If you run an ecommerce site and the conversion rate is lower than you’d like, it can be incredibly frustrating to try to pinpoint the exact cause. Sometimes there isn’t a single cause, but rather a collection of issues responsible for your lackluster sales. In order to increase conversions, you’ll need to identify the underlying cause(s) and correct them. So why don’t people want to buy from your store? These are the six most common ecommerce conversion killers:
1. Difficulty Navigating the Site
Websites that are difficult to navigate frustrate visitors, causing them to leave before ever getting to point of buying anything. The reality of the matter is that you only have a few seconds to prove to new visitors that your site is worth their time. Visitors want to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily, which means that broken links, faulty navigation menus, and obtrusive images can turn people off quickly. This is especially true for smartphone users, who will leave a website immediately if it’s not mobile-friendly.
2. High Prices
Pricing is still king! High prices will turn visitors off if they know that they can find the same products at a lower price from a similar source elsewhere. This means that your prices need to be competitive, or you need to justify a higher price tag with competitive advantages like supporting domestic production or using the added profit to benefit charity. Otherwise, shoppers will go to your competitors to make their purchases.
3. Product Uncertainty
Once shoppers verify that the products they’re interested in are well priced, they’ll look at other details like product photos, specs, compatibility, etc. to determine whether or not the products will meet their needs. Any uncertainty in their minds creates purchase anxiety, and this anxiety can cause them to delay or avoid purchasing. You don’t want a qualified buyer to walk away from the purchase, so you need to provide all of the details needed to reassure them and encourage them to purchase right away!
4. Unfavorable Return Policy
Smart shoppers will review a company’s return policy before making a purchase to be sure that they can return or exchange an item if it ends up not working for them as expected. The more nervous a shopper is about purchasing, the more likely he/she is to check these details. Your return policy shouldn’t be too restrictive because it can turn off potential buyers by indicating that your company isn’t customer-friendly or doesn’t stand behind their products. Some of the most successful companies these days have very flexible return policies, and that’s no coincidence! Install consumer confidence by offering a return policy that will make shoppers happy.
5. Hidden Shipping Costs
Because price is such a crucial factor in making a purchase decision, shoppers hate to see hefty shipping costs added during checkout. In fact, shipping costs continue to be the #1 reason for shopping cart abandonment. This is especially true during the holidays when many companies are running free shipping or flat rate shipping promotions! If you want to be competitive, keep shipping costs as low as possible or build those costs into products so that you can offer free shipping.
6. Security Concerns
People are ever-concerned about identity theft, which means that any indication that a company isn’t on the up-and-up will send shoppers running faster than a Santa-sighting. Ensure that your site is secured with an SSL and display the seal prominently. You should also include verbiage on your site indicating that it’s secured and that you take shopper privacy seriously. Using other trust seals (like the BBB logo or industry-specific icons) can also allay consumer fears.
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
Websites that are difficult to navigate frustrate visitors, causing them to leave before ever getting to point of buying anything. The reality of the matter is that you only have a few seconds to prove to new visitors that your site is worth their time. Visitors want to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily, which means that broken links, faulty navigation menus, and obtrusive images can turn people off quickly. This is especially true for smartphone users, who will leave a website immediately if it’s not mobile-friendly.
2. High Prices
Pricing is still king! High prices will turn visitors off if they know that they can find the same products at a lower price from a similar source elsewhere. This means that your prices need to be competitive, or you need to justify a higher price tag with competitive advantages like supporting domestic production or using the added profit to benefit charity. Otherwise, shoppers will go to your competitors to make their purchases.
3. Product Uncertainty
Once shoppers verify that the products they’re interested in are well priced, they’ll look at other details like product photos, specs, compatibility, etc. to determine whether or not the products will meet their needs. Any uncertainty in their minds creates purchase anxiety, and this anxiety can cause them to delay or avoid purchasing. You don’t want a qualified buyer to walk away from the purchase, so you need to provide all of the details needed to reassure them and encourage them to purchase right away!
4. Unfavorable Return Policy
Smart shoppers will review a company’s return policy before making a purchase to be sure that they can return or exchange an item if it ends up not working for them as expected. The more nervous a shopper is about purchasing, the more likely he/she is to check these details. Your return policy shouldn’t be too restrictive because it can turn off potential buyers by indicating that your company isn’t customer-friendly or doesn’t stand behind their products. Some of the most successful companies these days have very flexible return policies, and that’s no coincidence! Install consumer confidence by offering a return policy that will make shoppers happy.
5. Hidden Shipping Costs
Because price is such a crucial factor in making a purchase decision, shoppers hate to see hefty shipping costs added during checkout. In fact, shipping costs continue to be the #1 reason for shopping cart abandonment. This is especially true during the holidays when many companies are running free shipping or flat rate shipping promotions! If you want to be competitive, keep shipping costs as low as possible or build those costs into products so that you can offer free shipping.
6. Security Concerns
People are ever-concerned about identity theft, which means that any indication that a company isn’t on the up-and-up will send shoppers running faster than a Santa-sighting. Ensure that your site is secured with an SSL and display the seal prominently. You should also include verbiage on your site indicating that it’s secured and that you take shopper privacy seriously. Using other trust seals (like the BBB logo or industry-specific icons) can also allay consumer fears.
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, Web Consulting for small businesses, Copywriting and Local Online Marketing. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and enjoys cooking, watching sports and spending time outdoors. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about marketing theory and SEM trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
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