There are few areas where conversion rate optimization (CRO) is more important than eCommerce. Online stores need to get visitors to click through, and then turn them into paying customers reliably.
So what are the most impactful ways to go about this? Here’s an overview of the tactics, solutions and techniques that define CRO in the world of web-based retail.
Table of Contents
Choosing tools and finding your own framework
There is a lot of debate over how best to handle CRO in this industry, and that probably comes down to the fact that there’s no one answer to suit every business. What works for one site won’t necessarily hit home on another.
That said, with the right tools on tap, it’s possible to work towards the development of your own framework for testing changes & optimizing conversion rates and catering to customers more effectively.
Indeed some tools present themselves as part of a wider framework, such as Google Optimize and VWO. Your budget will matter here, as pricing for tools and frameworks varies wildly, and must be factored in if you want to make your eCommerce site viable in the current economy.
There is plenty of competition in the CRO space, and the point is to take your own needs and match them to the frameworks available, with the tools in tow.
Building in best practices
There is a laundry list of best practices for CRO, and it pays to research each one rigorously so that your site sails, rather than sinks. They include:
Page load speed
A well optimized site will have pages which load quickly, as slowdown will cause visitors to abandon their buying journey before it has even begun.
User behavior analytics
By tracking user activity on website pages, you can tell which elements are performing well, and which are falling short.
From the amount of time visitors spend on pages, to the parts they interact with and the point on the sales funnel they fall off, all this data is insightful and actionable as you optimize the underpinnings as well as the front-end.
Clarity of vision
This sounds vague, but is actually quite specific; you need your site to instantly convey what it has to offer to visitors, rather than being difficult to decipher.
This can be done through UI layout, branding and the use of images. Moreover if your landing page copy is clear, concise and put front and center, you can set expectations appropriately from the second a potential customer arrives.
Quality of images
We just mentioned images, and it’s worth restating how much of a difference they can make when it comes to conversion rates.
If your product pictures are low-res or even just amateurish in their composition, it will do little to give visitors confidence in your business.
Also read: Where to Download Free Stock Images
On the other hand if they look on-par with what the best of the rest of the eCommerce sector has to offer, then even newcomers will be willing to put their faith in you.
Checkout process
The last step of a customer’s journey to conversion is the most important. You need to provide a combination of coherence, consistency and convenience when checking out so that it’s not a chore for people to pay for products they want.
Supporting multiple payment options, using trusted platforms, and offering discounts and incentives, will all help. The fewer interactions it takes to get to this point, the better.
Final thoughts
CRO is an ongoing and ever-evolving part of running an eCommerce site, so stick with it and you’ll reap the rewards in the long term, even if it takes time to analyze and improve your performance.
