E-commerce: Seven Straightforward Tips to Improve Web Conversion
When it comes to online marketing, conversion rates are key. With that in mind, Jeff Schueler, president of Usability Sciences Corp., a Dallas-based Web usability company, offered seven tips to improve conversion on your e-commerce site in a session at the Internet Retailer conference, held earlier this month in Chicago:
1. Encourage account creation. “People inherently don’t like to register,” Schueler said, “so integrate account creation into the shopping cart process, but do it after the customer has paid.” This accomplishes two things: First, the customer doesn’t feel pressured to register in order to buy something from you, and second, you’ll already have the customer’s info from the shopping cart, so all she’ll need to do is create a user ID and password.
Schueler stressed the importance of not requiring registration, but rather, selling it as a benefit. Let customers know the perks associated with providing their information, such as advanced notice of sales or special discounts, he said.
2. Use enhanced product imaging to drive conversion. “Online shoppers want all the functionality they can get to help them see, touch and feel an item before they purchase it,” Schueler noted. The abilities to zoom in or rotate a product image are examples of enhanced imaging. Schueler cited one online retailer with the following results: Forty-six percent of people who converted on the site used enhanced imaging, while just 19 percent of non-converters used enhanced imaging.
3. Make product comparisons easy. Your site should allow the side-by-side comparison of up to four products, Schueler said. Important features to include on the comparison page are easily located prices, the abliity to remove a product from the comparison and the ability to add to the shopping cart from the comparison page. The ability to compare products is especially relevant to apparel merchants, who may have a particular item in multiple shades, he said.
4. Make the add-to-cart button easy to find. The add-to-cart button should be obvious and above the fold, Schueler pointed out. Shoppers should never have to scroll to find their shopping carts or add to them. He cited Amazon.com as an example of the best way to showcase the add-to-cart button. It’s always prominently placed to the right of the screen with a bright color.
5. Make it easy to start checkout. “A customer should be able to start the checkout process from almost any page on your site,” Schueler said. Display the shopping cart prominently on the home page and throughout the shopper’s visit. Clicking on the shopping cart immediately should begin the checkout process, rather than taking the shopper to a cart summary page with an additional link to the checkout process.
6. Always set the default quantity to 1. After all, Schueler asked: “Why would a potential customer ever want to buy zero items?” If the shopper clicks to add the item to her cart, she obviously wants at least one of the item. Don’t make her change it.
7. Make errors easy to understand and simple for shoppers to correct. If shoppers make errors while filing out forms on your site, clearly show them where the errors are and how the errors can be corrected. “If they make an error, never clear the fields and require them to re-enter all of the data to correct one mistake,” Schueler said.
