In the spirit of our recent ‘top 10 lists’ (maybe we should get Jimmy Carr to record them as a podcast!) I have been thinking about simple ways you can improve your eCommerce website. So here goes….a simple guide that will help you convert your customers:
1) User trigger words to excite your customers
People tend to spend very little time reading web pages. Instead, we scan them, looking for words or phrases that catch our eye. Of course, there are exceptions, but if the copy is longer than a few paragraphs, we’re more likely to print it out. We scan because we’re usually in a hurry, we know that we don’t really need to read everything and we’ve become good at it – we’ve been scanning newspapers and magazines most of our lives!
So, we tend to focus on words and phrases that seem to match the task at hand. This is why we must carefully consider the trigger words and ensure that they are visible, because if we ignore them, then the customer is likely to leave and go to a site that they think better matches their needs.
Words like ‘free’, ‘sale’, ‘discount are an example of these type of words. It’s also important that if a customer arrives on your site having used a search term, then that search term must be seen on the page.
2) Call to Actions (CTA)
If you don’t ask someone to do something, then what are the chances of them doing it? It is essential that you present your customers with CTA’s that are visible and meaningful. Avoid overuse of clichés like ‘click here’, ‘read more and ‘find out more’ and make them more descriptive and persuasive.
3) Spend as much as you can afford on product images
As they say, a picture paints a thousand words. The web is a perfect example of this. A high quality photograph of a product you are trying to sell will be worth its weight in gold. 83% of eBay shoppers skip listings without images, while those with super-size photos show a 24% spike in sales.
Skimping on images will not work. If you’ve got a huge product line, make sure at the very least that the top-selling lines/products come with top quality imagery. It will also work in B2B as well. If you want someone to download a report, show a cover of the report. Make it more interesting for the user. Engage them.
4) Consider you headlines
The headline on your page is the one thing that 80% of our visitors will read. Be sure that they are clear, relevant and engaging. Test them. Optimise them. Don’t be afraid to change them.
5) Don’t be afraid of reviews
Every trade website or magazine these days seems to have a ‘site review’ in it. They are often judged very subjectively and are a trend in a market that is now demanding transparency and a voice. You mustn’t be afraid of a bad review though, because they will not necessarily lead to a downturn in business. What you must do though is bear them in mind, take any emotion out of the equation and act on any sound advice (always ask for a second opinion from someone if you disagree with the comments!).
6) Oil the wheels of the checkout process
The battle is far from over when you’ve got the customer to the checkout. You’ve now got to get them out the other side in a happy state. Eliminate all unnecessary steps, let them know that the process is secure, remind them what they are buying and don’t annoy them with too much upselling!
7) Don’t just satisfy, delight!
Customer service online isn’t just what happens after the products have been shipped. During the buying process they will invariably be a multitude of questions that are raised. Try and answer these questions before your customers thinks of them and incorporate these into the selling process. By reassuring your customers at all stages, you are much more likely to build a long-term relationship with them.
8) Test Test and Test again
A/B or multivariate testing can be time consuming but it can also have a dramatic effect on your conversion rates. The range of things you can test is wide – CTA’s, copy, layouts etc – but you don’t have to test everything at once. Write down the top-5 things that concern you about your site and start there.
9) Ask for feedback
You must listen to your customers and offer them the opportunity to give you feedback. You’ll be surprised at how helpful and how much effort your customers will put in to this. Don’t be afraid of negative feedback but do make sure that you act upon it.
10) All your customers are different
Your customers will all be at different stages of the buying process and you must address this. The failure of websites to consider this can severely hamper the sales process. Persona planning is a great way to counter this. You build up a bank of customer personas and then test the user journeys according to each one. This is a great way of ensuring that all needs are considered and met before you go live. You must be in tune with your customers and flexible enough to react accordingly.
The bottom line is that site optimisation needs to be a constant evolutionary process. A website is not a static entity and the behaviours of your customers also do not remain static. It is how you react to this that can make or break your online business.
Michael Brandreth
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