How to increase the conversion rate without a big investment in marketing?

This is what every virtual retailer asks himself. In this article, we will teach you the ropes so that you can make this mission possible.

But first we must explain the concept of the conversion rate, so that you can compare your figures with those of your competitors and the market as a whole, and measure the changes as you introduce improvements.

You can calculate your conversion rate as a percentage, by dividing the number of orders placed during the month by the number of single visitors during the same period, and multiplying the result by 100. For example, if you have 1,2 million single accesses during the month and 6500 orders are placed, your conversion rate is 0.54%.

As a reference, the average e-commerce conversion rate in the US market is 2.9%, while in Brazil the specialists estimate an average of between 1.5% and 2%. In fact, the conversion rate in e-commerce varies a great deal, according to the type of product and the profile of the target market – there are cases of US stores which achieve a conversion rate as high as 40%.

How can I increase the conversion rate?

Now let’s talk about how to increase the conversion rate without having to spend a lot of money on marketing. Just look:

Product page

If we look at how people actually make a purchase, the first step is the page with details of the product. Here we must give all the information needed to convince the visitor to put the product in their shopping cart. A tip: the button “add to your shopping cart” must be very visible, preferably in a warm color on a white background measuring about one centimeter.

Identification or registration

When the cart is full, it is time to allow the shopper to go on to the next stage, which should be identification or registration. Important: show the option “I have forgotten my password” so that forgetful visitors can continue with the purchase.

Shopping cart

The shopping cart page should be simple and objective, showing the visitor how to proceed with the purchase – don’t clutter it up with unnecessary information that will distract the visitor. Detailed forms may discourage people from advancing to the next stage, so offer a quick registration and only ask for the key details – leave the rest of the information to be provided on the following pages.

In fact, this should be your watchword: never ask for unnecessary details! This is tiring for the customer. Be objective not only in the identification process, but throughout all the next steps – delivery address, payment and order confirmation. If you want to find out more about the visitor, use other tactics to get the information – don’t do it during the purchase process!

Innovation is an extremely important asset for any company, but beware: don’t be too inventive and don’t change the things that most online shoppers are accustomed to. Something simple, but well done, is in most cases the recipe for success. For example, you can increase conversion simply by using a good search tool, which really delivers relevant results and encourages people to buy. For consumers, there is nothing that motivates them more than easily finding what they are looking for.

Remarketing

Are you familiar with the concept of remarketing? It is all the rage in Europe and the United States. What is known as triggered e-mail, an automatic tool that sends personalized emails to visitors who have abandoned a purchase during the final stages, is a valuable remarketing resource. This category also includes smart advertising tools that send messages to someone who has visited your store when they are browsing other sites.