It is common for all businesses to experience sales that fall through at the last minute. This is especially true with the intense competition online these days, which puts the power in the consumers’ hands. However, there’s plenty that you can do to improve your customer conversion stats while building brand loyalty at the same time.
1. Improve your checkout process
If you have managed to get your potential consumers to the checkout page but find that often they leave without making a purchase, then you should look at ways to reduce cart abandonment. Analyze your checkout process and look for ways to make it simpler, such as by reducing the number of form fields that a potential buyer has to complete. By keeping it at a minimum, people are more likely to complete their details and make a purchase.
You want to strike the right balance by getting consumers to fill in enough information so that you can follow up with them if they do abandon their cart, but not so much that it could be the reason putting them off from buying in the first place.
It’s also important to remember that one of the main reasons for cart abandonment is due to unexpected or high shipping costs. Reduce the number of customers leaving at the crucial stage by making this clear upfront.
2. Create strong CTA copy
You need to be compelling when writing your website copy to inspire conversions. Strong call-to-action messages will make people take action on your website. Work on your key messaging and think about why customers should buy from you. Using the right wording for your CTAs is the key to motivating your website visitors.
Popular CTA messages include using trigger phrases such as ‘Start Your Free Trial’, ‘Discover The Benefits’, ‘Learn More’ and ‘See How It Works’. Identify what you can entice your potential customers with that will make them want to click on your CTA and take that all-important next step in the buyer journey.
3. Showcase your reviews and case studies
If your website visitors see positive case studies and reviews of your product or service, then they are more likely to trust your brand and make a purchase. Use your case studies, testimonials, and reviews across your website, especially on your purchase page, as this could encourage customers who are sitting on the fence to go ahead and buy.
4. Improve your page speed
Ensuring that your website loads quickly is vital to keeping visitors engaged. If your site takes too long to load, then consumers could lose interest, and your sale has gone. Make sure that you check your website page speed and improve this as a priority. You may need an expert web developer to help with this if your site has major speed issues, but the investment is sure to be worthwhile, as there are also huge SEO benefits to fast load speeds.
5. Avoid surprise hidden costs
Make any additional costs — such as P&P and shipping costs — clear from the start of the buying process, rather than adding these at the very end. Unexpected expenses have the potential to turn customers away who are not prepared for the additional fees. You don’t want a potential customer to get to the final stages of a purchase only to find that costs have been added, as it can negatively affect their level of trust in your brand.
On the other hand, if you offer free postage and packaging on your products, then you should be shouting about this. Make it a standout feature, as this could set you apart from your competitors.
With these tips at your disposal, you can work on making an indent into increasing your conversion stats. There’s work to be done across your website to build a compelling argument for why consumers should buy from you, and you need to maintain this strong approach right through to the purchase to get that conversion.
