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It’s a fact that nobody who has an ecommerce website or runs an online store, ever says they have enough sales.

Many customers, even those with beautiful, user-friendly websites, are constantly asking around how to get more sales, how to increase conversions, and how to have a better online store.

The answer is not a simple 3 step process. There are many factors that determine the conversions on your website. Product copy, sales and specials, and one step checkout are a few that I want to highlight today.

Feel free to give us a call or shoot over a message if you’d’ like a more in-depth analysis or consultation on increasing conversions.

Product Copy

Whether the product is unique to you and your brand or is an item that is found on 1,000 other websites, you need to have good product copy. This is done in two main elements.

1. Photos – Not only should you have crisp and clear high resolution photos, but you most definitely should also have multiple photos. Different angles, different colors, in use, etc. should all be available for a user to easily navigate through. Make them drool! Many argue that images have one of the biggest impacts on whether or not a user buys an item online.
    
2. Description – The product needs to be clearly defined. The product made it through the assembly line and into production because it has something to offer. It is important that you take the time to give this product the time it deserves. Don’t be afraid of making it too long. You have all the tools there (or you should) for them to checkout and contact you. Descriptions that are too long will not make you lose a sale, but too short of a description can.
    
3. Videos – If you can, do. While high resolution photos are great for product research and help in conversions, a video is even better. Videos can really give people a look at the item as if they were in the store. You don’t have to start with the entire inventory, but if you can take and make videos for a few products, you should definitely try it out and see if it helps. If you want a good example of product videos, head on over to Zappos.com.
    

One-Step Checkout & Account Creation

One-step checkout is just as it sounds – a checkout that is all one step. One-step checkout’s are generally checkouts that are contained to one page.

With a one-step checkout, you allow a user to go to one page and follow through to the bottom, filling out all of their checkout information, and on the same page they can actually press the checkout button and have the payment be processed.

The logic behind it is that the more steps people take, the more pages they click, the longer they have to navigate away, change their mind, or just get lost – the less change you have of getting that sale.

A one step checkout also makes account registration lot more seamless – whether registering or not. By no means do I think you should require someone to have an account to checkout. Definitely let registration be an option for those who want to create an account and log back in for future orders, order tracking, order history and more, but I wouldn’t make it a requirement. More steps = less conversions.

Sales & Specials

If you live in America, I don’t have to tell you that people like a bargain. Even if they aren’t truly getting one, they want to feel like they are getting one.

I am by no means telling you to price your products on clearance, but having sales and promotions can lead to shoppers having a better sense of smart shopping, and you getting a closed deal.

Studies have shown that users tend to look for a sales page of some sort – whether it’s sales, specials, or promotions, users want to see what the best deals you offer are.
 

There are many other factors that can affect your conversion rate. A few more:

• Shipping: A lot of studies show charging for shipping can greatly decline your conversion rate
• Speed: If your website is too slow, people WILL leave and shop elsewhere. Speed her up!
• Concern: If a visitor is concerned with you or the product, there goes the sale. Comfort your visitor.
• Support: Nothing’s more frustrating than having one quick question before you want to buy something, but can’t get a hold of someone. Offer live chat, display contact information, allow visitors to connect with you on social media – whatever it takes, just make sure you are offering great support!

Increasing your conversion rate is not a cut and dry process. It's important that you test out different features and do some A/B testing and monitoring to see what works and what doesn't work. What works for other online stores, might not work for you!

Basch Solutions, LLC is a website design and website development company that has been building eCommerce websites since the eCommerce term was coined. If you're looking for some ecommerce guidance and help, feel free to give us a call or shoot us a message and we'd be happy to assist in getting the ball rolling.