Five ways to increase your online conversion rates

Conversion rates can be defined as the percentage of consumers who take a desired action. In the online retail world, this typically means the percentage of customers who purchase something from you. Companies are constantly looking for ways to increase their numbers. Everyone has their own best practices and knows their own business the best, but we hope to give you some insight with our top 5 ways to increase your conversion rate.

1. Ease of Use – If the checkout process seems difficult to your potential customer, they may not complete the transaction. Consumers prefer a simple, quick checkout process. The checkout site needs to be convenient for consumers.  The site needs to clearly define the next steps in the checkout process. Use bright buttons, logical flow, and directions to make the process as easy as possible. Consumers begin to second guess the purchase when they have a roadblock in their way.

2. Credibility – If you are not a trusted vendor, consumers may have some last minute doubt. You want to build trust with your brand. This can be done by being transparent and having great customer reviews. You can also build credibility by having a secure, PCI compliant checkout site.  Some consumers are very weary about putting their credit card information on the Internet.  Partnering with a trusted and well established payment processor, like BMT Micro, can help assure your customers’ security and privacy.

3. Clear and Concise – Information on the site needs to be clear and concise. Detailing a clear returns policy and any guarantees will put the consumers mind at ease. You need to have all of the information they may want, right there in front of them for convenience and peace of mind. Contact information is also necessary. They want to know that there is an easy way to contact you if they have a concern. The idea is to be completely transparent so there are no surprises after the purchase.

4. Value of Visits – Make the consumers visit valuable. They want to feel like they are getting something out of choosing to purchase from you. You can have coupons for bundling items, discounts on future purchases, etc. This will also build brand loyalty. Visitors also often abandon shopping carts to search for coupons. Displaying coupons on the checkout page can deter them from leaving. Lastly, if they do abandon their shopping cart, you can send them a coupon via email to draw them pack in to purchase.

One thing that Amazon is well known for doing to build value in visits is that they recommend other products. They recommend products that the consumer may like based on their history or suggest other items that people have purchased with the product you are looking at. It not only makes your consumer happy, but it tends to help you sell more.

5. Customer Feedback – Right before purchasing a product, many consumers search for product reviews. Having positive customer reviews will be helpful in converting them to a customer. If you do not currently have any reviews, you may want to promote reviews on your social media sites or ask valued customers to write something about you. Another way to get customer feedback is to send out surveys after consumers purchase or abandon their carts. This way you can get insight into what you are doing well and what needs some work. Also, if they give very positive feedback, you could ask them to write a review and send them a coupon.

These are our top 5 tips to increase your conversion rate today! However, you know what works best for your business. Feel free to add to this list if you have used another trick that has been successful in the past. We are always excited to hear new ideas!