With so many online retailers emerging each and every day, it can be difficult to make your eCommerce website stand out from all the competition. Getting people to come to your online store is an achievement in itself, but then you have to convince them to stick around and make a purchase.
The online retail world is very similar to the high street. Every shop will get window shoppers, who come to browse, but never actually buy anything. This is going to happen to every single website. How many times have you popped on Amazon to have a browse, but not actually buy? Your own website will suffer a similar fate, but there are a few things you can do to help increase your online shop conversion rate.
- Make your contact information clear and visible. Having an email address hidden away in the corner of your website won’t really help your customers feel secure on your website. It’s always best to make it obvious, so if a customer is having problems, they can simply send you an email to ask for assistance. Even better is a phone number. Many customers, older web users especially, like the fact that you’re just a phone call away. They may never ring you, but they know they can if they need to. In fact, some customers might even see something on your website, but feel more comfortable buying over the phone than entering their credit card details online.
- Have an easily accessible shopping cart/basket/bag. When shopping online, it can often be difficult to keep track of what you’ve added to your shopping list. Therefore, it’s extremely beneficial if you can check to see what exactly you’ve selected so far, and more importantly, how much it all costs. As well as keeping track of what your customer has put in their basket, it’ll also help them know what they still have left to add!
- Try to keep your pricing consistent throughout. If a product says €10 on the product page, try to make sure that it still costs a tenner when your customer gets to the checkout (before shipping of course). There’s nothing worse than reaching the payments page only to find extra taxes and charges added on later. If your prices are excluding VAT, which will be added at the checkout stage, try to explain that clearly, so the customer won’t abandon their cart at the final step.
- Make paying straightforward. A lot of people hate registering for sites and setting up new accounts just to purchase something online. Most people have no problem entering in their name and address when buying something, but setting up an account and remembering a particular password can be a nightmare for many customers. A simple screen where you enter in your details before being sent to the payment gateway is easiest for most customers, and can be extremely helpful when you’re tracking your orders too.
There are many, many tricks and tips to getting the most from your eCommerce website. If you’re considering expanding your business to sell online, or merely want to increase your online sales, 2Cubed can help you through every part of the process. Find out more on the eCommerce section of our website.
