In part one of this series, we discussed two of the tweaks online retailers can use to increase the likelihood of sales, including leveraging product imagery and product reviews. In part two we detail three more tips that can help in the pursuit of eCommerce growth through an increased conversion rate.
There’s something about mobile
During 2016, more than 30 per cent of online sales for BigCommerce’s 55,000 stores occurred on mobile devices, and this number continues to rise. Even more importantly, for BigCommerce merchants based in Australia, year-over-year same store mobile sales were up more than 33 per cent in both June and July 2017 vs. the same timeframe in 2016.
This growth further demonstrates why retailers need to think about simplifying the mobile customer experience, from homepage to checkout, on all device types. One easy way to do this is to adopt one-page optimised checkout and minimise unnecessary form fields.
Safety first
The real moment of conversion happens during the payment process. But in order for a customer to enter sensitive payment details on your website, they need to feel assured that this is a safe move and that there are legitimate security measures in place. In fact, 17% of shoppers that abandoned carts do so due to security concerns.
There are many simple ways you can assuage concerns about security:
- Installing an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or selecting an eCommerce platform that provides this natively demonstrates to shoppers that sensitive data – such as credit card information – will be collected security.
- Trust Seals from reputable providers like Symantec are a powerful signal that your business adheres to industry best practices.
- Prominently displaying accepted payment methods, such as PayPal, that provide consumer protections will also give shoppers confidence while making a purchase.
The demand for on-demand
Expedited and flexible shipping are quickly becoming the norm and expectations for Aussie shoppers. And while Amazon’s arrival is definitely hyped, it’s with good reason – when it comes, consumers will not just want quick and easy shipping options, but expect them.
It’s critical for local retailers to learn how to meet growing “on-demand” consumer expectations, buoyed by new post and delivery services and offerings. Many of these options are easy to implement with the right infrastructure in play. Explore adding in free, same-day, and express shipping whenever possible.
At the end of the day, what these website updates aim to do is help you become even more customer-centric. It’s not hard to start with a series of minor tweaks and still have an enormous impact to your conversion rate.
Jordan Sim, Group Product Manager, BigCommerce
