Traffic and conversions are the forefront of any online store. Obviously, stores of all kinds try to keep their expenses low and sales high. Traffic includes all the people who are visiting the web page of the store, which include both buyers and non-buyers. High traffic presents a store with more opportunity to make a sale, and an upward trend in traffic is usually a positive sign. Conversions rates, on the other hand, indicate how many people visiting the store are actually going to make a purchase. High conversion rates indicate the store is doing well in serving the customers, while low conversion rates indicate problems with stock, delivery, schedulng and other issues.
Every online store aims for high traffic and conversions, but it's not easy due to the number of stores in total and the intensity of the competition. Some store owners focus on a single aspect such as the design of the store's web page, while forgetting the importance of search engine optimization. A combination of key factors that include SEO, marketing, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, etc. is required for the store to attract high traffic and more conversions.
Some of the top online stores include Walmart, Amazon, eBay, Fab, Shop It To Me and many more. Mellisa Chelist, owner of Strokgifts, believes adopting a 'remarketing strategy' leads to continued interest by following people who have visited the website. The technique will make relevant ads appear on other visited web pages. My Trio Ring's Punit Shah believes optimizing the store's website for mobile provides easier access to customers and the transaction price is 12 percent higher on smartphones compared to desktops.
What should an average online store aim for? Here are some techniques and ways that can be adopted to drive traffic to the store and increase/improve conversion rates:
Improve traffic and conversion techniques
1. Proper SEO
Proper SEO can increase the rankings of the online store in search engine results. Algorithms have changed the way they used to rank websites. Gone are the days of buying links in bulk, creating thousands of web pages with short descriptions and using auto-generated content software to increase search engine visibility.
Proper SEO for online stores need product pages that engage the visitor, which requires as much detail as possible. Backlinks should come from relevant high quality websites. Online Stores should invest in social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest etc. as social media signals are now given more weight by search engines. Another crucial detail is the website interface and design. Those play into optimization and a simple eyeball test, nobody wants to shop somewhere that might be fake.
You can see which stores are having success by looking at different SEO metrics. For example sites like Personal Creations or Dick Blick Art have built page rank for things other than their homepage, so even though they do not have PR above 5, their inner pages also rank at a decent rate, which is probably the result for their top 15K Alexa ranking. Of course with the good comes the bad in a site like Art Supplies Online. They have a product which could certainly sell, but have poor SEO, starting with site design and layout. That causes bigger problems because who is going to link to a website that looks downright spammy.
2. Sponsored posts and affiliate marketing
Product review websites are visited by people who are actually interested in making a purchase. However, they like to read as much information as possible before spending, which is available on product review websites. Furthermore, it gives them a chance to compare products, prices, features and find better deals.
Store owners can consider investing in sponsored posts on these websites. Consumers are greatly influenced by online reviews, and sponsored posts increases the chances of conversions and bring referral traffic. The site accepting the sponsored post will usually ask the store owner for information about their products and services. Sponsored posts can also make an existing customers revisit the website as he/she will remember 'this is the site I bought from,' and there's a positive review about it. The other way to increase visibility to the review website visitors is to purchase affiliate banners and other advertising space directly on the website.
3. Mobile optimization
Many popular online stores have realized that mobile devices are attracting more traffic, which is turning into conversions, as more people have started using smartphones, tablets and other handheld devices due to convenience and accessibility. Home Depot's mobile conversion rates doubled last year.
Online stores should optimize their website to appear on different device browsers. They can go for a responsive web design, which will keep the URL of the store same as the original web page, or a custom mobile site. With optimizing for mobile, they would be extending their reach, leading to more traffic and conversions. Studies show people spend more through devices than desktop computers.
4. User experience
For increasing conversions and attracting more traffic, stores should improve the user experience. The experience isn't only about presenting the best design; the policies of the store should be true to the statements. For example, if something is not in stock, the store should be bold enough to mention in on the product page.
5. Encourage Savings
Other than saving time shopping online is often done simply for the price benefit. People can compare different retailers instantly and go for the best price, if you are trying to attract more business then you should encourage your customers to save. Offer price matching online or even coupons and deals right on the homepage. If sidebar ads or discount codes are being promoted then go all out. Some sites play an angle of offering savings but then make you jump through hoops to actually get the deals they once promised. Websites need to realize that the end of a transaction is an easy as a click so work for the customer and you will be rewarded.
Following these tips and techniques will allow online stores to extend their reach and increase their sale conversions.