In 2022, global retail ecommerce sales exceeded 5.7 trillion dollars, accounting for almost 20% of global retail sales.
Today, more and more consumers are turning to online shopping, inciting competition among ecommerce stores.
To stand out among thousands of ecommerce market players, companies invest millions of dollars to create unique and secure websites that provide an immaculate user experience but still face high bounce rates, low conversion rates, and low customer lifetime value.
This article explores top recommendations from professional ecommerce consultants on optimizing your ecommerce website and driving traffic to your store.
1. Personalize your offering
76% of customers get frustrated if companies don’t deliver personalized interactions, so personalizing your ecommerce store experience should be one of the top priorities to increase conversion rates.
We recommend creating multiple personalized marketing campaigns tailored to customer segments by analyzing data gathered from customer touchpoints. Using data analytics tools, you can customize emails with newsletters and promotions based on user search and purchase histories. Matchmaking algorithms can encourage customers to buy more products by defining items frequently purchased together and suggesting a range of complementary or related products at the checkout or during the search.
Example: One of the world’s leading makeup companies, MAC Cosmetics, implemented automated reminders for product replenishment based on previous customer purchases. The company uses data analytics tools to predict when the customer is likely to replenish the product they have previously purchased. The click-through rate (CTR) on the replenishment banner reached 67%, helping the company increase the customer lifetime value and improve customer loyalty.
2. Optimize for mobile
The mobile adaptation of your ecommerce store should be as good as your web version. Ensure the mobile compatibility of your ecommerce site by making it easy to navigate, responsive, and minimalistic with visual and text elements tappable and readable. Optimize images and videos and eliminate excessive pop-ups to ensure a fast page load in your mobile version. We also advise taking a Google Mobile-Friendly Test to check the mobile-friendliness of your web store. There are also a couple of apps or APKs to teach you the basics of optimizing devices for ecommerce.
Example: Etsy, a famous shop for vintage and handmade items, offers its clients a basic minimalistic optimization to cater to mobile shoppers’ needs. Everything a customer may need is neatly located at the top of the page: a visible search field, a cart, and a personal account button. The shop’s front page offers relevant seasonal product categories in a grid format. Buttons and images are large and easily tappable, making Etsy’s web store layout visually pleasing.
3. Improve navigation
An e-store that is too complex to navigate will turn off potential customers who have no idea how to find the necessary products on your website. There is no one-size-fits-all way to organize your store navigation since it depends greatly on the type of products you sell. Still, some tips are relevant to almost all web stores regardless of the goods sold.
We recommend unambiguously labeling various product types and creating intuitive navigation bars, menus, and submenus. Work out the search mechanism, primarily if you sell multiple product variations (like shoes), and perform A/B testing of various navigation options to settle on the best solution that works for you.
Example: The front landing of the Apple store offers no dropdown menu. It works well for a company that sells several categories of products, like Mac, iPad, iPhone, Watch, AirPods, and accessories. All the classes are presented on the front page, leaving no chance of getting lost in the store.
The contrary example is a shoe store, Rollie Nations, that provides customers with faceted search, allowing them to narrow down the product display to a particular size, color, and style. Faceted searches are a must-have for most online boutiques.
4. Streamline the checkout process
Almost 71% of online shoppers abandon their filled carts and leave the e-store without further purchases, so streamlining the checkout process will directly influence your sales. Make the checkout process simple, ensure your customers get precise shipping info, and offer the possibility of guest checkout. Make sure you have multiple payment options and offer a shipping calculator if you have complex delivery prices.
In addition, make the checkout more personalized by introducing automated fill-in functionality. The delivery and payment details will be entered automatically based on customer data from previous purchases or detected locations.
Example:
Caraway offers a simple checkout process without complications. Your cart opens in a separate window on the side of your screen, allowing you to continue browsing the store without switching between pages. The checkout is a recognizable Shopify layout that offers multiple payment options, displays the contents of your cart, calculates taxes, and auto-fills your shipping address.
5. Test your site speed
A website that loads in one second has a three times higher conversion rate than a page that loads in five seconds, so improving your ecommerce store performance should not be put on a shelf. Your ecommerce site’s performance is influenced by several factors, including the type of platform you utilize, hosting, architecture, and third-party connections.
To measure your website load speed and help you identify problematic areas, you can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTMetrix, or Pingdom. Depending on the type of performance issues, you can improve your store load speed in multiple ways. For instance, consider removing unnecessary pop-ups, optimizing homepage sliders and compressing or resizing product images, utilizing lite YouTube embeds instead of loading full-size videos, and enabling lazy loading.
Example: FCL, a media and communications company from Brazil, significantly uplifted customer retention after increasing their site speed by 50%. Now, the website receives over 6 million visitors monthly.
In conclusion
With the advancement of technologies, the world of ecommerce continues to expand, becoming a fully-fledged competitor to physical stores. Optimizing your website appearance, performance, and user experience remains crucial in retaining customers and increasing their loyalty.
Personalizing your offering, optimizing navigation and performance, and enhancing your mobile experience are prominent techniques of ecommerce optimization. Still, it is far more critical to listen to your customers’ needs to adopt multiple website layouts and test to find what works best for your store.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I build trust with my ecommerce brand?
Building trust involves offering a seamless shopping experience, secure payment gateways, genuine customer reviews, and transparent policies.
Why is storytelling important for branding?
Storytelling makes your brand relatable and memorable. Customers connect with compelling narratives and become loyal advocates.
How can I convey complex ideas simply on my website?
Break down intricate concepts into digestible bits, use analogies, and ensure clear communication throughout your website.
Why is the human touch important in ecommerce?
Personalized interactions, attentive customer service, and genuine engagement make customers feel valued and set your brand apart in the digital landscape.
How can I guide customers effectively on my website?
Offer clear signposts, easy navigation, and intuitive website design to guide customers’ shopping journeys.
Data analytics tools and matchmaking algorithms can help tailor the shopping experience based on user behavior and preferences.
Why is mobile optimization crucial for ecommerce?
With many users shopping on mobile devices, ensuring a responsive and user-friendly mobile experience can directly influence sales and user satisfaction.
How can I improve the search functionality on my ecommerce site?
Implementing faceted search, intuitive navigation bars, and A/B testing various navigation options can enhance the user’s search experience.
What strategies can reduce cart abandonment rates?
Streamlining the checkout process, offering guest checkout, providing multiple payment options, and introducing automated fill-in functionality can significantly reduce cart abandonment.
Why is site speed essential for ecommerce success?
Faster site load times lead to better user experience, higher conversion rates, and improved customer retention.
How do I ensure my ecommerce site is mobile-friendly?
Use tools like Google Mobile-Friendly Test and ensure your site design is responsive, with tappable elements and optimized images and videos.
How can storytelling benefit my ecommerce brand?
Storytelling creates an emotional connection with customers, making your brand more relatable and memorable, leading to increased loyalty and advocacy.
What are the critical elements of a user-friendly ecommerce navigation system?
Clear labeling of product types, intuitive navigation bars, menus, submenus, and a well-functioning search mechanism is essential for a user-friendly navigation experience.
How can I test the performance of my ecommerce website?
Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTMetrix, and Pingdom can help measure website load speed and identify areas for improvement.
How do personalized marketing campaigns benefit ecommerce businesses?
Personalized campaigns, tailored to customer segments based on data, can lead to higher engagement, conversion rates, and customer loyalty.
