How to increase your online sales by boosting conversion rates

Having a website for your business is no longer optional, but essential. Irish consumers are shopping online more than ever, and businesses that embrace e-commerce are seeing the rewards.

According to .IE's Tipping Point report, 55% of SMEs invested in their online presence in 2021. And of those, 78% reported being as busy or busier than before the pandemic.

This shift highlights the importance of having a strong online presence, not just to survive but to thrive.

But simply having an online store isn't enough. You need to convert visitors into paying customers – a process known as conversion rate optimisation (CRO).

The guide How to increase your online sales by powering up conversion rates, developed by .IE and digital expert Ger Keohane, outlines key strategies that can help Irish small businesses improve their online sales.

This blog breaks down the most valuable insights from the guide and shows you why you should download the full report for a deeper dive.

Understanding the e-commerce maturity model

Before improving conversion rates, it's important to understand where your business stands in its e-commerce journey.

The guide introduces the e-commerce maturity model, which breaks down the key stages of an online business's development:

• Traffic: Getting visitors to your website. This is where businesses focus on attracting potential customers through various channels like social media, search engines and email marketing.

• Trading: Making sure visitors can easily find and buy products. This involves optimising the website layout, product pages and user experience to encourage purchases.

• Transaction: Optimising checkout, payment and delivery processes to reduce the number of customers abandoning carts and help them complete their orders smoothly.

• Retention: Encouraging repeat customers and building long-term relationships through loyalty programmes, personalised marketing and excellent customer service.

Most Irish SMEs will need to focus on the first three stages before moving on to retention. This model helps identify where your efforts should be concentrated based on your current business stage.

1. Increasing high-quality traffic to your website

Getting people to your site is the first step to making sales. But not all visitors are equal – some are ready to buy, while others are just browsing.

Understanding where your traffic comes from can help you prioritise the best sources.

Traffic sources and their conversion rates

A study of Irish e-commerce sites revealed the average conversion rates for different traffic sources:

• Referral (6.79%): Visitors arriving via recommendations (like blogs or comparison sites) tend to convert the best because they are "warm leads" who already trust the referrer.

• Email (2.91%): Customers who already know your brand respond well to promotional emails, especially when the content is personalised and relevant.

• Organic search (2.44%) and paid search (2.51%): People searching for products are often ready to buy, making these channels highly effective for capturing high-intent traffic.

• Social media (0.93%): Facebook, Instagram and other platforms drive awareness but don't always lead to immediate sales. However, they play a crucial role in brand visibility and customer engagement.

How to drive high-intent traffic

• Focus on SEO (search engine optimisation): Optimise your website content with relevant keywords, meta descriptions and high-quality backlinks to rank higher in search engine results.

• Invest in email marketing: Build an email list and send targeted campaigns based on customer behaviour and preferences. Use segmentation to increase engagement and conversion rates.

• Take advantage of influencer marketing: Partner with local influencers or bloggers who can authentically promote your products to their engaged audiences.

• Make use of paid advertising strategically: Use Google Ads and social media ads to target specific demographics and interests, maximising your return on investment.

By diversifying your traffic sources and focusing on high-converting channels, you can attract more visitors who are ready to make a purchase.

2. Optimising your website for sales

Once visitors land on your website, they should find it easy to browse, select and buy products. Here's how to improve your online store's trading experience.

Improve browsing with smart navigation and filters

Your customers should be able to find what they need quickly and effortlessly.

• Clear menu categories: Organise your products into logical categories and subcategories. Use simple language and avoid overwhelming users with too many options.

• Effective filters: Provide filtering options for size, colour, price range and other relevant attributes. This helps customers narrow down their choices and find products that meet their specific needs.

• Strong search function: Make sure your website has a robust search feature with autocomplete suggestions and the ability to handle typos. Encourage users to use search by placing the search bar prominently.

Use high-quality product pages

A product page should answer every potential question a customer might have.

• High-resolution images: Include a number of images from different angles, zoom features and videos showcasing the product in use.

• Detailed descriptions: Provide comprehensive details on products, including specifications, dimensions, materials and benefits. Use bullet points to make the text more readable.

• Customer reviews: Display authentic reviews and ratings to build trust and provide social proof. Encourage satisfied customers to leave feedback.

Use personalisation and smart merchandising

• Product recommendations: Show related products based on browsing history or popular items among similar customers.

• Personalised offers: Use customer data to offer personalised discounts, recommendations and content.

• Urgency and scarcity: Highlight limited-time offers, low stock alerts and countdown timers to create a sense of urgency.

Encourage trust and credibility

• Trust badges: Display security certifications, payment method logos and money-back guarantees.

• Transparent policies: Clearly communicate your return, refund and shipping policies to make buyers less likely to hesitate.

• About us page: Share your brand story, values and team to humanise your business and build connections with customers.

3. Streamlining the checkout and transaction process

Even if customers add items to their cart, 75% abandon their carts before checkout. Reducing friction in the checkout process can dramatically improve conversions.

Best practices for checkout

• Simplify the checkout process: Limit the number of steps needed to complete a purchase. Use progress indicators to show customers where they are in the process.

• Guest checkout option: Allow customers to check out without creating an account, to stop them abandoning their purchase.

• Auto-fill and validation: Implement auto-fill for address fields and real-time validation for errors to speed up the process.

• Mobile-friendly design: Make sure the checkout experience is optimised for mobile devices, with large buttons and easy-to-read text.

Payment options and security

• A range of payment methods: Offer various payment options, including credit/debit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay, to accommodate customers' preferences.

• Security features: Display SSL certificates, secure payment icons and data protection policies to reassure customers that their information is safe.

The power of abandoned cart emails

If a customer leaves items in their cart, send a reminder email within a few hours.

• Personalised follow-ups: Include the customer's name, the items left in the cart and a clear call-to-action to complete the purchase.

• Incentives: Offer a small discount, free shipping or a limited-time offer to encourage conversion.

• Multiple touchpoints: Send a series of reminder emails, spaced out over a few days, to increase recovery rates.

4. Improving customer trust and experience

Building trust is essential for converting visitors into loyal customers.

Build trust with clear policies and customer support

• Contact information: Provide clear contact details – including phone numbers, email addresses and a physical address – to reassure customers that you're a legitimate business.

• Live chat support: Offer real-time assistance to answer questions and resolve issues quickly, so customers are left satisfied.

• Transparent return policies: Clearly outline your return and refund policies, making it easy for customers to understand their rights.

Improve the mobile experience

• Responsive design: Make sure your website adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes and devices.

• Fast loading speed: Optimise images, reduce unnecessary code and use caching to improve site speed.

• Sticky navigation: Implement sticky "Add to cart" buttons and quick access menus for a smoother mobile shopping experience.

Final thoughts: Small tweaks can lead to big results

Conversion rate optimisation isn't about making huge changes overnight – it's about continuously improving your online store, one step at a time.

By focusing on high-quality traffic, better product pages, a seamless checkout experience and methods for building trust, Irish SMEs can increase their online sales and grow their businesses sustainably.

For a detailed step-by-step guide, read How to increase your online sales by powering up conversion rates: A guide for SMEs from .IE. It's packed with actionable insights that will help your business thrive online.

Get the guide now

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