How to increase conversion rate numbers? Most eCommerce shop owners ask that question at least once a day. SafeRingz is an example of an eCommerce shop that found a pretty convincing answer. By switching to Shopify, the company was able to boost conversion rates by nearly double. That's a substantial gain, so we're going to look at the factors that can contribute to that sort of positive shift in website conversions.
Disclosure: This article includes affiliate links for Shopify, as it is far and away our preferred eCommerce platform. We will be compensated if you purchase through these links.
How to Increase Conversion Rate in 4 Ways
- Determine Customer Journey
- Know Your Customers
- Platform Customizability
- Product Presentation
Pay Attention to Customer Journey
Who are your customers, and what do their journeys look like?
Let's run a scenario:
Person X is an ecommerce consumer. Person X was pleasantly surprised to find and purchase a product on Website Z. Why the surprise? Because Website Z provided a rather poor website experience. The product that Person X happened upon seemed to be of a much higher quality than the website it was sold on.
Okay, fine. But you might reasonably wonder how Person X ever found that gem of a purchase on a website that candidly told him (via UX, design, site speed, etc.) that he wouldn't find anything of value there. Why (maybe even how) did Person X make it all the way to that "Purchase" button?
Sometimes the answer involves a history of stellar experiences with a company. Maybe the brand or product name is noteworthy enough. Truthfully, there can be any number of answers. At the end of the day, a savvy business should gear their online experience toward the people they ideally serve.
"We have created content specific to [blue-collar] markets that will allow our prospective customers to 'feel at home' when they reach our site and be able see why this is a great option for them." — Matt Smith, Cofounder of SafeRingz
Know Your Market
As their name suggests, SafeRingz designs and manufactures wedding bands that have safety features most rings lack. These are predominantly marketed toward hardworking blue-collar professionals who cannot safely wear traditional bands in their occupations. SafeRingz Cofounder, Matt Smith, explained how the company has such a well-defined market. "We ARE our market," he said. "Whether a firefighter or a warehouse manager, we work in jobs where it makes sense to have the option to wear your commitment on your finger without fear of injury." I asked Matt what has been the biggest obstacle or challenge in growing online sales for SafeRingz. He said it was education.
"Most people had never heard of a silicone or rubber wedding ring, and at first they just brushed it off as something that was either not for them, or silly. It has taken quite a while for people to realize the benefits of what we are offering. Not only to their pocketbooks, but to their personal safety."
— Matt Smith
The business is making strides by working to truly understand their market, identify their customers, and, in many ways, embrace their website as a marketing tool. It's worth taking a note from this playbook in recognizing where your market is and taking the necessary steps to bridge any gaps, be they educational or otherwise.
Build for Long-Term Customizability
We talked about customizability a few weeks ago in our post on Shopify's ecommerce benefits. By running SafeRingz.com on the Shopify platform Chek Creative can partner with Matt and his team to tweak and streamline their website for the hardworking audience they know so very well. And that makes customers want to stick around. Matt says he's noticed a difference.
"I think it all boils down to the fact that the site is faster, more intuitive, and has given us many more options for customization."
Setting a site up to properly scale and evolve over time creates space for website conversions to increase as the business grows.
Invest in Product Presentation
Website customizations can substantially boost conversion rates for companies that know their target market and work to make the online experience as easy as possible on that demographic.
We added a feature to the SafeRingz site that makes it possible for users to see graphic representations of their chosen engravings — to digitally "try on" different rings.
Fun tools and "spark-of-joy" integrations like this can significantly elevate a product or brand's profile and lead to more website conversions. From paying for better mockups to crafting SEO-friendly product descriptions, consider ways you might boost the perceived value of a product to, in turn, boost conversion rates sitewide.
The Bottom Line on Boosting Website Conversions
The bottom line is that it's great to have a Person X; that mystery customer who will buy from you no matter what. But from there it's crucial to understand where that person is coming from. When you have a grasp on that, you know your market. And when you know your market, however small it is, you're in the right position to grow.
