Morgan Stanley predicts US e-commerce to grow to an astonishing $5.6 trillion by 2026. All this growth means competition will be tough, and this exactly why you need to focus on e-commerce optimization if you want to succeed and generate sales. A lot of e-commerce brands get excited when designing and building their online shops, focusing more on branding and style than anything else. However, you have to keep in mind that your design choices will impact your conversions and ultimately your sales. And an e-commerce site that looks beautiful and on-brand can be great, but if it doesn’t have a good conversion rate, it won’t be sustainable
So what is a good conversion rate for e-commerce sites? For e-commerce, it is between 3% and 5% depending on the type of products you offer. Before making any changes to your website, you should audit your account and understand your current conversion rate. You do this by dividing the number of transactions by the number of sessions and multiplying it by 100. With your current conversion rate in mind, map out a goal. You should aim for a 3% conversion rate at first, and once you have reached it, you can implement more advanced e-commerce optimization techniques. If you are looking for a website design and development partner that can help redesign your e-commerce website for better results, look no further. Contact our team and learn how we have helped other e-commerce clients. Now, let’s take a look at these tips that will help you optimize your e-commerce shop
Make good use of the above-the-fold area The above-the-fold (ATF) section is the first section of a webpage you see, before you start scrolling, and it is prime space for online shops. This is where you want to entice people to take the next step, whether that is looking at a specific product you are currently promoting, or visit an entire category. E-commerce stores should strive to have a bold graphic with a strong headline. The visual part can be a high-quality photo portraying the product or collection you are promoting. The headline should to be catchy, brief, and clear. It should also be accompanied by a strong CTA button that inspires visitors to take action right away.
Have a clear navigation People who want to buy products on your page should be able to find them easily. So, you have to make sure your navigation is clear. To make sure your navigation bar is visible, you should make it “sticky.” This way, visitors see it even as they scroll through the site. Use clear fonts that are easy-to-read. At Just Digital, when we work with new clients, we see a lot of e-commerce websites with small fonts that are difficult to read. Many times, designers choose these types of fonts for stylistic reasons and because they make websites look clean and sleek. However, this doesn’t help conversions. You want your text to stand out, especially if it highlights a link to a product or category. In addition to having a “sticky” navigation bar, you should show different product categories and individual products throughout your site. You can do this through a combination of CTA buttons and photography.
Leverage social proof Shoppers trust other people the most. Make sure to add reviews and testimonials to your homepage and to product pages, as these are key for e-commerce optimization. Having real product reviews inspires trust. It helps demonstrate that you are a real company, that other people have purchased from your website, and that they are happy with their purchase. If you want to take it a step further, you can add user generated content to your page. You can do this at the end of your homepage, category pages, and even within specific product pages.
Provide all your contact information Online shoppers are very aware of the risks of online shopping. This includes scam websites that charge them for a purchase and never deliver, or even ones that charge for a product of certain quality levels, and then send a lesser good. Your goal is to let your visitors know that you are not a scammer. People want to make sure they can contact someone if they feel like something is off with their order. So, you should always include all your contact information on your website. Your phone number, email address, social media profiles, and any way to contact customer support should be visible and easy to find.
Demonstrate website security E-commerce websites face unique challenges, the biggest one is safety. Shoppers need to trust your website because the last thing they want is to make a purchase and realize that their credit card data (or any other sensitive data) has been stolen. You need to make sure your website is safe, and beyond that, you have to communicate these safety measures on your website. Luckily, this is relatively easy to do. First, you want to get a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate if you don’t have one already. If you don’t have one, your website will get flagged by browsers and most users won’t even bother looking through your online store. Other ways to signal secure payments is by adding a section to your website where you clearly lay out your shopping policies. Just like in the picture of J75 Shoes below, you can mention any policies about shipping, returns and secure payments. Additionally, you should include the logos of partner payment companies (credit cards, payment platforms, and security certifications) in the footer of your page. Just like we did for J75 Shoes’ online store.
Highlight sales and promotions Last, but not least. If you offer discounts or promotions, make sure to make them visible throughout your website. Enable a pop-up with a CTA that appears as a shopper starts scrolling through the site. Add graphic banners in different locations of your website highlighting those offers. This tactic is especially effective for acquiring new customers as it gives them a benefit to shopping in a website that they don’t know, downplaying the risk of shopping in a new store for the first time. Optimizing for success Whether you use Shopify, WooCommerce or a different platform, success in e-commerce optimization is all about generating trust. In a digital world where every online transaction can be seen as a risk, you can take effective steps to minimize the perception of risk and increase your conversions. If you have questions about the effectiveness of your online shop, or are looking for a partner to help you redesign your e-commerce site, reach out to our team. We have over 8 years of experience designing websites, including e-commerce sites
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