eCommerce puts the world at our fingertips. Consumers can purchase products from across the globe without leaving their homes, and merchants can meet those customers with efficient websites and effective marketing.
Yet, for all its glory, many eCommerce websites still fall flat when it comes to conversions: it’s estimated that roughly 7 out of 10 shopping carts get abandoned today.
Worse, it’s not always clear why. It could be because users discovered a better price elsewhere, they were put off by too many steps in the checkout process or they were just browsing. To diagnose the problem and offer scalable solutions, businesses turn to freelancers and agencies for eCommerce conversion hacks and creative strategies that convert site visitors into paying customers.
eCommerce conversion optimization tips for agencies
Check out some ways to make more eComm cash for your clients.
01. Display recent customer activity
People don’t like missing out (see: why FOMO is a thing), and this rule of life applies to trendy products as much as it does to parties and concerts. That’s why showing recent customer activity—like the number of people who have an item in their cart or the latest purchase a customer made—drives sales. It’s the eCommerce equivalent of two thumbs up.
Indeed, social proof, or demonstrating that other people are interested in the products sold, boosts conversions by as much as 15%, according to OptinMonster. Social proof influences shoppers because it contributes to that fear of missing out and makes customers move fast so they don’t miss their chance.
02. Invest in traffic that converts
The 80/20 rule (a.k.a the Pareto principle) can help you invest your marketing resources more efficiently and effectively. While not always an exact 80/20 split, the idea is to allocate more of your time and marketing budget to the larger portion of traffic that accounts for the majority of your conversions.
Do this by analyzing the data you have about shoppers who visit your store. Focus on the average demographics that buy from you, and hone in on their particular motivations. You can use this information to create an ideal-buyer persona, then create campaigns and messaging focused on those personas.
03. Use a sales countdown timer to create urgency
As the name implies, countdown timers display a running countdown to the end of a specific event. They're the eCommerce version of the New Year's Eve countdown clock, except they apply to sales, offers or retail events. They’re powerful motivators to incentivize visitors to act quickly, particularly during high-demand shopping periods.
Timers create a sense of urgency, a "while supplies last" environment that fuels a scarcity mindset. They’re a simple tool that can increase sales and help push an online visitor from consideration to purchase.
Use Wix Blocks to create your own and use it on multiple client sites. Even better, you can later sell in the Wix App Market for others to use as well (with an audience of 245 million+ potential customers).
04. Tap into product reviews and ratings
Reviews and ratings build trust with shoppers. Of over 6,000 consumers recently surveyed by PowerReviews, nearly all of them said they read reviews. While 43% of respondents in the PowerReviews survey said that products should have 100+ reviews, even a single review can boost conversions by as much as 77%. Adding reviews to your Wix Store is an easy way to provide value to the online shopping experience.
05. Offer incentives
Everyone likes a discount. Incentives like free shipping, samples and coupons can give people a push to purchase. Even better if it’s specific and time-sensitive. Research shows that people are more likely to purchase when a coupon is tied to a specific holiday than when it’s generic, as we reported in the story, Are internet holidays marketing genius or just social media noise?
06. Decrease load times
Slow-loading web pages are obvious conversion killers. One study found that each second of delay reduces conversions by 4.4%. A slow website can cause some shoppers to switch to a competitor and others to shake their fist at the sky and walk away from the computer completely.
Fast load speeds are, again, so obviously essential for a positive user experience. Luckily, there's a lot you can do to improve your website's loading speed. This includes compressing and optimizing images, reducing redirects and using Wix Studio (just sayin’).
07. Consider your mobile strategy
Optimize your eCommerce website for mobile to reach shoppers where they spend a huge chunk of their day. Mobile is rapidly becoming the preferred way for consumers—particularly younger generations—to shop online. Mobile eCommerce (or "mCommerce") will comprise 43.4% of total retail eCommerce sales this year, up from 42.8% in 2022.
Your strategy should include responsive website design, optimized images (again, compressing images makes pages load faster), use of QR codes, and simplified navigation with mobile devices in mind. Wix Studio’s Responsive AI lets you create responsive designs quickly.
08. Simplify the checkout process
User experience is everything when it comes to the final stage of the online shopping journey: the checkout process. Simplifying online checkout reduces cart abandonment rates and increases sales.
To create a streamlined checkout experience, remove unnecessary steps and keep the user flow concise. For example, allow users to check out as a guest, without creating an account, and avoid bombarding them with lots of offers during the checkout process. Also consider giving customers as many payment options as possible.
09. Follow up on abandoned carts
Almost 70% of all shoppers abandon their carts according to the Baymard Institute. Cart recovery emails and remarketing can help you "save the sale" by reminding shoppers that they left something in their cart.
Cart recovery emails, on average, have an open rate of between 40 and 47% and conversion rates ranging from 8 and 10%. Wix Studio lets you set up retargeted Google ads that show the products in someone's cart after they leave your website have click-through rates (CTR) 10X higher than other display ads and can boost website conversion rates by as much as 26%.
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