To be a performance-driven e-commerce site is to emphasize the importance of operating processes and policies and the performance of individual employees. From store optimization through homepage and landing page design to cyber protection and customer support, every performance and operation needs to be optimized and used to its fullest. And in this article, we will teach you just that – numerous ways you can optimize performance on your e-commerce website that will increase conversion rates, drive sales and ultimately let you become a successful e-commerce website.
Store Optimization
Start by optimizing your landing page. Since you only have several seconds to leave a lasting first impression, optimize your landing page design in a way that impresses your customers. The look and layout need to be on the point and intuitive. A website needs to load fast on both mobile and computer platforms.
Your homepage is also a place where you can show your competitive advantage or communicate your brand’s message. Successful homepages are visually attractive and easily understandable while having a clear organizational structure. A greatly designed website homepage makes your consumer feel content when he purchases from your website.
If they are a newcomer, remember to show them links to your reviews and testimonials on your homepage. If you build trust and integrity with your prospects from the start, you will have an easier time to reach bigger sales.
Live Chat and Customer Support
Customer support and live chat are extremely important for converting leads to customers and for your business’s long-term success. You need to be able to generate and engage sales leads non-stop on your e-commerce website. Live chat offers you the ability to ask probing questions in order to discover whether a lead is qualified or not and to proactively engage with leads across the globe.
If you do not have an internal department for live chat and customer support, you can always outsource such tasks to an online chat managed service. Most of them hire multilingual, international teams that are able to generate and nurture leads no matter the place or time of day.
Live chat and customer support options should be available for your prospects 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Only then can you be sure that your e-commerce website isn't losing any qualified sales leads. Don’t forget to build self-service content and an FAQ page, and incentivize product reviews in order to build trust with your consumers. This will enable your store to have valuable social proof while creating repeat customers.
SSL Certificate and Protection
Selling anything online is not without its dangers, so you must show your customers that your e-commerce site is protected and can be trusted. Implement an SSL certificate to add another level of protection to your e-commerce site.
In a nutshell, an SSL attaches a padlock to your site so that things like passwords and credit card information remain secure from cybercriminals. When crucial files are encrypted, consumers enter a safe space while feeling comfortable when handing in their private data and payment info. 84 percent of people don’t make a purchase when they’re visiting an unprotected website. 84 percent of people don’t make a purchase when they’re visiting an unprotected website. Click To Tweet
SSL also gives you a slight SEO boost since web crawlers now know that your site is protected and trustworthy. Although it may appear as just another reinvestment in the company, this one should be paid in full. Some e-commerce platforms include SSL certificates in their price while for others you will need to install it yourself. SSL certificate can also be added through your hosting plan.
Conversion Optimization
Almost 70 percent of your e-commerce site visitors abandon their shopping cart half-full. Almost 70 percent of your e-commerce site visitors abandon their shopping cart half-full. Click To Tweet A simple way for increasing revenue is through capturing those sales prospects instead of letting them go. You need to optimize the whole buyer’s journey. This process is called Conversion Rate Optimization. Its goals are to make people act once they are on your e-commerce site and to amplify the completion of the customer journey. In the end, the entire user journey is evaluated.
Use Google Analytics to track how many visitors discovered your website, how long they stayed there, where they are from, whether they are returning or new, how many of them converted and what interaction led there.
Offer free shipping to your customers. When a store doesn’t offer free shipping, customers start looking elsewhere to make a purchase. This is a basic psychological game – you just increase your product prices to cover shipping costs.
Also, offer limited-time coupon codes that customers can use at checkout for a limited time and receive a discount on a purchase. The expiring coupon code builds a feeling of urgency and visitors are more likely to finish a purchase and not get distracted.
The e-commerce landscape is changing as new trends emerge. To stay competitive in this formidable environment you must educate yourself and learn how e-commerce thrives on the performance of its employees and operations and how that same performance drives revenue, sales and the success of your e-commerce.
A digital marketer from Sydney. Works as a blogger, Senior Editor for Bizzmark blog and a lecturer at Melbourne University. Tweets industry related articles.
