Andy BeoharNo matter how good your e-commerce site is at attracting visitors, it ultimately has to be able to convert them. You can have great SEO and a really strong PPC campaign, but if your website is not optimized for conversions then it will get only a fraction of the business that it could be generating.
If you’re finding that your e-commerce conversion rate is low, then there could be a number of reasons why:
You’re Too Focused on Your Own Agenda
Forcing buyers to create an account before making a purchase can potentially scare them away. A study by Visual Website Optimizer found 23% of consumers will abandon a shopping cart if they’re required to log into an account. Ask if they’d like to create an account during the guest checkout process.
You Didn’t Plan for Errors
If a visitor gets an error page while shopping, what happens? You don’t want them to start at the very beginning – and they don’t either! Use cookies to save information so their preferences and browsing history are readily available.
You’re Don’t Provide Multiple Payment Options
Offering limited payment options can also cause prospects to abandon their carts. Ideally, your payment options will include:
- Credit cards
- PayPal
- Bank transfers
There should also be a few shipping options, with at least one being free shipping. If you can’t offer free shipping, make sure you’re clear about that early. The study from Visual Website Optimizer also found that 28% will abandon the shopping cart if unexpected shipping charges pop up.
Site Security is Not Clear
If a visitor feels that your website is not secure, then there is little chance that they will make a purchase. Keep an updated Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate, and include badges on your site. Also, consider adding language that informs the visitor that your website is secure.
Search Box is Hidden
The search box should be easy for visitors to find, so make sure it stands out. One company found that optimizing their search box brought an 82% lift in their e-commerce conversion rate.
You’re Not Looking at Analytics
There’s a wealth of knowledge you can get from Google Analytics. It will tell you a lot about the behavior of your visitors and where some of your site’s weak points are. Pay attention to:
- Site search – what are your visitors looking up and on what pages?
- Exit pages
- New vs. returning visitors
You’re Not Testing
It’s important to test different elements of your site and find out what brings the most conversions. It may be different colors, bigger buttons or different wording. You could also test showcasing different products.
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