The most efficient way any online business can increase their revenue, along with the relative profitability of their marketing strategies, is to work on increasing conversion rates. The conversion rate is the amount of users that complete the conversion action, which is most typically completing a transaction, but can also include creating an account, filing in a contact form, signing a petition, et cetera.
From an eCommerce perspective, increasing the conversion rate does mean convincing the user to convert into a buyer, and the most effective way of encouraging a high-rate of conversion is to utilise intuitive and professional website design.
Using Website Design To Improve Conversion Rates
It can often be the smallest and simplest of changes that contribute to a major difference in a business’ conversion rates, and understanding what these changes are, and why they make such a big difference on a customer’s experience with a website can be the difference between success and failure for an eCommerce business.
- Strategic Use Of Colour – The current trend of minimalist website design makes a website appear sleek and contemporary, but also allows a much more strategic use of colour. By highlighting buttons ‘Add To Cart’ buttons or making any button which drives a user to the point of conversion, i.e. the transaction, a website can enjoy an increased conversion rate and the additional income those conversions encourage.
Greying out buttons which impede a speedy conversion process can also help to drive a user forward with the transaction.
- Well Placed Trust Messaging – By including trust badges throughout the transaction process, a website can help to legitimise itself to the customer. It has been shown, however, that merely including a sentence close by the driving sections of the checkout process can have a similar effect, even simple things along the lines of:
‘You Are Using A Secure Server’.
This simple message can often have more of an impact than including expensive design badges, though users tend to be more trusting of a website which offers both the statement and the badge.
- Checkout Price Guarantees – The idea of a buyer’s pre-remorse is one that has plagued eCommerce websites for years; the idea that the user will, at some point in the future, regret the purchase can be hugely detrimental to the final check out action.
By pro-actively countering this remorse, by promising to match any lower prices and offering contact information for the user to use if they do find the same product cheaper elsewhere, a website can counter pre-remorse and encourage a satisfied customer along with their transaction.
- Simplified Checkout Process – Users appreciate simplicity and straight-forwardness in a business’ website design. It is rare that businesses put a great amount of thought into how easy or difficult navigating through their checkout process might be.
This difficulty can be avoided by including more ways to pay for the transaction, including PayPal and Visa options, reducing the amount of stages between a customer and the final check out button or allowing guest checkout, and only encouraging the customer to sign up for a full account after the transaction.
By changing or adding a few simple website design features into their site, they can ensure a much more convenient process for the user and enjoy an increased conversion rate, and the income that generates.