There is a multitude of reasons, literally thousands why your website may not be converting as well as it could be. I’m going to cover a handful here that will hopefully give you something to think about.
Security
All sites should now have an SSL certificate installed, especially where e-commerce sites are concerned. Security is as important as ever and you can get penalised by Google or other search engines if you do not have one. Without one, many users will lose trust and probably click away.
No Clear CTAs
There could be problems with conversion on sites due to there not being a clear enough call-to-action or CTA. This could be the terminology used for buttons, the style of the button or even the colours used. A clear and concise CTA is one of the major factors behind successful websites.
No Product Reviews
Product reviews can be critical to help gain conversion. A list of reviews, especially with a trusted site, builds trust with the user and make them more inclined to convert. Internet users are savvy and quickly turn away from products or services that appear fake or unreliable. Like the old adage, ‘all press is good press’ as even negative reviews can help you discover how the company responds to negative feedback and how good the customer service is.
Confusing Form Fields
Form fields should be as simple as possible if there is any confusion in terms of which details to enter in a certain field. This can be very damaging to conversion, remove where possible the option for multiple columns and unneeded fields, the more fields to enter the less likely you are to convert.
Slow Website Performance
If a website takes a long time to load, there is an increased chance that the user will leave the site before the page even loads. This is especially pertinent to mobile users as convenience and time are major factors for people on the move.
Main Device Usage
A website has to cater to the dominant device its market uses. Mobile users look for a different experience compared to desktop users so make sure to have your website suited to the device or at least optimised. Common oversights like this can affect conversions dramatically.
Continuous Testing
Website requirements can dramatically change throughout the year whether it be through updated security requirements, Google algorithms or the introduction of GDPR. This highlights the importance of continuous testing and analysis of your website to ensure it can perform, CRO is also a critical factor in achieving this. Without continuous testing, you do not know whether your website can convert to its maximum capability.
Lack of Trust Signals
A great product isn’t just enough to gain conversion, you need to have additional elements to help, this can be getting across the great delivery service your business has, or the vast amount of brands that you work with. Without these elements, you can struggle to show why your business stands out.
Accessibility Issues
Accessibility can be a massive limiting factor. Whether it’s sensory-based or language-based be sure to find out who your market is and cater to them. Adding a translation option or making your site easier to understand for visually impaired users shows you care and will yield greater conversions.
Design Aesthetic
Art imitates life and design is no different. Everything from the clothes we wear to the products we consume is informed by our sense of style. Be sure to tailor your site to the lifestyle and needs of your market.
Poor Customer Service
Visitors look for trust signals, such, as reviews, testimonials, Quick delivery times, complaints procedure etc. Make sure your site has there, they add more value than you might think.
Lack of Guidance
In the land of e-commerce, there’s a practice called ‘an enclosed checkout’. This is where at the point of purchase, all the other functionality from the site is removed and you’ll be faced with 3 or 4 really simple steps to convert. Name and address, Delivery details and payment details., Easy as 1 2 3 right? If your audience has the ability to be distracted by ‘ latest blog’ or some other button you’re going to lose them.
Button Colours
Yes, that’s right. A simple change of colour of a button that demands an action can drastically change your conversion rates. It’s reported that orange is the most recommended for e-commerce, presumably is because we are all used to the orange on the likes of eBay, Amazon and Paypal. As users, we just feel so comfortable with it.
Page Length
Page length is a critical factor. There’s obviously a balance between how much information you need to give your visitor to convert and how much you give that will turn them off. You’ll need to find yours for your audience and your product out service.
Poor Copy
Great content is not only great for search but good for the users to really understand the unique selling points (USPs) of the product or service you are offering. Make sure you say enough and make sure its well written and the grammar is correct. There’s no point building a great site to lose the user with a spelling error.
Lack of Product Descriptions
Tying into the above one, the length or amount of copy is crucial too. Make sure you spilt test this and find the right balance for your target market.
Poor Quality Images
So they say a picture is a 1000 words, well make sure yours count. Visitors looking to purchase are looking to be sold the answer to their problems. A dream if you will.
Look at the Apple website. Crisp, highly retouched, shiny, perfectly optimised and composed images that we all love and all buy into. Using low res pixilated images simply won’t do and will put your audience off.
If you’re interested in how to take the next steps and make even further improvements to the conversion of your website, there’s an agency practice called CRO or conversion rate optimisation that helps test and improve the conversion rate of your website. Alternatively, contact us today to get your website on track.