How to increase the sales of your online stores with conversion optimization

Having many visitors to your own online stores is already a big thing. However, traffic alone is usually not the correct measure of success. Instead, it is interesting – and also economically relevant – to know how many of these visitors actually become real customers. Therefore, in this article I will show you how you can effectively increase your online store sales with conversion optimization.

What really is conversion optimization?

Conversion optimization explained in a simple way:
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) – or also conversion optimization – deals with increasing the so-called conversion rate. It is the percentage of visitors to a website that perform a previously defined action.
Conversion optimization is not a project, it’s a process: just as successful businesses work to constantly improve their products and services, they also work to optimize their conversion rate.

Thus, your competitors also operate conversion optimization as a permanent and strategic optimization process. Once upgrades are earned, they are lost again over time. Therefore, it is of great importance to implement conversion optimization as a long-term and sustainable process in the company.

By its very nature, discipline is data-driven: A recommendation that has worked for one site does not necessarily work for all other sites.

However, from the experience of various experiments a catalog of proven and scientifically supported methods can be derived. I would like to present some of these methods and best practices in this article.

7 tips for conversion optimization

Before going into details, I would like to talk about an important aspect that is, in a way, a basic prerequisite and on which the rest is based: It is known that approximately 95% of purchase decisions are made unconsciously. . This means that, in the first place, it is not only the first impression that counts, but the general impression that the visitor has of the site.

Factors such as the absence of errors and the speed of loading play an important role. If they are not given, a solid foundation is missing on which to optimize and build. Below you will find some approaches that will allow you to know where and how you can optimize your site :

1. The 2 second rule
   
2. visual focus
   
3. Features, benefits and advantages
   
4. A call to action
   
5. customer reviews and testimonials
   
6. Warranty
   
7. Storytelling

1. The 2 second rule

With a clear Headline, which offers a value proposition (value proposition), it will attract visitors under its spell. Your visitors’ attention span is short, so you need to get to the point as soon as possible so they don’t leave your site early.

On average, 8 out of 10 visitors will read the headline. However, only 2 of these 10 visitors will also look at the rest of the site. Therefore, if you formulate the main headline in an attractive way, then significantly more visitors will continue reading.

2. visual focus

In addition to the textual aspects, any landing page should have a clear visual focus that grabs your visitors’ full attention. It can be in the form of an attractive image of the product, a video or an image that conveys emotion.

At the moment someone reads the headline, you have to attract their attention to the rest of the content through the image. Right now, at best, there’s something incredibly important going on in your prospect’s mind: Deal with your site.

The use of visual elements is so important because it is easier for most people to perceive and understand a subject in a visual context. This usually has a direct impact on the conversion rate, as you’ll see.

Basically, the higher the quality of the images and the texts of your , the better the conversion of your site will be.

But how do we measure the quality of images and texts? In the case of images and graphics, it should be clear that they must be high-resolution and load quickly. If this is not the case, friction is created that negatively affects the conversion rate.

Likewise, your texts should not contain spelling mistakes, since they give an unprofessional image. For headlines and copy, you need to think clearly about what you want to say and whether it helps your visitors understand your offer. If this is the case, then you are already on the right track.

3. Features, benefits and advantages

Third, you need to consider what specific features you want to highlight and, more importantly, what benefits it will bring to your customer.
In most cases, benefits/services solve the problem of your customers, for example, by saving time and/or money through your product or service. You can highlight these advantages and explain them with the help of features and make them attractive.

Customers buy your product not because of its features, but because of the benefits they expect to get from it. This is why so many people always want the latest smartphone: They promise themselves an edge through newly added features.

4. Call to action only

In the fourth step, you should definitely come up with a single, clear call-to-action (CTA). Often a landing page is cluttered with different CTAs – unfortunately, this rarely helps.

The reason why a CTA or at most one is not placed at the top of the site is that you must first understand your offer and deal with objections to your argumentation.

If someone has understood everything and understands what it is about, they will be more willing to take action and buy your product or contact you, that is, respond to your call to action (CTA).

5. customer reviews and testimonials

Fifth, you should include testimonials or ratings and other visual evidence. By including customer reviews and testimonials on your site, your site visitors can independently assess whether or not the offer is something for them.

Make sure customer reviews and testimonials are as authentic and appear authentic as possible, for example by including the names and companies of your customers or by using a video testimonial. Criticism must be authentic.

Basically, the structure of these testimonials should always describe what problem or challenge was solved for your clients, and how.

6. Warranty

In the sixth step you must give a guarantee. This guarantee can be designed very differently. In the case of digital products or computer programs, there is usually a trial period; in the case of gyms, a free trial workout; in online stores, possibly a satisfaction guarantee.

It is important that the client does not feel that he has made a final decision from which he cannot go back. Again, very important: your customer must feel comfortable making the purchase.

7.storytelling

In the last step, your landing page should definitely tell a well rounded story. A good storytelling will have a significant positive impact on the conversion rate of your .

Even if there is no direct, personal contact on your website or in your online store: A story conveys exactly this feeling, or more exactly, compassion. With storytelling, you can better reach the emotions of your customers. After all, he is taking them on a very special journey and telling them a story.

However, telling a story here does not mean telling fairy tales, but selling your product wrapped in a story. For example, you can illustrate the typical before and after scenario in a story.

The testimonials already mentioned above also serve to tell a good story. And here I will give you another important tip: the storytelling can and should be emotional. Directly address the problems and challenges that your customers often have, and explain how you or your product helps them overcome these obstacles.

If you can use storytelling to take your customers on a journey and roller coaster of emotions—with all the ups and downs—they’ll be much more willing to convert. By the way, this is not only valid for your website, but for all sales channels of your .

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many ways to improve the conversion rate of your website or your online store. The approaches mentioned above are of course only a small selection. However, in most cases it can be assumed that the application of these principles is a good base from which to continue optimizing.

If these basic principles apply and your site works quickly and without errors, then you can take care of other issues of conversion optimization – and improve your conversion rate bit by bit with the help of A/B testing. .