For entrepreneurs and companies that operate ecommerce websites, it is an ongoing effort, increasing sales online. For many it can be an overwhelming task. There are many complexities that have to be considered and managed correctly, to get the desired results.
Areas such as the home page of a website, store pages, checkout process, and other pages have to be optimized for conversion. Marketing and advertising campaigns have to be setup and managed successfully to receive quality traffic. These are just some aspects aside from having good pricing, quality products, and friendly customer service.
There are many details that need to be reviewed and considered for increasing sales online with ecommerce websites. To improve, here are some of the most popular methods and tips to accomplish improvements for ecommerce conversion and websites.
Tips For Ecommerce Websites
A website must be first designed and developed correctly to convert website visitors into shoppers and loyal fans. Regardless of strategies to attract traffic, the website itself needs to have certain elements to achieve the desired goals. This is especially important if any efforts and resources are allocated to marketing and advertising campaigns.
Here are some tips for ecommerce websites to convert better:
Website Home Page
The home page of any ecommerce website that spends resources on online marketing must have the proper content areas to support these campaigns, such as text copy, links, and title tags/keywords/description in the code. The home page must contain as well all the important sales conversion tools such as specials, promotions, discounts, most popular products, and direct links to purchase products with product images and prices. The home page should display contact information, navigation, and shopping cart functions in a user-friendly way. Much has to be considered when creating effective home pages for ecommerce websites.
Store Website Pages
All individual store pages that display products are important for ecommerce websites and sales conversion. Once a website visitor is successfully guided from the home page or another website page, they end up on a store page of the ecommerce website. Here trust has to be established for the website visitor further to consider buying a product. This trust can be established by providing the proper information and details with a well-architected page, buying area, and conversion tools. Tools that build trust can often help with conversion such as Better Business Bureau BBB symbols if one is a member, Years in Business labels, any guarantees, return policies, certifications, accreditations, and so on. Even sales and promotions can be again used on these pages to convey message to improve conversion and sales. Product reviews are very important and should be always displayed for website visitors to read.
Checkout Process
Once a website visitor decides to purchase a product, the ecommerce website checkout process should not be complicated, long, poorly designed, confusing, or annoying. It must allow the consumer to quickly purchase without delays and resistance, the desired product. Shopping cart abandonment is for many ecommerce websites as high as 50%. This is a real problem with ecommerce websites and must be addressed to reduce the losses. Some methods to use to improve conversion can be quality software applications such as Magento for ecommerce. Quality custom design of home pages, store pages, and checkout process help conversion. Well written text copy, quality product images, and well displayed payment options, guarantees, accreditation, customer testimonials all help further the improvement of conversion rates.
A website visitor should not be made to click too many times to get where they want to go. With each “click” going from page to page, there is a chance to loose the website visitor. In other words, each click counts. Reducing the necessary actions of the website visitor improves conversion rates drastically.
Regardless of whether it is the home page, store pages, other website pages or the checkout process. Reduction of needed clicks to get anything accomplished is key to producing more sales and higher conversion rates for ecommerce websites. A well designed and developed website with sales and customer services at its focus can drastically increase profitability for a website owner and company. A user-friendly shopping environment and quality design can keep consumers coming back and turning into loyal fans.
