We live in times that offer us virtually unlimited options. However, it turns out that the greater the choice, the more difficult it is to make a decision! This is confirmed by the results of a study conducted years ago at Columbia University in the United States. Participants were divided into two groups to test different jam flavors. After the tasting, the participants could purchase the product of their choice at a promotional price. The first group tested six flavors, while the second expanded their testing to 24. It turned out that those with more limited choices were more likely to make a purchase (30% of the experiment participants). In the second group, only 3% decided to make a purchase!
Why do we mention this? Because your website can be like jam. Or, more precisely, 24 jars. If you give your audience too many choices, they'll get lost in the shopping journey and fail to reach their shopping goal —theirs or yours. Below, we'll share 19 proven ways to increase conversion rates and lower acquisition costs, simply by optimizing your campaigns. Ready? Let's get started.
By way of introduction: conversion – what does it mean?
According to sjp.pl, conversion is the transformation of the form of something.
In the e-commerce industry, it's a specific, expected action from a recipient, resulting from a targeted campaign or SEO . The conversion rate directly indicates the number of actions taken relative to all domain visitors.
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Increase your conversion rate in 19 simple steps
1. Get to know your CRO planner
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) is a complex process aimed at converting more of your website's audience into engaged users and customers. It takes time and expertise. If you value your precious minutes and want to rely on advice from experts, you can use HubSpot's CRO planner. This free tool will make you an expert at increasing your website conversion rates in 60 days.
Start analyzing the data you're collecting and developing an effective strategy to increase conversions. HubSpot CRO planner will help you:
- conduct a conversion rate audit,
- identify unconscious areas for improvement in the funnel,
- understand the behavior of users visiting the website,
- analyze and draw conclusions from the tests performed.
2. Shorten the forms
One reason for low conversion rates may be an overly complex form. Before creating one, consider what information you truly need from the user. Remember, the more data you try to collect, the more reluctance a potential customer may have to fill out the form. And yet, you're already "hello to the goose"!
If you don't want users to hesitate, or in the worst-case scenario, give up on filling in empty boxes with their data, opt for minimalism. This will also build trust with your audience.
Example of the form used to download Verseo guides:
3. Use social proof
Did you know that 89% of consumers check online reviews before making a purchase?
While we want to believe we are unique and free from stereotypes, they often guide our behavior. Especially when we don't know how to behave, what decision to make, or simply don't have time to analyze the situation in depth. In such situations, we often automatically rely on social proof, a concept extensively explored by Robert B. Cialdini in his bestselling book, "Influence."
This rule is often used in sales. You're probably familiar with messages like:
“As many as 73% of respondents confirm that after implementing the suggested solutions, their conversion rate increased threefold”!
If so many people have experienced tangible benefits, it must be good, and maybe it will work for you too! It would be a shame not to try it. Other ways to use this principle include product or service reviews appearing on a website in the form of a pop-up, or messages like:
"3 people are viewing the same property. There is only one apartment like this left on our website for your preferred dates."
It's motivating! If you want to use social proof on your website, you can use an app like Yelp. It allows you to rate and publish reviews of services and products. Many people use it – maybe your business will find it useful too?
>> READ ALSO… Sales Automation and HubSpot – the perfect duo <<
4. Monitor how people interact with your page
Your website is polished to perfection, everything is consistent with your aesthetic, but e-commerce conversions are lacking? Perhaps the proposed CTA placement, form length, or message clarity are distracting the user, who gets lost on your site? And when they don't know what to do, they do nothing. So they leave and say, "Bye, bye!"
Use available website analysis tools – such as Crazy Egg or this one offered by HubSpotThis will allow you to see what you're doing well and diagnose which areas of your website need improvement. You'll also be able to calculate your conversion rate and analyze why it's so low.
Heat maps allow you to see which elements are catching the eye. You can analyze what potential customers are clicking on or at what point they abandon their order. This is the basis for optimizing the process and facilitating transactions.
Increasing conversion rates through communication
5. Add live chat
There's no sale without objections. If you're a good salesperson, you know that people buy based on emotions, and then rationalization kicks in. This is a natural process, so you should do everything you can to understand your potential customers' buying barriers. And break them down!
Live chat can be helpful, providing another channel for reaching your website users. If they have any questions or concerns while adding a product to their virtual cart, they can quickly contact you to ask for clarification.
An additional advantage is the form of communication. People are often afraid to ask questions over the phone. They don't want to offend someone or admit they don't understand something. For this reason, requests or rejections are usually made in writing. It's easier! Use this knowledge to increase e-commerce conversions. Chat is one of the elements that can help you with this!
Both nonverbal and verbal communication play a crucial role in the sales process. Krzysztof Rzepkowski, President of Sandler Training Polska, shared his insights on how to communicate, present an offer, and prepare for a meeting with a potential client. Read more HERE!
6. Test your offers
You've meticulously crafted your product or service descriptions, utilized social proof, and shortened your forms… It seems you've done everything, yet conversions are few and far between! What's the problem? Where are you falling short on your sales journey? You'll have to walk it yourself to understand!
Perhaps you'll conclude that the descriptions are professional but not well-suited to your target audience? Perhaps the website is aesthetically pleasing but not tailored to the service? This happens, for example, when you approach the topic in too general a manner. Instead of offering a free consultation, perhaps it's better to offer helpful advice that potential clients can immediately implement? Focus on specifics.
7. Conduct A/B testing
If you don't collect data, you have to base your business decisions on crystal ball predictions. To gather reliable information and know what works for your website, you need to test various options.
Find out which headline types, colors, layouts, and CTAs produce the most satisfying results. Be creative and experiment. Remember to only change one element in the test version. Then you'll know what actually translates into increased conversion rates. Create your optimal layouts and use them in your next campaigns!
8. Gain trust
Likeability and trust are essential currencies in sales. People buy from those they like (and they like those who are similar to them) and trust. If you want to increase your conversion rate, ensure your brand is strong, perceived as professional, and that transactions with it build a sense of security. How do you do this? There are several ways…
You can guarantee a refund if a product or service doesn't meet a customer's expectations. This sends a clear signal that you're confident in the quality of your offering. Confidence is another key to success in a competitive market.
Also, make sure your website is regularly updated and offers valuable content . This will be appreciated not only by users but also by search engine crawlers. This gives you a good chance of ranking higher in the SERPs.
Another "little big thing" that will help you increase brand trust? Showcase your experts. Let your potential customers know who will handle their case and why they should buy from them.
BONUS
Recommendations are invaluable in building trust. Satisfied customers will gladly provide them; you just have to ask! After a successful transaction, ask if your offer deserves a positive rating. If the answer is yes, move on. Ask if the customer would be willing to recommend it to their loved ones. It'll be hard to back out... you know? After the second YES, it's all downhill! Ask if you can request references, which will be published on the website. If you manage to get two positive ratings out of 10 transactions, think about the results in a month, six months, or three years.
>> CHECK OUT our HubSpot implementation offer! <
9. Create email campaigns that revive abandoned carts
Think about how many times you've added something to your virtual shopping cart but haven't completed the transaction? The same thing happens with your customers. You can either let it slip away or... try to motivate them to take action! For example, use an email campaign targeted at this specific group, reminding them about the products waiting in their cart. Offer them a discount or free shipping. This can boost your e-commerce conversion rates.
Importantly, you don't have to manually send this message to every customer who abandoned their cart. You can automate this process. You'll save time and increase your chances of selling.
10. Present value, speak the language of benefits
People don't buy a product, they buy the solutions it offers. Instead of talking about the superior quality of your services, explain how they will change the life of a potential customer. To do this effectively, you need to know who your audience and buyers are.
Then in your campaign you can refer to them:
- goals – Show how the products you offer can bring potential customers closer to achieving their goals. Faster? Easier? Without sacrifice?
- motivation – the “importances” that make the client want to reach this specific point. Perhaps they want to be healthier? Save time to spend on family activities? Prove to themselves that they can do it?
- problems – which he'll encounter while trying to achieve his goal. Now that you know what hurts him, where he stumbles, you can offer an easy solution, a cure for his pain!
Create dedicated campaigns for specific target groups. Focus on benefits, not features!
11. Enrich your content with multimedia elements
Imagine going to a fancy restaurant. You choose an item from the menu that sounds "rich." The visualization in your head makes your guts play the march twice as loud. Suddenly, the waiter places a plate in front of you, and on it lies something that looks more like a cake made of seaweed and sand than the spectacular dish you were willing to pay a fortune for. Disappointment? Huge!
To avoid this, provide customers with professional, high-quality photos of your products. This will give them a clear idea of what they're buying. What's more, you can even use VIDEO. The better you present your product, the greater your chance of selling it. Nobody likes buying a pig in a poke! You'll build trust and minimize negative comments from customers whose imaginations have suggested more interesting images of your product.
Include testimonials from satisfied customers in short videos posted on your website, sharing their experiences with the product. Social proof works!
12. Write a strong CTA
A CTA (Call to Action) is a key element that significantly impacts conversions. The call to action might involve downloading an offer, sharing a post, or signing up for a newsletter or webinar. The appropriate button must appear on your website and dedicated landing pages. Its location is crucial, which is why HubSpot allows you to personalize your CTA.
Remember!
The sooner your audience reaches your call to action, the better! If you only place your CTA at the end of your landing page, some bored users might not scroll through the entire domain and simply miss that conversion point entirely!
Example of a CTA on a Verseo landing page:
13. Don't distract your audience
A strong call to action won't yield the desired results if the recipient finds many other distractions on the website. Make sure their path is planned in advance, and the potential customer clearly understands what to do step by step. You guide them through the entire purchasing process—from generating interest to making a decision and building loyalty. Make the roadmap clear and easy to implement.
Remove unnecessary links, pop-ups, and anything else that might distract a potential customer from the action you want them to take . Guide them through the funnel from point A to Z without unnecessary distractions in between.
Good to know…
Visitors to your website quickly scan your content. It only takes them a few seconds to make a decision – whether to buy from you or look for a better offer from a competitor. Remember this time pressure and ensure that the most important messages and calls to action are presented on a silver platter. This increases the chances of conversion.
14. Meet expectations
Customers are increasingly aware of their expectations, so your business activities must be thoughtful and precise. It's not just about attracting attention and redirecting users to your website. We're all about conversion! If a high bounce rate isn't your priority—and it isn't— be consistent and coherent.
Match your meta description to the offer on your landing page. Make promises you can deliver. If you're "selling" your company on Google as a manufacturer of high-quality wooden toys, don't throw cat pictures and bird food offers on your landing page. The path to purchase is simple:
seeing an ad / finding your website in a high position in SERPs > going to the landing page > downloading the offer.
If you're breaking this pattern and your sales growth isn't satisfactory, take a closer look at your offering. Make sure your social media communications , search engine descriptions, and website are consistent, and that you're delivering on your promises.
Conversion rate and the mobile version of the website
15. Improve page speed
Fast-loading website content is crucial in the purchasing process. Examples abound. Think about how long you're willing to wait when the content you're interested in takes more than a few seconds to arrive. What do you do then? Yes, you switch to another website and choose a competitor! Site speed is especially important when your audience primarily converts from mobile devices.
Do you know that…
40% of people abandon pages that take longer than 3 seconds to load? On mobile devices, a one-second delay in page response can reduce conversions by 7%!
Source: Nailpatel.com
To check your domain speed, you can use the Google PageSpeed tool , for example.
16. Optimize for mobile
This is important for two reasons. First, your potential customers want to be able to comfortably browse your offerings, either with their laptop on their lap or browsing your website on their mobile phone. They always have it at hand or… in their pocket. Take advantage of this and give them the opportunity to contact your company, regardless of location or circumstances.
What's more, optimizing your website for mobile devices (for example, increasing font size, compressing images, or improving speed) is appreciated by Google. This is another step that can help you achieve higher rankings in search results.
17. Streamline your purchasing process
As mentioned above, the entire path should be as simple and understandable as possible for the customer. In the case of the mobile version, the number of steps should be kept to a minimum.
The visibility of the payment button will also be important, as will its size! Users don't have a magnifying glass on them – they have to conveniently select the "Pay" option. If they bounce off the wall, they won't pay. This will make them lose patience and likely won't return. Give them the option to add products to their virtual shopping cart as a guest (i.e., without having to register).
The short form principle we described earlier will also work.
18. Be creative!
The e-commerce market is becoming increasingly competitive, and the trend of online shopping will only intensify. This means increased competition. Outperform them with product and service quality. Stand out from the rest – especially if you're not selling a niche product.
Creativity isn't just about unique website descriptions or polished photos. Go wild and opt for less obvious campaigns designed for mobile devices. A surprising text message? Perhaps a push notification in the app that leaves a lot to be desired? Anything goes!
19. Use local marketing
Users who land on your website after entering your company name into a mobile search engine are typically interested in specific information. This could include a phone number, company address, or reviews of your services. Make sure this content is readily available on your website and easily accessible.
Applying (all!) of the above tips should yield quick results in increasing your conversion rate. Following the principle of social proof, we'll conclude this article with the comment: IT WORKS FOR US! 😉 Test it out and see how it goes for you.
FAQs about increasing your conversion rate
Conversion rate (CRR) is a percentage measure of how many users visiting your online store completed the desired action—which in e-commerce is most often completing a purchase. It's calculated simply by dividing the number of completed transactions by the total number of sessions on the website, and multiplying the result by 100%.
The average conversion rate for e-commerce is typically between 1% and 3%. However, it's worth remembering that these numbers can vary dramatically depending on the industry. Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) stores may experience higher conversions, while premium industries (e.g., luxury jewelry or expensive electronics), where the customer decision-making process is significantly longer, naturally achieve lower rates.
The two biggest e-commerce sins are excessively slow website load times and a lack of mobile optimization. The modern customer is impatient – if a store takes longer than 3 seconds to load, most users simply leave. Furthermore, since over half of web traffic now comes from smartphones, an unresponsive store is a surefire way to lose hundreds of orders.
The transaction completion process must be as short and barrier-free as possible. Best practices include:
- Enabling purchases as a "guest" (without forcing you to create an account),
- Limiting the number of fields in the form to only those necessary,
- Implementation of a transparent progress bar (the customer must know at what stage of the order he is),
- Providing a wide selection of popular payments and deliveries (e.g. BLIK, fast transfers, parcel lockers).
A product card is your virtual salesperson. To be effective, it must offer high-quality photos (zoom-in capable, showing the product from different angles), a unique and precise description written in the language of benefits, clear information about price and shipping costs, and a strong, visible call-to-action (CTA) button, such as "Add to Cart."
A huge one. Online, customers can't touch the product, so they rely on the experiences of others. Displaying authentic customer reviews, star ratings, website security certificates (SSL), and information like "Trusted Reviews" effectively alleviates buyers' concerns and builds the credibility necessary to finalize a payment.
Summary
The above article covers the following topics:
- the essence of conversion in the e-commerce environment,
- the importance of the conversion rate as a measure of the effectiveness of promotional activities and user behavior,
- actions that will help increase your conversion rate.
