrey Eisenberg were the pioneers of conversion optimization.

Some people are more methodical than others, while others are more competitive and humanistic. Every persona is different. They may be browsing for the right item, or they know exactly what they want. Based on the persona, persuasion is about triggering different cues to lead to the desired behavior.

User experience (UX)

This is crucial to conversion optimization as it affects the user experience. You are simply changing the appearance and feel of the website to appeal to users. User Experience design is still relevant today and can be used for conversion optimization.

UX is the structure, scope, and strategy that make visitors’ time pleasing on the website. These elements bring together a user interface that is linked with visual and textual elements. The actual visual design is called the surface. The design of navigation, interface, or information is called the skeleton. The structure refers to the interaction design as well as the information architecture.

Scope and strategy refer to the business, functional and content requirements that define the user experience. To persuade people, a conversion optimizer works within these boundaries to make them buy the product.

Psychology

It is crucial to understand the psychology of both the buyer and the conversion optimizer. As the control mechanism that shapes and influences conversion optimization, human psychology cannot be underestimated. Psychology is the study and application of the human mind.

This complex topic, especially experimental psychology, is about risk and reward and how positive and negative reinforcement can influence a person’s willingness to do something. The psychologies of both the optimizer and the buyer influence each other in conversion optimization.

The psychology of the optimizer is one that uses a paced, incremental, and deliberate approach to change perceptions and motivate others. The buyer’s psychology involves fast, iterative, and often comparative decision-making in order to purchase products that will meet their needs. To test their psychology, the optimizer tries to understand the buyer’s perceptions and cognitions.

Information Architecture

It has a significant influence on persuasiveness. Garrett’s model for user experience shows that information architecture is a part of the overall structure. Conversion optimizers test and modify the digital experience to determine what is most effective for reaching conversion goals.

Conversion optimization includes the design and organization of an e-commerce website as well as the science and art of labeling pages to ensure they are easily viewed and used. Optimizers often create a model or concept of information to be used in an e-commerce site. Then they alter that model through testing to arrive at the best information architecture.

Conversion Copywriting

This is the term used to describe the total and complete rewriting and redactions of textual content within digital experiences. Optimizing page headlines, calls to action and creative text in banners can all be done.

This includes the name of sections, text on buttons, and text on navigation bars. Optimizers have seen significant improvements in pages. Sometimes they rewrite them completely, other times only the headlines or rewrite all the text.

Data for Conversion Optimization

Conversion optimization is based on data. It is crucial to ensure that your analytics are accurate and sufficient. To influence your testing plan, you can also consult other data sources, such as primary and second-level research. These are the most common types of data used in testing and experimentation.

Digital Analytics Data

This data is generated from the behavior of users or visitors to an e-commerce site. It also includes data on the performance of marketing campaigns, technical data about digital experiences, and concepts like visitors, sessions, users and referrers, conversion rate, download times, etc.

Business Intelligence

It is the first-party data generated within an organization’s operational and transaction systems. Some data may be sourced from outside sources or systems. However, this data could be stored in the Cloud. It may also exist in internal and external systems. Data from BI can include customer, order, transaction, product, or sales data.

Survey and Voice-of-Customer Research

This data is qualitative data that has been gathered from methods of surveying and understanding people, demographics, propensities, and preferences. These data can include ethnographies, persona, and other data related to consumer preferences and actions.

Flowcharts and Funnel

These are a type of data visualization that is most commonly used in digital analytics tools. The flow chart and funnel show a sequence of pages, screens, and actions that leads to a particular conversion event such as account registration, or purchase. These visualizations display exit, entry, and abandonment rates for each stage in a progressive sequence.

Heat Maps

These are visuals where color is associated with a numeric value. Infrared heat maps are the most popular. Red may be used to indicate the highest temperature. Heat maps are used in e-commerce to visualize dwell time, mouse hovers time, and click rates on particular sections.

Eye, Finger, and Mouse Tracking

It’s software that visualizes and tracks where digital users touch, move, or direct their eyes during the use of an e-commerce website.

Neuromarketing Data

It is obtained by testing the cognitive response and psychological response to stimuli in an eCommerce experience. Data could include heart rate, respiration rate, and other physiological measures.

Technical and Network Data

These data are collected from servers running and technology that creates the e-commerce experience. They can be used to discover technical externalities that affect users beyond what is visible. It is possible to analyze data such as site speed, latency, error rates, and server response.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)