Keys for killer e-commerce conversion We’ll teach you how to improve your store and make sure your shoppers are clicking Buy. Get tips on: -Store design and layout -Product descriptions -Product reviews -Videos -Checkout flow -And much more Whether you’re just starting off in e-commerce or have been selling online for years, these valuable insights can help you sell more.

1. © 2013 Bigcommerce Pty. Ltd.

2. Store Design
Make sure your site is product-focused
and easy to navigate

3. Use a clean, uncluttered layout
- Showcase your brand in a modern
way
- “Busy” websites don’t
convert well

4. Highlight products and
promotions with banners
- Show your customers what’s popular
and relevant
- Link to product pages or apply
discounts on click

5. Images should put the
focus on your products
• 67% of consumers rated image
quality as “very important”
• Highest quality default image you
can get
• Multiple images, multiple angles
• Show product in use when
possible

6. Include trustmarks to increase
buyer confidence
• Add trusted logos from credit card
companies, VeriSign, TRUSTe, Better
Business Bureau, etc Unique, detailed
descriptions = better SEO
• Familiar trustmarks increase sales
by up to 36%
• Highlight fair trade and cause marketing
if applicable

7. Customer Case Study:
BicyclesOnline
Big, beautiful images showcase
their products.

8. Use detailed product names
- Always use the brand in the name
- Include descriptive keywords for
better SEO results
- Use the product name in the
URL, heading and breadcrumb — an
SEO must

9. Write killer product descriptions
• Don’t copy/paste standard descriptions
• Unique, detailed descriptions = better SEO
• List key features in bullets for easy scanning
• Provide both a summary and full description

10. Add videos to improve SEO and conversion
- 53 times more likely to get a front-
page Google result, 41% higher
click-through
- Visitors stay on site 9% longer,
are 65% more likely to buy
- Show products in use, close-ups
to highlight features

11. © 2013 Bigcommerce Pty. Ltd.
Video expertise is not required
Customer Case Study: Yeti Coolers

12. Feature product reviews
• 4.6% increase in conversion, 18%
increase in sales
• Show both sides of the story:
shoppers who read bad reviews
convert 67% more

13. Testimonials & Product Reviews
Individual, athlete and experts reviews

14. Allow social sharing
• 50% of consumers use social media to share
product reviews
• 68% read product reviews on social networks
• Pinterest projected to account for 40% of all
social media driven purchases
• Adding social sharing also helps
increase awareness & validation

15. Purchase and Checkout Flows
Remove the common barriers
to buying.
© 2013 Bigcommerce Pty. Ltd.

16. © 2013 Bigcommerce Pty. Ltd.
Perform a purchase audit
- How many steps does it take
to make a purchase?
- Who does the work:
you or your customers?

17. Important metrics to review
• Bounces
• Click mapping
• Average items per cart
• Frequency of purchase
• Abandonment rates
© 2013 Bigcommerce Pty. Ltd.

18. Follow these best practices
• Limit checkout to 6 steps or less
• Offer 1-step checkout if possible
• Don’t ask for information twice

19. Continue to close the
sale through checkout
- Just because they made it to
checkout doesn’t mean they’ll buy
- Add a brief product description to
checkout or make one easily
accessible

20. Don’t let shipping scare off customers
• Simplify and clarify your shipping options
• Never hide shipping costs — make the final price final
• Offer in-store pickup: 31% of shoppers picked up locally
given the option, 27% of those made additional
purchases

21. Reasons customers don’t complete a purchase
• 14%: No guest checkout option
- Offer guest checkout, ask to sign up after first purchase
• 12%: Worried about providing too much information
- Highlight privacy policy
• 11%: Checkout process takes too long
- Shorten checkout, compare process to competitors
• 7%: Not enough payment options
- Add more options to increase sales

22. Customer Case Study:
Bump My Lock
Increased sales by adding
multiple ways to pay

23. Abandoned Cart Saver
Bring back visitors who left your
Store before buying
© 2013 Bigcommerce Pty. Ltd.

24. More than 70% of
all shopping carts
are abandoned
But 75% of abandoners
still intend to buy

25. Use an automated abandoned cart saver
- Recover an average of 15% of lost sales
- Emails are automatically sent to shoppers
who add to cart then don’t buy
v

26. Customer Case Study:
Night-Gear
“In the last month
alone, we recovered over
$8,000 in sales we would
otherwise have lost.”

27. Customize your message to
win shoppers back
• Offer limited-time discount
• Offer free shipping to counteract
biggest abandonment factor —
shipping costs
• Include images of the abandoned
products
© 2013 Bigcommerce Pty. Ltd.

28. Limit abuse of discounts
- Don’t always offer discounts: sometimes a
reminder is enough
- Foil discount seekers by setting rules to vary
discount triggers

29. Conversion Checklist
 Make sure your design is clean and modern
 Use big, high quality product images
 Write detailed product names and descriptions
 Include videos and trustmarks
 Feature product reviews and social sharing
 Perform a purchase audit
 Make it easy as possible to buy from your site
 Be clear on shipping costs
 Use an abandoned cart saver

30. Start improving your conversion today!
Bigcommerce has all the tools you need
to improve conversion built right in.
Try these techniques today with a Free Trial of
Bigcommerce- www.bigcommerce.com
Implement the checklist and measure results
For more e-commerce advice, ask the experts