Before a customer can buy, they have to find the products they want. Not only do you need to present products clearly and attractively, but you also need to organize them in ways that match how your customers will be browsing and make sure that the whole site is easily searchable.
Below are ten ways to improve your online shopping experience to help customers throughout their journey and ultimately increase conversions and online revenue for your eCommerce store.
1. Write clear, detailed product descriptions
The customer needs to understand what they’re buying, or they won’t add it to their cart. Keep your product descriptions concise, but include all relevant information, such as product fit, materials used, and instructions for use or care. Aim for five to seven bullet points, so customers can feel confident in their purchase. Thorough product descriptions will reduce returns and help with SEO.
2. Follow best practices for images
Nothing lowers the perception of a brand’s quality quicker than pixelated, text-overlaid product images. Take product photos against clean, solid backgrounds and capture as many angles of the product as possible. Make sure your images are high quality and well-lit, and don’t add text to them.
3. Use product videos
Product videos can be particularly useful if you sell apparel. Seeing the fit of an item on a real, moving human can help customers envision how the product will look on themselves. This allows customers to “try before they buy,” which can also cut down on returns. It can also help to include models of different sizes to highlight the fit of the product on all body types.
4. Create personalized category landing pages
The more relevant your content is to your customer, the more likely they are to convert. Creating personalized category landing pages lets you address different segments of your target demographic and recommend products to them directly.
5. Add category and search filters
Without filters, customers have a harder time finding what they’re looking for. It also puts a heavier load on merchandisers, who have to come up with more categories. Consider adding search box text (such as “bathing suits, hiking boots...”) that disappears as a customer clicks into it, to show them how to search.
6. Make it clear how to filter and sort results
Allowing customers to filter their searches by an extensive list of product attributes helps create a more seamless path to checkout. Additionally, sorting options such as “Price: Low to High” and “Best Sellers” allow customers to shop the way they want, making them more likely to convert.
7. Make the site search box visible across the entire site
Make sure customers can find what they’re looking for, no matter where they are on your site. Remember to consider the customer experience across all screen sizes, so customers can easily shop no matter where they are.
8. Add synonyms, alternate phrases –even misspellings – into site search
Customers won’t always type in the exact right phrase, spelled correctly, to get the search result they need. Build in a back-up plan with alternate options to aid in the search process. Also include alternative products or a generic best sellers list as options on a “no results found” page.
9. Add ratings and reviews on your site
88% of online shoppers read reviews, and having product reviews can increase conversions by 178%. Reviews provide social proof, giving shoppers the confidence they need to make a purchase. Review platforms like Revere make implementation quick, so you can start capturing customer sentiment almost immediately.
10. Optimize your products for discovery
Make your product pages easy for consumers to find by using keywords in product descriptions and titles. Write in plain, concise language and optimize your pages with appropriate metadata for better discovery.
If you're looking for more help optimizing your eCommerce store for increased conversions and revenue growth, Virid can help. Schedule a consultation today to get started.
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