To improve your e-commerce sales, it’s important to know the common reasons why people don’t buy. High cart abandonment rate and bounce rate with a low conversion rate? You may be committing one or more of these e-commerce sins:
Just looking!
Sometimes potential customers may just be looking, picking out a dream outfit and gauging the cost. But there are some ways you can turn this interest into future business.
Personalize the experience, with smart product recommendations based on visitor behavior; what they looked at, what similar customers bought. Make it easy for people to discover things they might like.
Use a popup to capture email addresses, offering content or exclusive deals. This not only expands your marketing lists but gives you the opportunity to remind your customers about their abandoned cart.
Reviews drive credibility
As good as your marketing copy and product photography may be, customers will seek out peer reviews for education and information about you product. This can range to true fit sizing, durability, even customer service. Studies show that 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
Consumers want to make the right decision when buying something and product reviews are an important aspect of the process.
You could use a light incentive for customers to leave reviews, such as a percentage of the next purchase. This can be invaluable, especially if you are just starting out.
Trust has to be earned!
Buying online requires a lot of trust. From safeguarding payment details and addresses to providing a high-quality product, retailers have to be ready to take responsibility when things go wrong.
Display trust symbols clearly such as the Verisign or Mastercard logo and clear contact and office details. By giving your business a physical location, you can ease a customer’s mind.
Also, a money back guarantee or returns policy protects your business from any potential misunderstandings and gives customers a safety net, especially if it is their first order.
Research shows that 84% of online shoppers refer to at least one social media site for recommendations before shopping online. With 2 billion active Facebook users, a Facebook page is essential for e-commerce businesses. Build likes and reviews organically by running competitions or special offers from Facebook and monitor response and engagement.
Hidden fees
After browsing multiple pages and making a selection, discovering an unreasonable delivery charge can seem an unfair surprise. By hiding costs that may be added on, there is a risk your brand may be viewed as dishonest. Make sure that shipping and any other charges on top of your product base price are shown as early on as possible.
A lack of transparency in the payment process can cause customers to bounce out at checkout. Check your store’s analytics page to verify exactly where customers are leaving your store. 56% of shoppers said that being presented with unexpected costs is the reason they leave without completing their purchase.
Fast checkout process
Once people have selected what they want to buy, make it easy for them to checkout! Your shopping bag and checkout process should be short and easy to navigate. If customers can’t find what they need they will bounce from your store, and likely to a competitor.
Make the purchase process as simple as possible, preferably no more than 3 steps. Consider allowing a guest checkout option. What you lose in data you’ll more than make for in additional sales.
Also remember that customers have small attention spans. It’s not unusual for users to be engaged with different screens whilst shopping. No matter how tempting it is to display offers at checkout or newsletter sign-ups, try to resist distracting your customer too much during the checkout process.
Delivery
According to 77% of online shoppers, free shipping is the most important option during checkout, 60% add items to their cart to qualify for free shipping, and 61% would cancel their purchase if free shipping is not offered.
Delivery options and cost can swing the balance. Make sure your offering is better than your competitors and consider delivery offers such as free shipping over set spend as an important way to boost your AOV.