Increase Shopify conversion rate and boost sales

The conversion rate is one of the most important factors in e-commerce. In my Shopify Marketing Guide I have placed conversion rate optimization as the second stage, right after the basic structure of the store. The argument is as simple as it is convincing. The better your conversion rate, the higher your sales. That's why you should take a close look at the conversion rate of your Shopify store. That's probably why you're here, so let's get started right away.

What is the conversion rate?

The conversion rate is a percentage that indicates how many visitors to your website perform an action you want them to perform. The action can be a purchase, but also filling out a form or signing up for your newsletter.

How can I calculate the conversion rate?

You can calculate the conversion rate as follows:

Conversion rate=(number of conversions/number of visitors)×100

You therefore need the following key figures:

1. 1. number of conversions: This is the absolute number of conversions in a period of time. For example, the number of buyers from last month.
2. 2. number of visitors: The number of visitors who have visited your Shopify store or viewed the product in the same period. Depending on what you want to calculate the conversion rate from.

How high should my conversion rate be in Shopify?

The conversion rate in your Shopify store is often very individual and should rather be compared with historical data. Nevertheless, a look at general data can help to better assess the values. In general, a value of 1.3% to 1.5% is considered good, with the top 20% of Shopify stores converting at over 3.2%.

What is Shopify CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization)?

As the name suggests, Shopify CRO includes all measures that help to increase the conversion rate. This includes a large number of adjustments, which I will go into in detail later. Overall, the aim is to improve the user experience and minimize potential points of friction.

Why is conversion rate optimization essential for Shopify merchants?

The conversion rate should be optimized as much as possible before spending a lot of money on expensive marketing campaigns. As a rule, it is easier to increase the conversion rate from 1% to 2-3% than to double the traffic. At the same time, the average shopping cart value is often increased, which leads to a further multiplication of sales.

In simple terms: increasing traffic, optimizing the conversion rate and increasing the shopping cart value are interlinked, with the increase in the conversion rate offering the highest return on investment.

Shopify conversion rate optimization - My tips

Now that you know how important a high conversion rate is in your Shopify store, I would like to share my most important tips and tricks for increasing the conversion rate with you. By implementing them, you should already see an improvement. For an ideal result, however, you should integrate continuous A/B tests into your marketing process.

#1 Optimize loading times

The loading time of your online store is extremely important. As soon as the store does not run completely smoothly, the first visitors will bounce. On the one hand, poor loading times convey an unprofessional appearance, on the other hand, they are extremely frustrating for many visitors. Admittedly, most Shopify stores are already relatively performant, but there is usually still room for improvement. With the tool provided by Google PageSpeed Insights tool provided by Google, you can test your loading times and also receive possible recommendations for action. 

#2 Product pages

You want to showcase your products perfectly on the product page. There are a few things to consider here.

Product image: High-quality product images are the basis for a convincing product page. They offer visitors a visual impression and can have a positive influence on the purchase decision. Multiple views, zoom function, 360-degree images or even videos and interactive media all convey quality. Ideally, the images are not just a presentation of the product, but directly explain the benefits and unique selling points of the product.

Price and shipping: Transparency is particularly important here. Customers want to be able to see the product costs and possible additional costs such as shipping at a glance. Hidden costs often lead to abandoned purchases.

Call-to-action (CTA): Of course, every good product page needs a clear CTA. Buttons such as "Add to shopping cart", "Buy now" or, even better, "Buy with one click" should be clearly visible and uniformly integrated throughout the store.

Unique selling propositions: You should clearly emphasize your unique selling proposition (USP). Visitors should immediately see what makes your product special. These points must be communicated clearly and convincingly.

Product information: Detailed product descriptions that answer all possible questions from customers in advance. This includes technical data, materials, sizes, application options and care instructions. Communicate clearly and precisely.

Social proof: Customer reviews are extremely important, and there are two key criteria here. Of course, the product should be well rated, but at the same time the reviews must also be authentic. You can try to collect genuine customer reviews with discount campaigns.

Brand ambassadors : The face of a well-known influencer can also give you social proof. If you work with influencers, you can include them on the product page.

Awards and certificates: They also strengthen trust in your product and company. Place them visibly on your product detail pages.

#3 Cross-selling and up-selling

Through cross-selling and up-selling you increase the average basket value. Show related products, accessories or bundles. Digital products such as additional warranty, insurance or express delivery are also ideal.

#4 Optimized checkout process

We want to keep friction to a minimum, especially at the checkout, so that as few customers as possible bounce. To achieve this, the checkout must be simple and transparent. Offer guest checkouts and allow as many payment options as possible. Paypal alone is no longer enough, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, the more the better. 

#5 Shipping costs

There is nothing that puts me personally off more than shipping costs. Many people who search for products online feel the same way. That's why you should waive shipping costs above a certain order value. Coordinate this value with your products so you can also encourage cross-selling and up-selling.

#6 Storytelling

We humans are emotional beings. Purchases are almost never based purely on logic; emotions always play a role in every purchase decision. Whether consciously or unconsciously, if you tell a story that touches people, they will not only become customers once, they will remain loyal to your brand. So try to tell a coherent story in your store, this is what really builds customer loyalty.

#7 Mobile optimization

By now, everyone should have realized that most people nowadays use their smartphone to navigate the internet. That's why we also optimize for mobile devices. Your store should also look good on all other devices, but first and foremost it has to perform well on smartphones.

Conclusion: Shopify conversion rate optimization - the key to more sales

The conversion rate is one of the key issues for your success in e-commerce. It is decisive for your sales and should therefore be a top priority. With the right optimizations, you can not only increase the number of your sales, but also increase the average shopping cart value. There are countless ways to further improve your customers' shopping experience. Test continuously and use the measures presented to exploit the full potential of your Shopify store. If you don't have the capacity to run CRO professionally, we will be happy to help you implement it.

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