An e-commerce merchant is constantly engaged in spotting the triggers involved in closing a sale. However, often or not, some of the most revealing data comes from identifying those pain points that deter shoppers from completing an online purchase.
While this may at first seem like a clear approach, shopping behavior is a complex topic involving various components. Common focal points include focusing on ways to understand the motives behind an online visitor’s click on product A vs. product B, time spent on cart before converting or abandoning, different activity based on exposure to promotions and offers, and the ever pressing question of whether pricing should be restructured.
With so many parameters to consider, it becomes increasingly difficult to identify the main pain points involved in the sales process. Add to this the need for e-commerce merchants to collect real-time marketing data on the unique behavior of online customers and you find yourself in need of creative options to better position yourself for customer acquisition, retention, and satisfaction.
Thankfully, there are ways to help reduce shopping frustration, uncertainty, and other deterring factors impacting your ability to raise your conversion rate.
Below are 5 of our favorites:
Don’t underestimate the power of re-wording extra charges: From rewording discounts to slightly altering the online purchasing experience, there are many small adjustment e-commerce merchants can make in order to optimize the experience for potential consumers. For instance, rather than just mentioning that a $4.00 surcharge will be added to your order, consider including an encouraging adjective such as small or minor in order to reduce its importance.
Determine appropriate language based on specific user behavior: Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but don’t underestimate the power of words in the sales industry. Pay attention to how you word displays in terms of positive, neutral, or negative language. This is especially relevant when trying to sell a product online, where the visual message can have a tremendous affect on your ability to close a sale. For instance, plan on drafting clever product descriptions based on user activity to further engage buyers versus referring to standard templates. Test these out to see how effective they are in terms of influencing shopping behavior.
Online shoppers want something tangible: Using monetary figures rather than a percentage sign when displaying targeted offers online has psychological roots – people want something they can easily comprehend and base their decisions on. Moreover, they are looking for relevant and personalized offers. E-commerce merchants should look towards simplifying the purchasing process in order to facilitate more opportunities for quick conversions. Reducing the need for savings calculations is a great starting point for the price-conscious consumer.
Reframing subscriptions and offers: As mentioned, visually appealing to your customer base can be an incredibly effective method for converting. This philosophy also applies to monetary figures, from monthly subscriptions to discounts and offers. Apply A/B testing techniques to analyze how your online users respond to the presented display and pivot accordingly to maximize your ability to bring them closer to complete a purchase. After all, the discount you’re considering offering your customer base is defined by your ability to make the offer as attractive as possible.
Get rid of unexpected charges: Facing a last second unexpected charge a moment prior to cart checkout can be a frequent frustrating experience for online shoppers. In fact, it may even cost you a sale. At this point in the sales process, your customers are rather eager to complete a purchase. Since acquiring new customers is challenging enough, these ‘hot leads’ are worth investing a little more thought in. Think about ways to include these additional chargers (if essential) earlier on in the sales funnel, of course with minimal risk of an early bounce rate.
While these are only a few suggested methods to consider in reducing paint points during the sales process, we have found them to be great ways to increase/retain your customer base and meet the growing demands of the increasingly cautious online shopper.
Test some of these methods out and let us know how they impact your sales funnel.