Competition in the e-commerce sector is fierce, and the number of new online stores continues to grow. By 2023, 1,700,000 businesses from around the world will be using Shopify, including not only startups but well-known brands like Pepsi, Red Bull, and GymShark. Severe competition is one reason why even well-run and interesting online stores can’t break through. But there are proven ways to change that. So how do you stand out from the crowd and make sure your site not only attracts potential customers but also makes them want to convert? Let’s find out!

What is the conversion rate?

To define a conversion rate, we must first clarify what a conversion itself is. It occurs when a visitor to a particular website takes an action that the owner of that website expects them to take. Such actions can include making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, creating an account, downloading an e-book, or even sharing an article. It all depends on what business model a particular website has adopted and what its priorities are.

The conversion rate tells you what percentage of visitors converted. You can calculate it yourself, of course, but most e-commerce systems have built-in tools or the ability to install additional plug-ins that analyze and calculate the conversion rate on an ongoing basis.

What conversion rate is good? Well, the higher, the better. But there are certain limitations to it. It’s impossible to reach a 100% or 50% conversion rate. There are many statistics available on the Internet broken down by industry, as what is a low rate in one industry may be a top rate in another. For example, the furniture industry has a low conversion rate, and a result of 5% may be considered high, which in turn will be a low performance in the fashion industry.

The statistics say that only 10% of the companies on the Internet achieve a 10% conversion rate, while about 25% of the companies get a conversion rate of more than 5 %. Given these results, it can be assumed that a conversion rate of about 10% can be considered very good. However, it is always a good idea to check how your site stacks up against the specific industry.

conversion rate

Why should you care about improving your conversion rate?

The answer to this question is very simple – the higher the conversion rate, the more users make a purchase on the site, which means greater profits for the company. Thus, with the same amount of traffic on the site, more revenue can be generated. This is because it is not about creating powerful marketing campaigns and increasing traffic to the site. That is not what is important here.

Contrary to what you might think, a site with low traffic that has not been heavily promoted can have a better conversion rate than a site that has been advertised. If a site does not convert, then it is not generating profit. This is also a signal for the company to look for possible shortcomings or errors on the site itself. If new visitors come in, seem to be interested, but ultimately do not take any action, it means that something has gone wrong and it is worth taking a closer look at what it is.

How do I increase conversions rate on my Shopify store?

As you are reading this article, you probably already know what a conversion rate is, and you also know that it’s a good idea to make sure it’s as high as possible. There are several proven ways to do this. However, there is no silver bullet that will always produce the expected results. Each method must be customized, and time must be spent monitoring whether the change is working, as well as making adjustments and testing. Consider the following tips as inspiration or a stimulus to try something new.

  1. UX design
  2. When customers visit your website, they expect clear and easy navigation, readability, and interesting information. If they don’t really know what the site is about and what they’re supposed to do on it, there won’t be any conversions. The competition is so fierce that such little things are enough to make the customer leave the site and look for what they need somewhere else.

  3. Unique product descriptions
  4. This change can bring a double benefit. First of all, customers who enter the site and receive comprehensive information about the product and can easily find all the necessary data about it are more likely to buy. In addition, such unique descriptions have a positive influence on SEO.

  5. Effective search filters
  6. If the customer wants to buy a specific product, they expect to be able to easily find it in the maze of other items. Therefore, remember to put a search bar and filters on your site. This will help customers select products by color, price, or purpose, not making them browse through everything, but only a group of products of their choice.

  7. Mobile-friendliness
  8. Research shows that the majority of today’s Internet users are mobile. While it’s obvious that the site should be adapted to mobile devices, many of them are not responsive. Improving this functionality will help increase in-store conversions.

  9. Call to action
  10. A call to action must stand out on the page and be a strong incentive to click. Extra information is just a backdrop for what is the most important. Often, however, the CTA is not clear enough or is in the wrong place, causing site visitors to lose the main purpose of the page. So where should it be located to be visible and increase in-store conversions?

    The only effective way to see where to place CTAs is to study customer behavior on your site. For this purpose, you can use sophisticated analysis tools that record traffic on the site and display it in the form of heat maps. You can see where people stop on the page, what they click on, and whether they scroll down the page at all. This analysis can help you determine where to place the CTA button.

  11. A/B testing
  12. When you discover at what stage your customers resign from shopping and you already know why, create a new version of the site, and run A/B tests to compare whether it actually performs better. Only if your assumptions are confirmed should you implement your plan and replace the current site with the new version.

  13. Company information
  14. Internet users tend to be cautious, especially when it comes to companies they have never dealt with before. That’s why it’s important to include detailed company information, clear terms and conditions, product return policies, and contact information. Adding an “About Us” section that describes your company’s vision and mission, as well as its founding history may influence the perception of the company as trustworthy, which will be an additional advantage.

  15. Flexible payment methods
  16. Shopping carts are abandoned at different stages and for different reasons, but it is often at the checkout stage. If a customer encounters a hassle or does not have the option they use most often and are most comfortable with, they are likely to abandon the shopping cart. Offering a variety of payment methods gives customers the choice they want.

  17. Page speed
  18. The selection of plugins and tools to improve your Shopify store is wide. Many of them are useful, but in excess, they can make the site load more slowly. Page load speed is one of the most important elements that affects whether a user will convert. To avoid this, regularly review your plugins and remove those you don’t use. You can also review the features available within a particular Shopify theme and see which ones users are not using.

  19. Coherent marketing campaign
  20. A marketing campaign is one piece of the puzzle that drives sales and increases conversions. Effective advertising gets people to your site, and if it’s optimized and easy to use, they’ll make a purchase. So if you want to increase conversions, you need to make sure you have the right marketing campaign in place. Opt for clear communication, choose your target audience, and analyze your shopping personas well.

Summary

A higher conversion rate is a chance to increase sales revenue and stand out from the competition. Understanding that it’s not the marketing campaign itself that matters, but the quality of the website, is the foundation for success. Treat it as a showcase for your business and make sure every element is fine-tuned and the site is a user-friendly place.

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10 easy ways to increase conversion rate on Shopify store martin sparks avatar 1background

Author: Martin Sparks

E-commerce enthusiasts which constantly digs around the internet in order to make sure he hasn’t missed any important information on the topic of starting and scaling profitable online stores.