What is Ecommerce Conversion Optimization? 

Conversions are the lifeblood of ecommerce. Without conversions, there would be no sales, and without sales, there would be no ecommerce. 

There are many factors that can affect your conversion rate, including the design of your website, the quality of your content, and even the way you present your prices. That's why conversion rate optimization is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. By constantly testing and tweaking individual elements of your website, you can gradually increase your conversion rate and grow your business.

Understanding conversion rate optimization

Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is the systematic process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action — be it completing a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or any other goal you may have set for your website.

There are a number of factors that can influence your conversion rate – from the design of your website to the language you use in your calls-to-action, to your navigation performance. But why should you optimize for conversions in the first place? Here are a few key reasons - 

• They help you reach new customers: Each conversion represents a potential new customer for your business. The more conversions you have, the more customers you can reach.
• Improve the Customer Experience: If you want to improve the customer experience on your website, conversion optimization is essential. By making it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for and purchase from you, you’ll keep them coming back.
• Build customer loyalty: When customers have a positive experience on your site and are able to easily find what they're looking for, they're more likely to return in the future.

Tips to improve your conversion optimization

Now that you know why it is essential to optimize your ecommerce site for conversions, let's take a look at some actionable tips you can use to accomplish this - 

Optimize your site's search functionality

If your customers can’t find what they’re looking for, they’re likely to abandon their purchase altogether.

Below are six of the ways you can optimize your site's search functionality.

1. Make sure your search box is prominently displayed on every page of your site.
2. Use descriptive keywords in your product titles and descriptions to help customers find what they’re looking for.
3. Offer suggestions as customers type into the search box. This helps them zero in on the right product faster. (autocomplete and autosuggest)
4. Allow customers to filter their search results by price, color, size, etc. This makes it easy for them to find exactly what they want. 
5. Enable customer reviews for each product listing. This allows customers to get an idea of quality and value before making a purchase.
6. Offer a “similar products” section on each product page. This helps customers find other items they may be interested in purchasing (intelligent product recommendations).

Make your website visitors feel safe while shopping with you

One way to ensure high conversions is to add trust signals to your ecommerce site. This will make users feel safe while sharing their data and payment information with you. Below are the five singlas you can use.

1. Get an SSL certificate: This will ensure that your site is secure and HTTPS-encrypted, which builds trust with visitors.
2. Use strong branding: Make sure your logo is prominently displayed and that your brand colors are consistent across all pages of your site.
3. Use customer testimonials: Show off positive reviews and testimonials from past customers to build social proof.
4. Testimonials from experts: If you have testimonials from well-respected experts in your industry, make sure to feature them prominently on your site. This will show potential customers that you're an authority in your field, and that you can be trusted to provide quality products or services.
5. Security badges: Display security badges from well-known companies like McAfee or Norton to let visitors know that their data will be protected if they purchase from you.

Optimize for mobile devices

If you’re not already tailoring your eCommerce experience for mobile shoppers, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity. 

If you want to increase your conversion rate, you need to make sure that your site is easy to use and navigate on a mobile device. This means having a responsive design that automatically adjusts to the size of the screen, large buttons and links that are easy to tap, and plenty of whitespace so that users don't feel overwhelmed.

You should also ensure that your checkout process is as streamlined as possible on mobile. This means keeping the number of fields to a minimum and making sure that the payment gateway is optimized for mobile payments.

Include high-quality product photographs on your website

Product photography is one of the most important elements of an effective ecommerce site. High-quality product photos help create an inviting and visually appealing online shopping experience that can help increase conversion rates.

There are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to choosing and using product photos on your ecommerce site:

Make sure the photos are high quality and clear. Product photos should be taken in well-lit conditions with a focus on the product itself. Avoid using stock photos or low-quality images.

Include multiple photos of each product from different angles. This will help give shoppers a better idea of what the product looks like and how it can be used.

Use alt text, captions and/or descriptions with each photo. This is your opportunity to share additional information about the product, such as benefits, features, sizing, etc.

Consider using lifestyle photography to show products being used in real life situations. This can be especially helpful for products that may be difficult to understand or visualize from standard product shots alone.

Offer seamless website navigation 

One of the most important things you can do to encourage conversion is to offer intuitive, intelligent navigation. This means providing them with a navigation experience that is easy to follow and doesn't require them to think too much about where they need to go or what they need to do to move further in their buying journey. The five best ways you can do it are listed below.

1. Make sure your menus are clear and easy to understand.

2. Use breadcrumbs so visitors can easily see their location on your site.

3. Use clear and concise labeling for all links and buttons. Your website navigation should be self-explanatory and easy to understand. Use clear labels that accurately describe the page or section they link to. This will help users find what they're looking for quickly and reduce frustration levels.

4. Provide a sitemap so visitors can get an overview of your site's structure.

5. Group together similar items or topics and use drop-down menus where appropriate. A well-organised website will make it easier for users to navigate and convert. 

Wrapping Up - Sustained growth requires ongoing conversion rate optimization

Conversion rate optimization is an ongoing process, and there is always room for improvement. Even if your business is performing reasonably well at the moment (The average ecommerce conversion rate stands at 3.65%), investing in a conversion-boosting online experience is well worth the effort. One way to ensure an unforgettable online experience is through intelligent site search functionality. A robust site search and intuitive product discovery experience can be a powerful driver for smooth customer experiences. With AI-powered search solutions like Zevi, businesses can leverage natural language search with synonym detection, typo tolerance and other advanced search features.

To learn more, book a demo with us today.