HostReview recently offered up an extremely useful run-down of tips to maximize your website's sales conversions. (A conversion happens when a visitor to your site actually buys something, which is basically the whole point of having an online store.)
As you probably know, lists of this type are usually overly obvious space-fillers straight out of Business 101. This list, however, we found to be a fairly exhaustive survey that actually has some solid research behind it.
So, if you have an online store, and are interested in learning about ways to earn customers and keep them coming back, it might be in your best interest to check out the following excerpt:
Converting visitors to buyers is part science, part art. No one formula fits all sites but here are 25 tips that will boost conversion rates on most
1. Keep it simple. The simpler it is for visitors to complete a purchase the more purchases (and fewer shopping cart abandonments) you'll see. Make it simple to find the product and go through the checkout process.
2. Provide complete contact information including a telephone number. Buyers want to know you're real and they want to know how to reach you in case of a problem.
3. Provide encouragement throughout the checkout process. The best way to do this is to let buyers know what stage of checkout they've reached, and to provide them with highlighted signage to let them know what to do next.
4. Use product pictures in shopping carts. This reminds visitors what's in their carts. It also reinforces, in the visitor's mind, the reason(s) for the purchase.
5. Link back to the product page. After an item has been placed in the shopping cart, the visitor should be able to click on the item and be directed back to the product page in a new window for example. This makes buying comparisons easier and ensures the visitor has the right item for his/her needs without leaving the shopping cart.
6. Don't keep shipping costs a secret. Nothing kills a conversion faster than a $19.95 shipping and handling charge on a $10 item. Provide shipping cost information on the first page of the checkout.
7. Is it backordered? The visitor finally reaches the end of the checkout only to discover that the item isn't in stock. Do you think they'll come back when the item comes in? They won't.
8. Provide complete product information including sizes, colors, styles and other product descriptors. This will cut down on product returns because buyers will know what they're actually purchasing. Avoid hyping products for the same reason.
9. Keep terms of service (TOS) simple and unambiguous. What's your guarantee? What's your return policy? Eliminate the boilerplate and give them the facts.
10. Provide a menu of payment gateways. Not all buyers want to pay by credit card. Some don't even have a credit card. Buyers should be given the option to pay by debit card, personal check (snail mail), PayPal and other similar services, bank transfer and, if the want to stop by to pick it up, you'll even take cash.
We urge you to take the time to read the complete list of 25 tips at the original article, here. And as always, feel free to share your comments with the Aplus.Net community.
