E-Commerce Websites and getting that conversion!
To our customers it is important about getting them a high number of quality visitors to their website but this becomes extremely unimportant to them if these visitors are then clicking off within seconds of landing on the homepage.
Traffic which simply leaves after landing means that there is no value in it – no conversions.
For many companies sell their products or services online through e-commerce websites and to these companies it is conversions are what helps to keep them ticking over. But what is a conversion?
Conversion actually refers to a desired action and in the majority of cases this is a purchase of a product although not always! Sometimes it could simply be a request from a visitor to a company asking for more information, a visitor submitting a form with required details on it and even something such as a visitor picking up the phone and speaking to a company
Therefore in web design terms a conversion rate is the number of visitors in a ratio who carry out desired actions. This ratio is then translated into something called, return on investment (ROI) dependent on whether the company is requiring sales or leads.
Currently in the UK conversion rates have fallen by 55% and it has been suggested that this is because so many people are choosing to shop online but it isn’t just this! It has been found that consumer behaviour has changed too; in an ever so conscious society where every penny counts people are using the internet to compare prices, products and offers before making that final purchase.
What can be done to increase your conversion rates?
- Firstly you need to have your website filled with a number of calls to action. These are requests made by yourself for a visitor to do something which would be for instance to purchase a product or fill out a contact form.
- Secondly you need to ensure that your “contact us” forms are easy to find and easy to use. Although this will seem obvious to many, unfortunately there are a number of e-commerce sites which make the process of finding out contact details extremely difficult. You should offer the visitor a number of methods of contacting you.
- Thirdly and quite importantly you need to ensure that the pages of your website are easy to read and that any text or copy is understandable. For example do not try and fill it with lots of technical jargon in order to try and impress a visitor as more often than not they will just feel alienated. Clearly state what it is you offer and ensure that there are no typing errors or grammatical errors as this can seriously put people off.
- Finally and again quite importantly you need to ensure that your e-commerce website clearly shows what sets you apart from other companies who you are competing against.
What is it that makes you special? What is your unique selling point?
If you can get this across to your visitors then it gives them a reason to invest in you rather than a competitor.