Online Store Performance Optimization Tips for Better Conversions
You are in the eCommerce business to make money.
Beyond growing the number of people who visit your site, your bigger goal is to convert them into paying customers.
But with a crowded and competitive online marketplace, it’s not enough to just put up your store and expect people to buy your products.
Data suggests that as much as 92% of people who visit your site for the first time are not there to make a purchase.
In this post, we’re going to go over performance optimization strategies that are crucial to compel your web visitors to start taking out their wallets and clicking your “Buy Now” buttons.
Let’s get started.
Tempt your customers with compelling product photos
Usually, customers would want to touch and feel something before deciding to buy. But given how online stores work, that’s just not possible.
Product images are the next best thing.
It’s no secret that high-quality photos are important in eCommerce. More than just making your site aesthetically-pleasing, they are effective tools in convincing your audience to buy.
High-quality images build your credibility and make people trust your brand. They also reassure the customers that they are getting your product the right model, color, and size.
While investing in a photographer or high-quality photography equipment is the best route, it is possible to take good photos even with your Smartphone.
Desk lamps and poster boards can do wonders for your lighting. Take photos from different angles to highlight the features of your product.
To edit your images, you can download apps on your phone or use an online tool like Pixlr. There are plenty of cost-effective and user-friendly.
Encourage more conversations with live chat
A lot of business owners see live chat as something optional, but adding this feature on your site can be a game-changer.
It can drastically improve the shopping experience for your consumers.
Whenever they need assistance, they can simply click on the live chat button on your site instead of having to call or send an email.
This means that consumers don’t need to wait for hours or days to get their questions answered.
A shorter response time translates to more satisfied customers. In turn, this can help increase your sales and revenue.
Adding a live chat button to your website allows you to meet the ever-growing expectation of consumers. It boils down to making the shopping experience more convenient and user-friendly.
It is important to highlight that live chat is not all about giving robotic and canned responses. It’s about understanding what consumers need and deliver the answers in a personalized way.
Before adding a live chat button to our site, it is important to make sure that everyone involved has received proper training.
You might want to consider adding a tool like Zendesk Chat to help make customer interactions more manageable.
Strengthen customer relationships with personalized marketing
According to Epsilon, as much as 80% of consumers are more likely to do business with companies that offer a personalized experience. In fact, it’s something they expect.
But personalization is more than just addressing a person by name in an email.
It’s a recognition that each customer has different needs and wants. Recognizing these differences make their shopping experience more convenient and pleasurable.
Personalization allows brands to leave a more powerful impact on individual customers through tailored messaging and brand experience. When done the right way, it’s also a great way to earn consumer trust.
Aim to offer a shopping experience that fits the individual needs of your consumers.
For example, try catering to particular communication preferences or making recommendations based on past purchases.
Where do you start with personalizing your marketing efforts?
Data is the key to personalization.
This includes collecting important information like age, race, ethnicity, financial information, marital status, and more. It also means monitoring the browsing and buying the history of your consumers.
You also need to track metrics such as email opens, link clicks, and shopping cart data.
It can get overwhelming, but numerous online tools can help you.
If you want to start with something very basic, try using a link management tool Bitly for individual link analysis and to measure campaign performance.
Simplify your checkout
If a consumer is already decided on buying a product, you have to make checkout as quick and frictionless as possible.
Eliminate obstacles, reduce the number of steps, and aim for a frictionless checkout to reduce shopping cart abandonment.
Make everything as simple as possible.
Here are some steps you can take to make your checkout process seamless:
- Add clear Call to Action (CTAs) that will guide your customer throughout the process. DOn’t confuse them with too much distraction.
- Offer multiple payment options for payment and shipping. Include credit card and bank logos at the beginning of your checkout flow.
- Be clear about how much the consumer is paying. Provide an itemized summary and avoid nasty surprises like a hefty shipping fee.
Make your store mobile-friendly
Shopping through a Smartphone is on the rise.
Now, more than ever, it’s important to optimize your website for mobile viewing.
There are many ways to make your site mobile-friendly, but you can start with improving mobile speed to provide a smoother customer experience.
You can use Google Page Insights to find out if your site is up to par.
If you are looking for ways to speed up your website, you might want to consider using a Content Delivery Network (CDN), which allows a faster site experience by providing alternative server nodes around the world.
Final Thoughts
Conversion rates are not the only thing that matters, but it’s one of the most important factors that will keep your business profitable.
Instead of obsessing about the numbers, always look at the whole picture and focus on what you can adjust to improve the customer experience.
Always ask for feedback from consumers to know what works best.
And don’t forget to test your ideas first!
What ideas have helped you improve your conversion rates? We’d love to know!
