Last week, in the first part of this article, I showed you the first six factors that improve the conversions of an eCommerce website – now, in this second part you will discover the 6 remaining factors that are fundamental to increasing your eCommerce sales.
Note: If you have not read the first part of this post, you can do so now by clicking here.
7. MORE PAYMENT OPTIONS
One of the factors that determine cart abandonment rates is the payment. Users have little trust in online transactions, but offering several payment methods can give more freedom of choice when purchasing and a better sense of security.
Tip: Use Paypal, the preferred service by users for online payments. Aspen Grove Studios also recommends Stripe as an alternative.
8. REQUEST ONLY THE NECESSARY DATA FOR THE SALE
Users typically get annoyed by a request for data that seems useless to the end of the action and this may result in the abandonment of the purchase page. It is important that every form requires only the information strictly necessary to close the sale. For example, if you sell virtual products such as WordPress plugins or some sort of software that you can download, you need not ask the customer to enter their home address, zip code etc… It only takes the first and last name and a valid email address for sending files.
Tip: Avoid requiring strictly personal information such as a phone number, it is not really necessary. Always specify the reason you’re asking for sensitive data. Lastly do not forget to insert references to your company’s privacy policy, especially if it is required by law if your site collects data.
9. CLEAR INFORMATION
Explain clearly the information that should be inserted into a specific field, it lowers the risks of confusing users and losing conversions. A classic example is the card verification code located on the back of credit cards.
If the label just says “Enter CVC” this could create confusion if the buyer is not aware of what the “CVC” is and where to locate it. This can cause confusion with the risk that the customer abandons the cart.
In this case, the best solution is to insert an image that indicates where you actually find the code. It’s a simple way to clarify any doubts.
Tip: You can also take advantage of the Tooltip function and offer more information.
10. USE “TRUST BADGES”
According to this Invesp article, inserting the trust badge is among the factors that positively influence the increase of conversions of a shopping cart page. The use of services that protect transactions as McAfee or Norton security contribute significantly to give security and confidence in the processing of payments – the presence of logos that testify to the use is essential to this end.
11. OFFER CUSTOMER SERVICE
Each user has a different approach to buying online. There are the experts who only make purchases online (all the time), there are the people who think, “Yes, buying online saves time and money, but I prefer to touch what I buy.” Then there are the insecure shoppers who think that behind every eCommerce website, there is a hacker ready to steal their credit card.
We all have our own perceptions of the web, and including an efficient customer service platform can help to remove any doubt or fear of pre-purchase. Of course, it is also crucial in the case of post-sales support.
My Advice: It is not necessary that you provide customer service with a call center 24 hours a day, but just insert the references to social channels or eCommerce live chat, in order to give good service. Services like Olark or Intercom , are excellent solutions to create an effective and efficient customer service, but above all stay within the reach of your budget.
12. USE CROSS-SELLING AND UP-SELLING TECHNIQUES
I suggest that you implement the ‘related items’ option on the shopping cart page as it is an excellent strategy to increase eCommerce sales, but also to understand well the importance of this marketing strategy. Let me explain what Cross-Selling and Up-Selling is.
Cross-selling: imagine you are at the cash register of the McDonald’s in your town, it’s lunchtime and you want to eat a Big Mac.
Just as you are about to pay for your burger, the cheerful young lady with the hat asks you “Are you interested in a portion of fries and a medium Coke, for only 3$ more?
This is an example of the cross-sell technique – offer something more during checkout or after.
Up-selling: This time, imagine going to a car dealership to buy a Fiat 500. The dealer instead offers you a Ford Mustang convertible and the opportunity to drive home with your hair in the wind and with a superior product to what you had in mind to buy. That’s what the UP-selling, means – to convince a customer to buy a product that exceeds the initial amount requested.
OTHER FACTORS, IN BRIEF…
Use a section F.A.Q
Create a page where you collect the most frequently asked questions of users / customers as well as to give quick answers to the ones who are the most in doubt.
Geolocate your eCommerce customers
Make sure the currency and the shipping time update themselves automatically depending on the country from which the access to the website is done.
Do not turn your newsletter in spam
Although this recommendation is not strictly linked to the abandonment of the cart, it is good practice to not overwhelm your customers with excessive emails. Would you like to receive a daily email that only wants you to open your wallet?
Fast Shipping
Online shoppers have come to expect to receive their purchase in a very timely manner. That’s why it is important to have an efficient and quick delivery service. The risk is that the cart is abandoned because of the long times of delivery.
Customs duties
If provided, enter the amount of extra taxes to pay in total to be paid. It is also important not to hide NEVER any related charges, but rather make them clear and transparent.
Use high-resolution images
Not being able to touch the product is one of the factors that can negatively affect online sales. But with our help, they come to rely on the product’s images to make a decision (provided they have good quality) and videos, if your budget allows. In this way, we can give the customer a good visual description of the item selected.
Leverage quality written content
Along with images and video, written content has the power to convert a visitor into a paying customer. Even for an eCommerce website this is a good rule: Content is King!
In Conclusion
Whether it’s a subscription to your newsletter, a like on a post, or the sale of a product, it does not matter… if you want to reach a specific goal you must keep the users in mind.
What do they want? How they intend to have it? What we do? What we write? What we sell, is intended for people who wake up every morning and look for precise solutions to their needs – people who want a reason to perform an action, and if we do not give them a good reason, someone else will.
Now it’s your turn..
What do you do to improve your eCommerce conversions? Have you ever abandoned a shopping cart eCommerce for a very specific reason?
Write it now in the comments!
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