The first step to online sales may be to have a high-quality product but if your ecommerce site is poor, you’re not going to get anywhere. Whether it’s for yourself or a joint venture, there are steps you can take to ensure your ecommerce site has a worthwhile sales conversion rate.
What’s the value proposition? Communicate it clearly on the landing page with a clear headline and subheading. Be sure to demonstrate the differentiating factor – what makes this product different? Use images and eye-catching text to show the value of the product. Are you offering discounts or free shipping, for example?
Use visual hierarchy to your advantage. The larger something is on your page, the more likely people are to notice it. Typical users try to click on the biggest and most central text, so ensure your eye-catching offer clicks through to your next stage. Be bold and use visual hierarchy principles to your advantage – you can direct your visitor’s visual journey across your page.
Keep navigation simple. Reduce the number of clicks you need to purchase the product and make everything easy to find. If you can make website navigation feel natural it reduces frustration – another serious barrier to sales conversions.
Help motivated buyers to find what they are looking for. Include a prominent search bar and load your products with searchable keywords. Product filters help to narrow down search categories and can direct visitors to a field of items that could meet their needs. Common useful categories include price, newness, size, and color. Customize these to your product and target market.
Simplify checkout. Keep your layouts clean and communicate the payment pathway to the purchaser so they know what’s involved. Offer an account sign-up option but allow users to check out as guests to avoid field-fatigue. Depending on your situation you could experiment with simple upsells in the cart, but it’s often best to reduce decision-making after the commitment is made.
Create a feeling of security. Include images and text that create an association with secure check-out processes. Communicate legitimacy by including authentic customer testimonials and logos of any media you’ve appeared in. You may even like to profile staff or management stories to provide a face to the brand.
Personalize the experience. Offer relevant new products based on previous purchases and greet customers by name where possible. It’s possible to differentiate your brand by developing a personal relationship with returning clients.