Anyone who’s been in business knows that having a
business is no good if you aren’t making any sales. So it’s obvious why high conversion rates are so desirable.
However, getting conversions is not exactly a walk
in the park. I mean sure, you can make conversions just by virtue of having an
e-commerce business. But seeing success from your store is a different story.
In this post, we’ll go over a couple of reasons
your e-commerce conversion rates are
low and how to fix it.
Let’s jump right in:
What is Conversion Rate?
According to Wikipedia, conversion rate is a
measure of the number of visitors that convert into paying customers, users or
subscribers. So say you have 50 customers visiting your website and are able to
convince 10 to purchase furniture today. The day before that was a bit of a
slow day so you only sold 5 pieces of furniture. Even though the same number of
people visited your website, you have doubled your conversion rates.
So really, conversion rate simply means that
you’ve made a sale. Also, conversion rate could mean the number of visitors who
end up following you. Or someone who visits your website and ends up signing up
for your email list.
Why conversion rates matter
Conversion rate is hands-down the surest way to
know whether your business is on the right track. With insights from analytics
reports, you can see which parts of your business get the strongest conversions
and can help you predict which audiences are likely to become your best
customers.
Conversion rates can also be used to see if
something is not working which then gives your business the chance to fix it
and fix user experience on an ongoing basis.
4 Reasons Your Ecommerce Conversion Rates are Low
Your
Images are of Low Quality
Images
are the cornerstone of all things sales.
They are what give your visitors a sense of what
they are going to buy. So if your images are mediocre, then it means that your
products are probably mediocre too. According to BigCommerce, one of the things
that shoppers will look out for before making any online purchase is a product
image. If your images are attractive and alluring, then shoppers will be more
inclined to make a purchase. However, if you have unappealing images it will be
close to impossible to convince shoppers to make a purchase.
True to the old saying: A million is worth a
thousand words. People no longer want to browse your website, they want to
experience it. Using the right images can help you connect with your audience
better and boos your website conversion.
Unattractive Designs
Although most people will tell you that aesthetics
are not nearly as important as the content, they still put in a tremendous
amount of work to ensure their websites look good.
Why so?
Your design helps create an idea of who you are as
a brand. KFC and Big Square don’t just sell food. They sell an image. A
lifestyle. A brand. I’m not saying that you have to do a grand design to
communicate your brand. All you have to do is ensure that your graphic
design is seamless.
Technology has enabled us to do much more –
leverage it. Your customers want to see something new on your website. Design
your website so well that it screams “I’m different”
A Non Responsive Web Design
One of the biggest misconceptions among marketers
is an entrenched belief that all you need is good looking design. In truth,
responsive design is more valuable than an aesthetically appealing design.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that you
should not make an effort to make your website look attractive. But if your
design is not responsive, you will have low conversion rates either way. And seeing as you only have a few
seconds at best to impress visitors, a responsive web design is something you want to address right off the bat.
The 90’s are gone and the web 1.0 era has ended.
We are in the social age of the internet. People don’t look at the internet the
same way they used to. There are more educated people today than there was back
then. Your audience can tell when you are fooling with them by using a
cheap-looking web design. Invest in a responsive design that actually works and
see the impact it’ll have on your conversions.
Bad User Experience
How do you feel when you visit a site and end up having
a bad user experience?
I’m guessing not great, right?
Even if the page has every bit of information you
wanted, you may not want to spend a second longer on the website.
Well, that’s exactly how your users feel.
Whether it’s slow site speed or just the fact that
your website is over-cluttered, bad user experience could adversely affect your
conversion rates and even affect click-through rates on your website.
One of the fundamental things you need to do is
make your menus a little less complex and focus on having a more logical site
structure. Make it easier for your audience to find what they are looking for.
Navigating your site should be an easy experience all together.
Conclusion
There you have it folks! Solid reasons why your conversion rates are low and what you
have to do to fix it. If you can start by optimizing your images and having a more responsive web design, you can quickly increase conversions and make even more
revenue.