While onsite campaigns can be effective at increasing site conversion, they won’t function to their fullest extent if the rest of your website isn’t optimized. A fully optimized website is easier and more pleasant to navigate, creating better customer experiences overall.
Here are the website elements you need to consider when it comes to providing an “add-to-cart” worthy experience.
Inadequate or uninspiring product descriptions that fail to convey the value, features, and benefits of the product can leave potential customers unsure about their purchase.
Clothing brand Marine Layer puts a lot of effort into making their product descriptions fun, engaging, and downright helpful. Who knew this dress was so versatile?
Blurry, small, or insufficient product images can prevent shoppers from getting a clear view of the product, making them hesitant to buy or inaccurately set expectations. For example, jewelry brand Aurate provides many up-close product images, as well as a 360 zoomed-in product video, to give shoppers a better idea of how pieces look. This is an effective way to provide as much visual information as possible without actually holding the piece, especially at high price points.
Statista's Market Insights report that mobile sales reached $2.2 trillion in 2023 and now make up 60% of all ecommerce sales. Product pages that are not mobile-responsive can frustrate users and lead to high bounce rates. And now, as social media apps like TikTok and Instagram allow purchases directly in-app, more consumers are checking out on mobile than ever.
Affordable luxury brand Quince makes it easy to browse, add to cart, and see other recommended items.
Trust symbols and security certificates, clear return and refund policies, and product ratings and reviews are essential to establish trust. Without them, shoppers may hesitate to complete a purchase. This is known as “social proof” and can take many forms – from customer testimonials to product ratings, to certifications from organizations such as the Better Business Bureau.
Luxury pajama brand Printfresh does a great job of this, with customer reviews and photos on every product page.
Excessive pop-ups, banners, or unrelated content on the product page can distract shoppers and detract from the main goal of conversion. If you are running a singular campaign – such as a product launch – all of your focus should be on that, in order to have the biggest impact on conversion. This means getting rid of those “sign up for our newsletter” pop-ups!
Slow-loading pages can be a major turn-off for shoppers. Quick page load times are not just essential for a positive user experience, but for conversions, too. Even a 1-second delay has been proven to reduce conversions by 7%. Your web page should load in 2.5 seconds or less. You can use this tool to check how your website is performing.
Lengthy, confusing, or convoluted checkout processes can lead to cart abandonment. Shoppers want a straightforward and seamless experience. That means things like providing a guest checkout option (rather than making shoppers create an account). Shopify checkout does the legwork for you, with a clear flow that many shoppers will be used to, and a handy Shop Pay option for shoppers who already have an account.
For example, TUSHY offers a guest checkout option and express options for those who have A Shop Pay, PayPal, Venmo, or GPay account they’d like to use. Gaccount they’d like to use. The discount code section is easy to find, and the address field auto-populates when shoppers start typing – to reduce mistakes.
Shoppers expect responsive and efficient customer support. The lack of a readily available support system can deter potential buyers. Chat support and a help center can be a vital tool in improving conversion rates for ecommerce sites, acting as a real-time assistant to answer questions, resolve concerns, and guide users toward a desired action. If you use Gorgias Convert, you provide shoppers with the option to always troubleshoot with a real person – it’s not just a chatbot without human backup.
