This guide will go through what is influencing your low conversion rates and steps in how you can improve that.
We all like a short and sweet introduction, so let’s get to it.
What is the average conversion rate on Shopify?
With all good guides, it’s good to know what the benchmark is. From a recent survey by Littledata, their data suggests the following:
- In May 2020, the average conversion rate was 1.6%, rising from 1.5% in 2019.
- The industry average for eCommerce conversion rates is 1.85%
- The average order value across Shopify was $63.50.
(Psst, are you a Shopify owner looking to increase average order value instead? Then head over to our guide on how to increase your Shopify AOV).
Why is there a low conversion rate on your Shopify store?
You are targeting the wrong demographic
- If you are getting traffic but converting below the benchmark at 0.2% then its time to reconsider your targeting. Are you targeting the right people? And are the right people landing on your page?
- If you are using paid ads, then its important to optimise your reach to utilise the best sources. While broad keyword search is great for visibility, it is more effective to target long-tail keywords with less competition.
- Finessing your SEO takes time and patience. Remember it’s not all about overnight success but more on how much you test and optimise.
To find out more about how to define your target audience, Shopify has an awesome guide on defining your demographic.
You have poor product images
Trust is a big factor in purchasing decisions (we talk more about that later) but a surprising 25% of eCommerce stores do not use high-resolution product images.
To convey your products in a positive light, it is a must to include plentiful high-res photos that are compatible across all devices (especially mobile). Shoppers who can zoom in can get a great sense of what the product is from all angles too.
No customer reviews
Social proofing your website with customer reviews can increase conversion rates by 15%.
There’s a lot of big players out there so it’s important to utilise customer experience and show off reviews to reflect consumer trust.
You can add product views using a variety of plugins on the Shopify App Store.
Your landing page needs an uplift
First impressions count. Your landing page should include quick loading times, appeasing designs and clear navigation.
Similar to product images, ensure your landing pages are compatible across all devices and heavily optimised for mobile. If you are a 100% eCommerce brand then customers will base perception on your website alone.
Not testing enough
Whether you are a start-up or a fully established brand, testing is crucial to sustaining long-term success. If you have enough traffic, A/B testing on messaging, CTAs, pop-ups and front-end designs can be deployed to your segmented audiences.
For lower traffic volumes, we encourage you to test anyway. It’s important to analyse your customers buying journey and conversion funnel.
Is it smooth from product search to conversion? Can the checkout page be optimised? What different keywords can you rank for? These are all low-risk actions for an early start-up store.
Need to shoot off? Here’s our easy-to-digest conversion guide
How to increase your Shopify conversion rates in 3 steps
Personalise the customer journey
Every marketer’s dream is to harness the great power of personalisation.
According to Amazon, its recommendation algorithms make up 30% of its eCommerce revenue.
Industry data also suggests personalisation tactics leads to a 19% increase in revenue and 15% higher profits.
Now, are you wondering if you should include personalisation in your strategy? Below is a basic framework to follow:
If you fall under that benchmark, then it’s time to dissect the data and analyse your conversion funnel.
By understanding where your customers drop out in the conversion funnel, you can then begin to improve on those areas. Personalisation, in this case, acts as a boost to an already established website.
However, if you are beyond the benchmark here are some quick tips to get you going:
Examples of personalisation using a product recommendation carousel
What is a product recommendation carousel?
Product recommendation is a filtering system that uses AI to predict and suggest relevant items to shoppers. The feature integrated with your store (we highly recommend following this guide to find out more.
Examples of where it can be deployed:
- Homepage: Bestsellers, Recommended for you, Trending right now, Recently viewed
- Product page: Related items, Similar items, Recently viewed
- Collection page: Bestsellers, Recommended for you
- Checkout page: Recommended for you
Integrate chatbots or live video shopping software on your shopify store
When you are a 100% eCommerce brand, there can be a disconnect between you and the customer. There is a strong demand for brands to relish in the human connection in order to immediately answer questions and help understand product knowledge.
Shopify stores that integrate chatbot software can see conversion rates increase by 2% However, they act as an effective customer service tool, instead of an effective sales tool.
If you have the resources, it is highly recommended that you deploy live video shopping to address the middle of the funnel shoppers. Live video shopping can help grow Shopify conversion rates by 30x.
To find out more about how live video shopping helps Shopify stores be sure to check out our case study on Snug.
Confer With offers a Shopify live video integration where you can attach video experiences on your storefront. You can check out our explainer video below:
Also, if you are interested in learning more about live video shopping, then here are some worthwhile guides to read:
Confer With Shopify integration
Consumer trust is key to success
85% of global shoppers rate trust as the number one attribute when shopping online.
Consumer shopping behaviour has changed. Shoppers now switch from their favourite brands to more unknown names. It is a great opportunity to utilise this change and deliver an experience that makes the shopper feel respected.
Fostering a supportive atmosphere not only builds on conversion rates but leads to customer retention too.
Our current customers who work with live video shopping have seen fantastic customer reviews:
By blending a seamless landing page experience, attractive high-resolution images optimised targeting and great customer support can see your consumer trust increase. The rest will naturally follow on.
