How to improve your online store conversion rate: a practical guide
Getting traffic but not enough sales? Learn how to improve UX, product pages, checkout, trust, payments and conversion.
Do you have people visiting your store, but few are buying?
Before increasing your advertising budget, it's worth understanding what's happening between the visit and the purchase.
A store can receive relevant traffic and continue to have low conversion because there are doubts, obstacles or lack of trust along the way.
Conversion improves when experience makes the decision easier.
1. START BY MEASURING
Don't try to optimize everything at the same time.
Analysis:
- conversion rate;
- origin of traffic;
- devices;
- landing pages;
- most viewed products;
- cart abandonment;
- checkout steps;
- pages with higher output.
The data helps you identify where to investigate.
2. MAKE NAVIGATION EASY
The customer must quickly find what they are looking for.
Organize categories logically, use internal search when it makes sense, and offer useful filters.
A store with too much information can be as difficult to use as a store with little information.
3. IMPROVE PRODUCT PAGES
A good product page should reduce doubts.
Include:
- suitable photographs;
- clear description;
- benefits;
- characteristics;
- dimensions;
- availability;
- delivery;
- returns;
- assessments;
- answers to frequently asked questions.
Don't write just to describe the product. Write to help someone decide.
4. TRANSMITS CONFIDENCE
First-time buyers need safety signs.
Contact information, reviews, clear policies, payment methods, delivery information and a professional presentation can reduce uncertainty.
5. MAKE CHECKOUT SIMPLE
Review all steps.
Ask:
- Are there unnecessary fields?
- Does the customer understand how much they will pay?
- Are the payment methods clear?
- Is it easy to correct a mistake?
- Does the experience work well on mobile?
The more friction, the greater the possibility of abandonment.
6. BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT POSTING
Prevent the customer from only discovering an important cost at the end.
Communicate prices and delivery times clearly and consistently.
7. USE SOCIAL PROOF
Reviews and testimonials help answer the question:
"Other people bought this and were satisfied?"
When they are authentic and relevant, they can increase trust.
8. DON’T CONFUSE DISCOUNT WITH CRO
A promotion can increase sales, but it does not necessarily solve a conversion problem.
Before offering a discount, find out if the obstacle is price, lack of information, trust, delivery or experience.
9. MOBILE ANALYSIS
A large portion of visits can happen on mobile devices.
Test the experience as a customer: navigation, filters, images, cart, forms and payment.
10. TEST AND LEARN
Make changes with a clear hypothesis.
For example:
“If we make delivery information more visible, we hope to reduce abandonments.”
Then measure.
CONCLUSION
Increasing conversion is not about finding a magic button.
It’s about removing obstacles, answering questions and making it easier to make a decision.
Before buying more traffic, make sure the store is prepared to take advantage of the traffic it already receives.
FAQ
What is the conversion rate of an online store?
It is the proportion of visitors who perform an action defined as conversion, usually a purchase.
What is a good conversion rate?
There is no universal value. It depends on the industry, product, price, traffic source, device and many other factors.
How to increase conversions quickly?
Start by identifying the biggest obstacle through data and feedback. Random changes are rarely a good strategy.