5 tips for optimizing conversions in your online shop

The boom in e-commerce has multiplied since Corona and everyone wants to be part of it. But luring online shoppers to the site is not enough. A lot can go wrong on the way to the shopping cart and to the order.

One Study by IFH Cologne shows that the large shops and industries in which e-commerce has been established for years are benefiting from the boom. So if you want to hold your own against Amazon, Tchibo and Zalando, you have to offer a lot more. The conversion rate describes how many customers it works for, i.e. how many customers come to a transaction. The percentage indicates how many of the visitors actually ordered in the shop – but as a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) it can also describe other transactions such as ordering a newsletter.

A high conversion rate is what counts in e-commerce: every increase means more sales. Right now, in the phase before the main season with Black Friday and the pre-Christmas business, it is worthwhile to optimize the shop in the direction of more conversion. We give the essential tips here.

Squeaky clean technology is a must in an online shop. It doesn’t even have to be crashing browser windows or display errors to which customers react more sensitively in shops. A loading time that is a little too long is enough to drive away potential customers and damage the reputation of the retailer or the brand.

It is an absolute duty not only to support mobile devices, but also to offer a painless order, if possible without compromising. According to the latest Postbank digital study For young people, the average spending on the Internet has risen by a third. Shopping via smartphone is not only in the foreground when the focus is on the young target group. In the meantime, “Mobile First” applies to the entire spectrum of the target group.

When it comes to supporting mobile devices, shop operators don’t have to reinvent the wheel. There are established shop systems that support mobile devices as modular solutions without lengthy development work. Of course, even finished shop systems still have to be adapted to your own customers, but technical teething problems can often be minimized and testing and start-up costs can be kept low.

When it comes to “unknown” shops and new brands, customers rightly ask themselves: Do they really exist, do they deliver on time or do I order from a mailbox company? It is important to counteract this healthy mistrust, which many customers have had bad experiences behind, from the start. An “About Us” page with real people, photos from the store or warehouse, the factory, a phone number, imprint and positive reviews of platforms like Trustpilot help. In addition, seals of approval help like one Award from Trusted Shopsto underline a serious impression. Customer reviews on products not only promote the community, but also show new customers: This is where orders are placed and they deliver! Or even more important: if something goes wrong or you don’t like it, the return process runs smoothly.

Well-informed customers of today not only do research on Google, but also look on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other channels to see how and whether the shop communicates with its customers. Social media presence and management mean effort, but in the end it pays off in a good reputation.

There must be absolute transparency when it comes to delivery stocks and times. Anyone who fools customers into having something in stock and then delivers late, shows phone numbers on the page that no one picks up, or takes days or not at all to reply to e-mail inquiries, is out of reach. With transparency on the Internet, it won’t be long before the bad reputation spreads.

Well-designed shops, video intros and accessories may look great, but many customers already know which product they are looking for before they visit and want to order straight away. A quick and direct product search and familiar mechanisms such as shopping cart and checkout are mandatory. Deviating from it might be creative, but not advisable because it would confuse and lead to breaks. Simple navigation and a familiar process, as offered by many modular shop systems, support the customer journey, i.e. the customer’s journey from browsing to buying.

Particular attention is paid to the checkout process at the checkout. When it comes to money, customers are particularly sensitive to surprises and break off the transaction if they suspect the slightest. When making a purchase, the entire checkout process should be transparent. Online shoppers want to know exactly when they order, when to pay, whether the order was successful and when which messenger is likely to ring.

Here it helps to rely on standards. Use PayPal, for example, according to EHI over 30 percent of Germans who still prefer to pay by invoice. PayPal offers online retailers not only a quick integration of the service into common shop systems, but also a thoroughly tested and constantly updated checkout for desktop and mobile devices. Not only does it run free of crashes, it is already known to many shoppers.

For many, a cause of termination before the final purchase is that the desired payment method is not offered in the shop. Paypal offers online merchants for example the optionto offer direct debit, credit card, purchase on account and installment payments via the service. In the event of problems, for example if the shop does not deliver, the buyer protection protects. He often gives undecided customers the last nudge to order in a previously unknown shop. Even Sellers are through seller protection secured against payment defaults.

Today, consumers are well informed and like to research before making a purchase. Shops that also offer content, for example professionally produced tests of new products on YouTube, community maintenance in social media channels such as Instagram and sales advice beyond the bare product descriptions on their own website, have a clear advantage. Good purchase advice, so-called shoppable content, which prepares and accompanies the purchase, saves customers later frustration, costs for returns and creates awareness for new products. Content also binds after-sales customers to the brand and the shop. In this way you build a long-term relationship, which is often more important than the slightly cheaper price at the competitor.

The conversion tips sound like basics, but often mean a lot of effort when it is constantly and properly implemented – for example when it comes to content and community maintenance. Running a shop is no longer enough. It’s about creating customer experiences in all channels relevant to the target group in order to be successful as a brand.