You want to make your eCommerce website a more lucrative business, but there are about a million and one things that can be done to optimize your site to gain traffic, visibility and boost conversions. How does one prioritize layout design versus login portals, versus speedier shipping and handling options? You can only have so many projects and ideas on the burner before things go up in flames.
Visual Website Optimizer (VWO) published findings from a recent survey that specifies points of pain for customers, in addition to rewarding opportunities which your business may be missing out on. The survey, Trends and Insights to Find and Convert Buyers, was conducted in October 2014 with 1,000 US respondents mobile and desktop users ages 18 to 65. Here we’ll delve into some of the key takeaways as outlined by VWO and how to make use of them:
At 28%, unexpected shipping cost is the biggest reason for cart abandonment among online shoppers.
The price of shipping is just as important as the price of your online products. After moving your visitors through the purchase funnel, it’s frustrating for both parties to have those would-be buyers suddenly bail on a cart full of items. According to a study by Harris Interactive, shipping costs are actually consumers’ biggest pet peeve when shopping online. To better manage expectations, offer better transparency by providing visitors with an estimated shipping cost earlier on in the checkout process. Depending on your brand, you might also consider affording new and returning shoppers with promotional incentives including free or discounted shipping on qualifying orders.
At 23%, having to create a new user account is the second biggest reason for cart abandonment.
One of the greatest benefits to shopping online is the ease and convenience of the transaction. You browse at your leisure, add the items into the card, and make the purchase. It should be that simple, but too many retailers require the added step of creating an online account in order to purchase something and this is a sure way of losing out on business. People have enough email lists that they’ve opted into; they get enough junk flyers and catalogues sent to their homes without involuntarily signing up with another company to purchase an item they can find elsewhere at a similar price. Give your consumers the option of completing their purchase as a guest. Then, to help boost that email or mailing list, either ask for their email address as an optional contact field, or given them a check out box to elect to receive future updates during the checkout process.
54% shoppers say they will purchase products they left in their cart, if offered again at a discounted price (and 72% of people ages 25-34 are “very likely” to buy retargeted products).
This one is pretty self-explanatory. If at first you don’t succeed in selling your products, try, try again! Email personalization has become the new, trendy strategy amongst eCommerce sites, and to great success. Many retailers have begun sending customers a reminder when there are products left in their shopping cart. Why not take the opportunity to sweeten the deal for them? If you provide a discounted price on their cart’s contents, make sure to include an expiration date to entice customers to return to your site in a more timely fashion. After all, not all carts are abandoned forever.
55% shoppers say reviews are important to them to make a buying decision.
Reviews are an incredibly important part of the discovery process, and a good (or bad) review can make the difference between a making a lifelong fan and having users pass you by. Enhance your product pages by publishing user reviews which will not only add SEO value, but help your visitors shop with more confidence, too.
Some other interesting facts gleaned from this survey? The promise of free shipping is enough to entice 24% of shoppers to spend more money and buy more products. 39% of all online shoppers have a shopping app installed on their mobiles or tablets, as compared to 60% of those ages 25-34. Still, of those, 60% of all app downloads are left idle and unused. And while the majority (55%) of respondents was indifferent to personalized offers, most will respond positively to money-saving options and trusted recommendations.
