9 E-commerce Conversion Killers That Affects Your Sales
Introduction
In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, where every click and scroll counts, it’s essential to identify and tackle these conversion killers head-on.
Whether you’re a seasoned online retailer or just starting your business, understanding these common pitfalls can make a world of difference in boosting your sales and maximizing your success.
In this blog post, we’ll shine a light on the top e-commerce conversion killers that might be haunting your online store.
We’ll dissect the strategies and give you useful information and advice so you can finally put an end to them.
Are you ready to slay these conversion killers and transform your online store into a revenue-generating powerhouse?
Let’s get started!
What is a Conversion Rate? How it is Calculated?
The conversion rate is a key metric in e-commerce that indicates the percentage of visitors to a website who complete a desired action. This action can vary depending on the context. For an e-commerce store, a “conversion” typically refers to a website visitor making a purchase.
Divide the total number of visitors by the total number of conversions, multiply the result by 100 to get the percentage, and that is your website’s conversion rate.
For instance, if 1,000 people visited your online business in a given time period and 20 of them bought something (20 / 1,000 * 100), your conversion rate would be 2%.
What a Good E-Commerce Conversion Rate Looks Like?
Conversely, the usual range of e-commerce conversion rates is often between 1% and 3%. You’re probably doing well if your conversion rate is in this range or greater.
Even if your conversion rate is above average, by constantly enhancing your website and marketing strategies, you may raise the number of visitors you convert to customers.
Moreover, it’s essential to consider the context when evaluating your conversion rate. For example, a high-ticket luxury goods store might have a conversion rate lower than 1%, but this could still be excellent for that industry.
Remember, while it’s helpful to compare your conversion rate with industry averages, what’s more, important is to track your conversion rate over time and strive for continuous improvement.
Common E-commerce Conversion Killers
Several common issues can hinder the conversion rate of an e-commerce store, often referred to as “conversion killers.”
Below mentioned are a few e-commerce conversion killers to keep in mind.
1. Poor Website Design & User Experience
Potential clients may be discouraged from making a purchase when a site is complicated, cluttered, or visually unpleasant. Visitors may become frustrated and quit the site if they can’t readily discover what they’re searching for or if the navigation is difficult, which could result in a missed sale.
Moreover, slow load times can contribute to a poor user experience, as modern internet users expect fast, seamless browsing. Visitors may leave your website if it takes too long to load before they even see what you have to offer.
A site that’s not mobile-friendly can also kill conversions. With the growing number of consumers shopping on their smartphones, a site that doesn’t function well on mobile devices can lead to a poor shopping experience, causing potential customers to exit and shop elsewhere.
2. Complicated Checkout Process
Customers like an easy and straightforward checkout procedure when they choose to buy a product. If the process is lengthy, confusing, or complicated, customers can get frustrated and abandon their carts before completing the purchase.
Common issues include requiring customers to create an account before purchasing, having too many form fields to fill out, unclear instructions, or unexpected costs appearing at the last step.
An optimized checkout process has a clear, linear progression and only asks for necessary information. Offering guest checkout options, clear instructions, transparency about all costs, and multiple payment options can streamline the checkout process and boost conversion rates.
The idea is to remove as many obstacles as you can off your clients’ path to successful purchase completion. The likelihood that customers will finish their purchases and even come back for more shopping increases with the ease of the checkout procedure.
3. High Shipping Costs or Long Delivery Times
Online shoppers are attracted to the convenience and instant gratification of online shopping, and both high shipping costs and long delivery times can significantly deter potential customers.
- High Shipping Costs: Customers often add items to their cart, proceed to checkout, and then abandon their purchase when they see high shipping fees. In fact, unexpected costs, including shipping, are the number one reason for shopping cart abandonment. Many customers expect free or very low-cost shipping and may decide not to purchase if shipping costs are perceived as too high.
- Long Delivery Times: Customers now expect their goods to be delivered swiftly in the era of Amazon Prime and next-day delivery. Customers could decide to buy from a rival who can supply the product more quickly if the delivery time is too long.
Offering solutions like free shipping over a certain order amount, flat-rate shipping, or expedited shipping options can help reduce cart abandonment and increase conversions. The key is to set clear expectations about shipping costs and delivery times upfront, so customers are not surprised at checkout.
4. Lack of Trust & Security
Consumers are now being cautious about where and how they shop online as a result of the growth in online data breaches. If a website does not appear secure or trustworthy, potential customers may hesitate to complete a purchase.
Several factors can contribute to a lack of trust, including:
- Poor Website Design: A poorly designed online store can raise red flags for shoppers. Professional, clean, and updated design helps build trust.
- Lack of HTTPS or SSL Certificate: Websites without HTTPS may be flagged as not secure by browsers, deterring potential customers.
- No Clear Contact Information: If customers can’t easily find a way to contact you or your company, they may question your credibility. Providing straightforward contact details, such as phone numbers and real addresses, contributes to the development of trust.
- Absence of Policies: Customers expect to find clear information about return policies, shipping, and privacy policies. Not providing these can erode trust.
- Lack of Customer Reviews or Testimonials: Social proof, which can comfort potential buyers about the quality of your goods or services, is provided by adding reviews to your store.
To foster trust and improve conversions, e-commerce businesses should ensure they are using secure protocols, provide clear and accessible customer service, and transparent policies, and feature customer reviews where possible.
5. Inadequate Product Information
Online shoppers do not have the luxury of physically inspecting or trying on products before they buy, so they rely heavily on the product information provided. Customers could be reluctant to make a purchase if the product descriptions, specifications, or photos are confused, insufficient, or deceptive.
- Product Descriptions: These should be detailed, accurate, and compelling. They should effectively communicate the product’s features, benefits, and uses to help the customer understand its value.
- Product Images: Customers want to see the product from various angles and in different settings. Where relevant, images should also show the product in use.
- Product Specifications: Specific details like dimensions, materials, ingredients, or technical specifications (for electronics, for example) should be clearly stated.
- Availability & Shipping Information: Providing clear and accurate information about availability and shipping times can help persuade a customer to proceed with a purchase.
Inadequate product information can lead to higher return rates which can hurt your conversion rates in the long term. By providing detailed and accurate product information, you not only help customers make informed buying decisions but also set accurate expectations, leading to higher customer satisfaction and repeat business.
6. Limited Payment Options
Today’s online shoppers expect a variety of payment methods at checkout, and if their preferred option isn’t available, they might abandon their cart and seek an alternative seller.
Additionally, the rise of buy now, pay later services, which allow customers to spread out their payments, has become popular, particularly for more expensive items. Not offering these services when your competitors do could potentially lead to lost sales.
A lack of Shopify payment options can be particularly problematic for businesses aiming to sell internationally, as payment preferences can vary widely between countries.
Ensuring you offer a variety of popular, secure payment options can make the checkout process more convenient for your customers, thereby reducing cart abandonment and increasing your conversion rate.
7. Inadequate Customer Service
Any successful business must provide excellent customer service, but this is especially true with online sales because buyers rarely contact sellers in person. Customers expect prompt, considerate responses when they have queries or concerns regarding a product or service.
Inadequate customer service can manifest in several ways:
- Slow Response Times: If they don’t hear back from you right away, they might leave and visit another website.
- Lack of Support Channels: Not offering a preferred contact method can frustrate customers and lead to lost sales.
- Non-Personalized Service: A lack of personalized service can make the shopping experience feel impersonal and unsatisfactory.
8. Non-Responsive Page Layout
A layout is said to be non-responsive if it doesn’t change to fit the screen size and orientation of the device being used to see it. This can lead to several problems which are mentioned below.
- Difficult Navigation: If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, customers might have to pinch or zoom in to view content or navigate the site, which can be frustrating and lead to them abandoning their purchase.
- Poor Presentation: Content may appear skewed, images might not align properly, and text might be difficult to read on smaller screens if your site is not responsive.
- Longer Load Times: Non-responsive designs can take longer to load on mobile devices, which can cause impatient customers to leave your site.
- SEO Penalties: Search engines like Google prioritize mobile-friendly websites in their rankings.
Make sure your Shopify store has a responsive design to prevent these problems. You can use Shopify’s built-in mobile-friendly themes or work with a web developer to create a custom responsive design.
9. Slow Load Times
In an era where speed and efficiency are paramount, online shoppers have little patience for slow-loading websites. Studies suggest that even a one-second delay in page response can result in a 7% reduction in conversions.
Here are the reasons why slow load times can hurt your conversions:
- Poor User Experience: A slow website can lead to frustration and impatience, causing potential customers to abandon their shopping carts or even avoid future visits to your site.
- Decreased Trust: Customers may view your online presence as untrustworthy or unprofessional if it takes too long to load, which can damage your reputation and credibility.
- Lower Search Engine Rankings: Google factors site speed into its search algorithm. Slow-loading websites are ranked lower in search results, which means fewer visitors and potential customers.
Improving site speed should be a priority for any e-commerce business. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix can help you analyze your site’s performance and identify areas for improvement. You can improve user experience, improve SEO, and eventually increase conversion rates by speeding up your website.
Conclusion
Now that you’re equipped with knowledge about the stealthy e-commerce conversion killers that can harm your sales, it’s time to take action for your online success.
Remember, your customers deserve a seamless and delightful shopping experience, and by addressing these conversion killers, you can create a digital haven that keeps them coming back for more.
By focusing on user experience, streamlining your checkout process, optimizing page load speed, and enhancing mobile responsiveness, you can slay those conversion killers and unlock the true potential of your online store.
Now, armed with the knowledge and strategies shared in this blog, it’s time for you to implement changes, monitor the impact, and witness the positive transformation of your sales.
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