So you have launched your new website, done some search engine optimization and now you are getting some pretty decent traffic - however you are just not getting any sales. If this sounds like your site, then you need to work on increasing your customer conversion ratios. This percentage is determined but taking the total number of orders and dividing by the total amount of visitors. Say for example you had 10k unique visitors, and 100 orders, then your customer conversion ratio would be (100/10000 = 1%). The industry standard for e-commerce is about 1% to 2%. If yours are lower than 1% then you should really focus on finding ways to increase it. After all, if you can get your customer conversion ratio from 1% to 1.5%, you just increased your sales by 50% without any additional traffic.  

Here are 10 ways to help increase your customer conversion rates.

Focus on Quality Traffic – Customer conversion rates all start will quality traffic. If you are driving traffic to your site which is untargeted then you are going to have a hard time converting them into customers. You need to focus on bringing in visitors who are interested in your product and who are looking to buy. Now this is obviously not an easy task but it is essential to the success of your e-commerce store. Use an analytics program to view and set up conversion tracking to see which sources of traffic are actually converting into purchasing customers. Maybe they are coming from a related informational site, or from Google. Whatever the case, an analytics program will show you where you need to focus your marketing efforts.

Optimize Your Website – This includes optimizing your navigation to make products easier to find and also optimize your category and product pages to SELL your product. Add new features such as related products, wish list, product sorting, email to friend functionality and bestsellers. Combined all these features will greatly increase the overall user experience.

Use the “Related Items” Feature – It is always good to show your visitors similar items or related items on each product page. This will allow them to easily add them to their basket. Perhaps you sell individual items which are part of a larger set. This would be a perfect reason to show the related items for each product.

Incorporate Product Reviews – I shop at amazon.com for two reasons. First, they have good prices, and second they always have great product reviews written by customers who have already purchased the product. Product Reviews really do help consumers make a decision. Your goal as an e-commerce store is to give the customer what they want. Provide them with all the information they need to make a purchase. Product reviews allow the customer to hear feedback from others, and if it is positive it will drive them to make a purchase.

Entice Visitors with Free Shipping and Coupons – Lets face it, everyone likes to get a deal. Offer your customers something to entice them to make a purchase. Free shipping is a great method and so are coupon codes. Run sales and promotions throughout the year where you give away free coupons such as 10% off certain products, or buy x get x free. These really do work and they provide that extra push to entice customers to complete the sale.

Optimize Your Checkout Process – Your checkout process is one of the most important aspects of your store. It needs to be easy, clean and streamlined. Remove any unnecessary elements and make sure it is easy enough your grandmother could complete it. Always make your customers feel safe and secure when they are checking out. Remind them that your site is protected by a 128 bit SSL and that their credit card information is safe.

Offer Multiple Payment/ Shipping Options – Always give your customers options. Some people like to use Paypal online, some like to use Google Checkout and some will just use their credit card. Offering multiple forms of payment is easy to do and caters to the needs of your customers. Also make sure you have few types of shipping options for those customers who want expedited shipping. You don’t want to give your site visitors a reason not to make a purchase.

Great Photography and Detailed Descriptions – Product photography and product descriptions are what sell your product. In a real store the customer are able to try things on and pick them up and hold them. Online is a totally different ballgame. In order to connect to your customers you must have great images as well as detailed descriptions. Combined they will sell the product. Use multiple views as well as a product zoom if possible.

Buying Guides – A lot of times people will come to your store to buy a gift for someone else. Say for example a husband is buying his wife a piece of jewelry for Valentines Day. Most likely the husband doesn’t know a thing about jewelry. Create an easy to follow buying guide which will help your visitors make an informed decision.  These buying guides provide great information about the product and allow people who are not knowledgeable in your product to make a purchase without feeling overwhelmed or confused.

Don’t Forget About Your Repeat Customers – It is much easier to get a customer who has already purchased from you to make another purchase than it is to convert a new customer. Take advantage of this by sending out e-mail campaigns and well as coupons to entice previous customers to come back and make a purchase.

These are 10 great ways to increase your customer conversion rates. Constantly try new things and you will find a solution which works for you and your business. Don’t be afraid to ask your customers for feedback. Most likely they will have the best suggestions to make your site easier to navigate and more functional.

About the Author: Brennan Heyde is an e-commerce consultant working in San Diego, Ca. He specializes in online marketing and SEO for e-commerce.  Have a struggling e-commerce website? – Contact Brennan today for a site analysis.