8 Small Details That Help Improve E-Commerce Conversion Rates

Conversion rates are a constant challenge for all online retailers. Many consultancies are entirely devoted to conversion rate optimisation and literally hundreds of books have been written on the topic. This is hardly surprising, as conversion rates are directly proportional to an e-commerce website’s profits (or losses).

We won’t try to distil any large volumes of information into this short post. Instead, we’ll take a look at some of the smallest and simplest details that may affect a website’s conversion rates – but may be overlooked for the very same reasons.

1. Trust Badges and Review Site Logos

Icons that convey a sense of security are quite literally tiny details, but details that may affect conversion rates nonetheless. In fact, tools like Trustpilot have been shown to increase conversion rates by up to 60%. You may already be eligible for one of the most recognisable badges, such as the one from your SSL certificate provider.

2. Contact Information

Displaying your contact information in plain text, preferably including a phone number, on an e-commerce website (site-wide and not just on a contact page) is another detail that signals confidence and transparency.  

3. Returns Policy

Returns are a pain point for both retailers and shoppers online. A generous and easily accessible returns policy may improve conversion, but only if it’s clearly communicated to the customer.

4. Spelling Mistakes

According to some, misspellings may have very detrimental effects on e-commerce conversion rates. While it’s probably also a question of where and how, it can’t hurt to double-check your spelling on important pages.

5. A Well-Placed Call-to-Action

A few years ago, every marketer would tell you to place your call to action above the fold (i.e. visible without scrolling). Today, opinions differ on where your “buy now” or “sign up” buttons should go, but there’s no question that a clear and concise CTA in a highly visible spot will improve conversion rates.

6. Remove Unnecessary Distractions

Even small elements on a page may distract the customer from taking action and hurt conversion and user experience. Minimize or remove details that serve no real purpose.

7. Shipping Costs

A surprising shipping fee is the most common reason for abandoned shopping carts. Even if you can’t offer free shipping, simply communicating the costs upfront could mitigate the problem.

8. Site-Search

An average of 30% of visitors will use your onsite-search box to find what their looking for. And those who use site search functions are 91% more likely to buy than those who don't. Deliver irrelevant or null-results and visitors will assume you don't carry the product they're looking for and head over to your competition instead. Make sure your search is relevant, fast, learns from visitor behaviour, and can handle misspellings. Even simple improvements can lead to search conversion rate improvements of 30-50%. 

Improving e-commerce user experiences with slick navigation and site search can drastically improve your conversion rates. To find out more, download our guide to Site Search and Navigation UX Design.