Remember that it’s not a physical setting, but your e-commerce store is a virtual shop where prospective buyers can see through their screens. There, you try to convince every one of those visitors to come inside, check out your products, and make a purchase. This is what conversion rate optimization is all about!

Conversion rate optimization involves improving each aspect of your online store to transform visitors from prospective buyers to customers. It also serves as a valuable tool for measuring your return on investment (ROI).

You are probably thinking, “How can I do this?” We’ve got you covered with 30 actionable steps for increasing your e-commerce sales. From creating captivating product descriptions to speeding up the checkout procedure, we will guide you through every step in plain, understandable language.

Understanding E-commerce Conversion Rates

Conversion rate refers to the number of visitors to your website or landing page who complete the desired action, which means they do what you want. Conversion can mean different things, depending on your industry and your business’s objectives. 

The following are some of the most typical forms of conversions and micro-conversions (a sign that a user is getting closer to performing a beneficial action):

• Making a purchase 
• Filling out a form (such as a lead generation form)
• Making contact through chat, email, or phone
• Subscribing to a newsletter
• Creating a profile on your website
• Downloading a resource (white paper, eBook, etc.)

Whatever industry you work in, conversion demands expert optimization; it does not just happen. Conversion rate is a metric that offers essential insight into any business or campaign’s success, regardless of your role as an eCommerce manager or digital marketing expert. 

How is the Conversion Rate Calculated?

To calculate your conversion rate, divide the number of conversions in your campaign by the total number of visitors. Then, multiply the result by 100.

For example, if you sent an email campaign to 1,000 customers announcing upcoming discount sales of your products during the holiday season and 200 clicked through to show their interest, your conversion rate would be 200/1000, or 0.2. Then, multiply 0.2 by 100 to get a conversion rate of 20%. 

You must know how many people respond to your marketing campaigns to gauge their efficacy. You can accomplish this by figuring out your conversion rates. Since conversion rate compares the number of customer responses to the total number of contacts, it is one of the most useful and accurate metrics.

What is a Good E-commerce Conversion Rate?

Industry experts estimate that average e-commerce conversion rates range from 2.5% to 3%, but this is not necessarily the sweet spot for your company. Setting up a baseline of 2.5% is a smart place to start, but you should keep using conversion rate strategies to maximize this.

What you consider to be a good conversion rate depends largely on your target market, business plan, and other variables. However, the most recent research indicates that the average e-commerce conversion rate is 3.65%. This shows that on e-commerce websites, approximately 4 out of every 100 visitors complete a desired action.

Additional Metrics to Help Measure E-commerce Conversions

Bounce Rate. 

A website’s “bounce rate” is the proportion of visitors who depart without completing an action, like clicking a link, completing a form, or making a purchase.

A bounce rate of 40% or less is considered good. If your bounce rate is 60% or more, it can be a sign that you should review and improve the content of your page to make it more user-friendly and interesting.

Bounce rate (%) = (Total number of single page visits / total number of visits) × 100

Exit Rate

The exit rate is the percentage of sessions that end on a specific page or screen. It is determined by dividing the total number of exits by the total number of sessions.

For content-driven pages, such as blogs or news articles, a higher exit rate of approximately 70% to 80% is reasonable. However, pages further down the e-commerce funnel, like product or checkout pages, should have a lower exit rate of about 20% to 40%.

Exit rate (%) = (Number of exits from the page / total number of visits to the page) × 100

Click-Through Rate (CTR).

CTR is the ratio of clicks on an ad to impressions or the number of times the ad has been shown. The number of impressions reveals how often customers have viewed the website or ad. Every time your ad appears on a user’s screen, an advertisement impression is created.

CTR = (clicks/impressions) x 100

Average Session Duration.

The term “average session duration” describes how long a session typically lasts over a given period. Stated differently, the mean duration of time that users spend on your website from the time they arrive until they depart.

Longer average session durations are generally viewed favorably because they indicate that users have been engaged with your site for extended periods and may be actively interacting with its features or content.

Average session duration = (Total duration of all sessions) / (Total number of sessions)

Average Page Depth (AKA Pages Per Session in Google Analytics).

The average page depth is the number of pages viewed on your website by a visitor during a single online session. A user’s “session” commences when they visit your website and concludes at midnight or following a period of inactivity.

The pages that perform the best usually have five clicks or fewer on them; in general, the fewer clicks, the better.

30 Ways to Boost Your Ecommerce Conversion Rates

1. Use high-quality images and videos on your product pages.

Videos and pictures are effective mediums for showcasing your goods. They can help you connect emotionally with your audience and effectively communicate the features, benefits, and value of what you sell.

When shopping online, it is impossible to touch or try on an item. To ensure that the customer understands exactly what they are purchasing, it’s best to provide them with a comprehensive picture or video.

Using top-notch photos and videos will improve the perception of your company, lend it more authority, and encourage sales. As a result, you should either hire a professional photographer and videographer or buy stock photos and videos from reputable sources optimized for mobile and web use.

2. Provide free shipping.

One excellent method to help avoid any unpleasant surprises at checkout is to offer free shipping. Many people think that offering free shipping is expected and standard and that charging less would be a disservice to your customers. This is crucial if you start a business and deliver goods to customers.

Increasing the selling price to compensate for the shipping expenses is an alternative to offering free shipping. However, consumers are clever; if your prices are prohibitively high, they will quickly find another store. 

Combining a free shipping offer with other significant annual holidays is a fantastic way to maximize its impact. 

3. Offer time-limited discount codes.

Using discount codes makes customers feel happier and more satisfied. That’s not surprising, is it? Everyone likes to save money. As a business owner, you will also benefit greatly from discounts and coupons because they boost sales, conversions, and customer loyalty.

Customers are compelled to make a purchase decision sooner rather than later because of the sense of urgency they create, which capitalizes on people’s natural tendency to act quickly when faced with a deadline. 

By highlighting the discount’s time-sensitive nature, you can heighten FOMO (fear of missing out) and encourage quick action, which leads to increased conversions and sales.

4. Offer competitive prices.

Product or service prices that are highly competitive, matching, or, more frequently, lower than the market rate are referred to as competitively priced goods. This approach to pricing products aims to outperform rivals, drive sales, and turn purchasers into loyalists.

Google’s Global Retail Study shows that 87% of respondents said knowing they received a good deal was crucial when purchasing. As a result, when setting prices for goods and services, brands should consider their competitor’s prices. 

5. Adjust and verify your online store’s checkout procedure.

One crucial metric is the total number of visitors to your online store compared to the number of people who finish their purchase.

A/B testing enables you to validate your assumptions and gain a data-driven understanding of consumer preferences before making critical business decisions. Visitors to your website are presented with two or more versions simultaneously, allowing you to assess which checkout configuration best meets your customers’ needs and expectations.

6. Make use of shopping cart abandonment software.

As an e-commerce marketer, you are likely aware of how annoying cart abandonment can be.

This is a significant issue since lost customers have already experienced every step of the marketing funnel when they leave your site just before checkout. This indicates that you have invested money in social media ads, organic searches, or referral programs to obtain leads. 

For this reason, you require the best cart abandonment software available. Cart recovery tools focus on two main areas: cart abandonment emails and cart abandonment popups. 

7. Make use of chatbots and live chat software.

Customers can receive prompt, efficient answers to their questions without waiting a long time on the phone when you use chatbots and live chat support software to engage with your customers.

You can provide personalized, sympathetic service while interacting with clients in real-time with live chat. The issue arises when your support team only works during business hours, leaving customers waiting for a response after those hours. 

Conversely, chatbots can manage multiple conversations once and provide 24/7 customer support. However, quick responses may not provide the level of consideration and comprehension that a human representative can. 

However, the most successful businesses will be those that can combine the two, such as using chatbots to engage with customers after hours. 

8. Let customers know your e-commerce store is safe.

For customers to enter their credit card information on your website, you must establish trust quickly. Split testing has demonstrated that trust signals can boost conversion rates considerably.

Your conversion rate optimization efforts should start with figuring out how to improve your on-site credibility and trust. 

Simple but effective security measures must be implemented to safeguard your online store and your customers’ data. These precautions can lessen the chance of cyberattacks, protect consumer information, and stop fraud. 

Here are a few practical measures that can help protect your online store:

• To improve the security of your online store, implement multi-factor authentication.
• Display trust badges, also known as trust seals or marks, to reassure visitors that the website is trustworthy, reliable, and safe. 
• Install firewalls to improve the security of your online store. Firewalls protect your website by monitoring all incoming and outgoing traffic. 

9. Organize your website so that users can quickly locate products.

Your sales, conversions, and customer satisfaction can all increase with a favorable product discovery experience.

One of the first things your customers will do when they visit your website is search for categories that correspond with their needs and interests. Ensure the categories are precise, illustrative, and pertinent to your industry. Do not use ambiguous or general terms that could mislead or confuse your customers or cause them to overlook some of your offerings. 

Organize your products into an easy-to-navigate catalog with clearly defined categories and subcategories. Visuals that tell a story can help users navigate through categories more efficiently in large catalogs. 

10. Make the checkout form simple to use.

A critical aspect of online shopping is the checkout form. Your checkout form’s design has an important effect on its performance. A smooth, user-friendly checkout form can motivate customers to finish their purchases, preventing cart abandonment.

A well-structured checkout form ensures the transaction goes smoothly, increasing conversions and decreasing bounce rates. To help users complete the process more quickly, restrict what can be typed into individual form fields.

• Keep it simple: In terms of the checkout page, simplicity has several dimensions. It represents the number of form fields. It’s the layout itself.
• Show progress indicators: Consider yourself filling out a form without realizing how long it is! You might leave in the middle without even realizing how close you were, which will frustrate you. 
• Display shipping information: Shipping information is essential when placing an online order. Keep the fields that are required so that users can provide their information.

Additionally, continue to offer several payment options because this will satisfy a range of consumer preferences. While some customers prefer credit or debit cards, others might pay via PayPal. It is essential to ensure that users are not made uncomfortable or have difficulty checking out.

11. Always display the contents of the shopping cart. 

Make sure the shopping cart is always visible. You can place a small cart widget in the sidebar or header of your website. This widget will allow customers to easily keep track of their purchases and always display a summary of the items in the cart without requiring them to leave the product page.

Although a text link to the cart in the main navigation is preferable to none, it is more challenging to locate than an icon with the cart in the header. The golden rule of e-commerce is never to interfere with a consumer’s ability to complete a transaction successfully. It might be hard to finish the transaction if the icon is removed.

12. Allow customers to checkout as guests.

Give customers the option to check out without creating an account. You will probably already have their email address and name when they purchase.

Guest checkouts eliminate two significant issues that can lead to cart abandonment: the need to create an account and mistrust of the online retailer. This is so that users can swiftly enter the necessary personal information to complete a purchase using guest checkouts, which do away with the time-consuming sign-up process.

13. Provide detailed product descriptions.

Remember that they are not in a store where they can ask questions and cannot touch the product. This will help prevent returns.

Organize your product descriptions so that you can quickly and easily read through them. Your customers should be able to locate all pertinent product information quickly and easily.

To write a product description that effectively addresses any doubt or cognitive bias regarding the usefulness of your product, you must emphasize the advantages of each feature. 

14. Allow customer reviews and provide product testimonials.

Promoting recurring business and getting clients to write reviews are essential for long-term success in e-commerce.

Customer reviews use the social proof effect because previous customers’ collective experiences and viewpoints influence prospective customers. However, testimonials use the narrative technique to evoke strong feelings in potential clients.

Brand credibility and customer loyalty are increased when testimonials and reviews are prominently displayed for potential customers. Reacting to positive and negative reviews demonstrates that the brand values customer feedback. 

15. Make the “Add to Cart” and “Checkout” buttons visible.

A button marked with instructions that stands out from the surrounding text and images can prompt a user further when considering purchasing. 

Make these buttons stand out by giving them a solid color and a rectangular or oval shape that will draw in customers. To stand out, the color must contrast well with the background and other elements on the page.

16. Have a great product return policy.

Before making a purchase, about two out of every three customers will read the return policy. Make it as simple and painless as possible for customers to return products; do not overpromise here.

Customer and business trust are increased by having a fair return and exchange policy. Providing a straightforward and uniform return policy can boost conversion and loyalty rates.

While a company might not profit from a return on its first sale, a positive customer experience increases the likelihood of long-term revenue growth and a higher retention rate.

17. Optimize for mobile devices.

Mobile devices are now just one option among many for internet access in the modern digital era. Because mobile devices account for the majority of web traffic, businesses and organizations must now optimize their websites for mobile to guarantee a seamless and user-friendly experience.

Over 44% of all e-commerce retail sales will likely come from mobile devices by 2025. Your objective is to increase your mobile visibility and get your business in front of customers who have the potential to make significant purchases.

18. Make sure your phone number is visible.

When you add your phone number to your online store, make sure that it is easily accessible. If your phone number is hidden, it will be meaningless. A phone number should be prominently displayed on a website and easily readable.

According to a Google study, 61% of smartphone users make a business call during the purchasing cycle.

An easy-to-find phone number on your website can ease potential customers’ nervousness. If something goes wrong, they will know that they can always pick up the phone and talk to someone. 

19. Offer useful content.

Creating content that captivates audiences is a necessity in the digital world, as attention spans are shorter than ever. An e-commerce business’s ability to connect with its target audience through valuable, relevant, and meaningful content determines whether it succeeds or fails. 

Online buyers do not want to tolerate overt advertisements or poorly designed websites. Write valuable and functional content to supplement your products. If you offer your customers more value and information, they are more likely to purchase from you.

Content is king these days.

20.  Capture emails.

These days, expanding your email list and your business are almost mutually exclusive. However, email is still the best marketing channel available.

Email enables businesses to communicate with customers directly and deliver far more personalized messaging without worrying about algorithm inconsistencies. Because of this, 48% of B2B marketers believe it to be the most effective channel for generating conversions, making it especially effective at motivating qualified leads to take action.

If you succeed in getting their emails with a popup, offer a coupon code that will enable you to continue marketing to them during the decision-making stage and increase your conversion rates.

21. Capture the attention of visitors quickly.

According to research, online user’s attention spans currently only last eight seconds on average. This implies that you only have eight seconds to grab the interest of your visitors and persuade them to stay on your page. 

Use visuals to enhance your copy, such as pictures, videos, and infographics. Information can be quickly conveyed, and a new visitor’s attention can be quickly drawn in with visual content.

22. Limit the number of calls to action.

Place your call to action (CTA) at strategic points on your website, such as the conclusion of blog entries, landing pages, and product descriptions. Use contrasting colors or clear buttons to make them easily visible and accessible.

You can direct the user to the call to action button on that page by pointing them in that direction. “Add to Cart” should be used if they are on a product page. Use “Proceed to Checkout” if they are already on the cart page. 

23. Clearly state your unique selling proposition.

A unique selling point captures the essence of your business—the value you provide and the problem you solve—while also defining your company’s distinct market position. With a compelling USP, you can clearly state the unique advantage that sets you apart from the competition.

If all your potential customers’ products seem the same, they will not know which is best for them. It will be easier for them to distinguish your unique selling proposition from the many options available to them.

24. Check your product descriptions and copy’s spelling.

Error-free copywriting is not only more credible and professional, but it also increases engagement and conversion rates.

Use a spell checker to identify grammatical errors, typos, and misspellings. You can use a specialized program such as Descriptomizer to write the best product description, Grammarly, ProWri, or Hemingway, or the spell checker built into your word processor, web browser, or email client.

Reading your work aloud will help you identify mistakes and make improvements. This can assist you in picking up on repetition, ambiguity, inconsistency, and awkward wording that you might have overlooked otherwise.

25. Measure the success of your e-commerce conversion rate optimization.

It is a common misperception that conversion rate optimization must lead to a sale. It could be as easy as subscribing to a backup newsletter. 

Monitors your store’s conversion rates daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual, or at any other specified frequency. You can confirm that your adjustments and modifications are effective in several excellent ways. The obvious one is checking to see if your conversion rates are rising.

26. Implement a browse abandonment campaign.

Email the visitors to your website or online store who abandoned their carts while browsing. These emails aim to bring potential customers back into the conversation and persuade them to complete the transaction.

One of the best methods for converting customers who have expressed interest in a particular product is browsing abandonment emails. According to Klaviyo data, browse abandonment emails have a 0.96% conversion rate, which is 9.6 times higher than the average email campaign. 

Add pictures and details about the products browsed, in addition to persuasive copy that emphasizes their advantages. By reminding customers about the products they have been eyeing, you can raise conversion rates and revenue for your company.

27. Always conduct tests.

Testing different website elements, such as design, specifications, functionalities, pages, and features, to verify their soundness and ensure they are not negatively affecting the site’s performance is known as e-commerce testing.

A/B testing new concepts regularly is the best way to increase your website’s conversion rates. The goal of A/B testing is to eliminate customer pain points. When done correctly and consistently, removing friction from the shopping process increases the likelihood of conversions. 

28. Personalize.

If you personalize the user experience, your brand will transform from merely good to genuinely memorable and fit for brand loyalty.

When brands provide personalized experiences, 80% of consumers are more inclined to purchase. However, 66% of consumers said they would not buy if they got non-personalised content. Personalization increases sales and fosters a loyal customer base.

29. Add progress bars to the checkout process.

A progress bar also called a checkout progress indicator, is a helpful tool for informing customers of their distance from the desired free delivery.

Twenty percent of respondents cited a lengthy and challenging checkout procedure as the primary reason for cart abandonment. Many give up on purchases because they believe they are still far away, not realizing how close they are.

Customers are far more willing to tolerate a longer checkout process if there is a transparent progress bar because they can see the final result. 

30. Add filters to your category pages.

Customers can use filters, an e-commerce navigation tool, to limit the products they view on category pages according to particular standards. These filters typically consist of size, color, and brand, but they can be customized to the specific products you sell. 

Additionally, filters lessen decision fatigue, which increases revenue. According to a Columbia University study, consumers overwhelmed by options tend to make fewer purchases. Researchers set up two jam displays in a supermarket, one with 24 jars and the other with just six. Even though more people took the time to look at the larger display, the purchase conversion rate was only 3%. A 30% conversion rate was achieved with the smaller display.

• Category: Descriptomizer Library