As an e-commerce owner or marketer, you constantly strive to drive new traffic to your store. However, improving your conversion rate is equally important to keeping your acquisition cost in check and ensuring profitability.
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) means the difference between a successful Shopify eCommerce website and one that leaves potential sales on the table. However, CRO requires more than tweaking a few buttons or running ads. The key lies in understanding your store’s performance, setting data-driven benchmarks, and applying targeted Shopify conversion rate optimization tips.
This article outlines five actionable CRO strategies to help you turn more visitors into paying customers, from auditing your SEO to implementing advanced cart recovery techniques using WhatsApp marketing automation software.
Calculate your conversion rate and set benchmarks
It might be tempting to jump headfirst into tweaking your online store. However, you might damage it without proper website analysis instead of improving it.
First, you need to set benchmarks. Who knows? You might be already doing well, but to generate more revenue, you need growth hacks instead of conversion rate optimization for eCommerce tactics. Know your numbers first!
Conversion rates: types and formula
Instead of being ecstatic over generic vanity metrics or dismayed by higher industry benchmarks, you must dig deeper into your store’s data.
The distinction between conversion rates helps determine how to move forward. Here are the two types of conversion rates you need to calculate for your store:
- Conversion rate: This is a standard metric that e-commerce usually looks for. It helps understand how many visitors are taking action on your website and moving down the purchase funnel. It indicates what’s working in your store and what’s not from a first-layer perspective.
Figure1: conversion rate formula
- Carts-to-order conversion rate: This is a more accurate and authentic metric that helps to identify how many visitors turn into sales. It also helps identify any drops in the funnel that you can address promptly.
Figure 2: carts to order conversion rate formula
Now that you know what to calculate, let’s help you compare it against industry benchmarks.
Conversion rates benchmarks
Analyzing data from over 1,000 clients using our WhatsApp marketing automation software, we discovered vital insights into conversion benchmarks per industry. The following data can help you understand what is considered a good conversion rate for Shopify e-commerce.
Website conversion rate benchmarks
The global average Shopify conversion rate is between 2% and 3%. We segmented stores based on the types of products they specialize in to get a more specific and accurate result that each store can relate to closely.
Figure 3: website conversion rate benchmarks-A BusinessChat study
Carts to order conversion rate benchmarks
The following is the average Shopify conversion rate for carts to orders. This detailed metric can help you understand if your funnel is dropping.
Figure 4: carts to order conversion rate benchmarks-A BusinessChat study
Comparing your data against these findings will help you:
- Pinpoint where exactly your store is leaking money
- Determine the weak spots in your funnel
- Better prioritize your conversion optimization strategy
Now that you have a clear vision of your metrics and analyze them against the proper benchmarks, you can make a more data-driven decision.
Continue reading to discover how to increase your conversion rate on Shopify.
Audit your SEO to attract the right traffic
While Shopify conversion rate optimization strategies target converting existing customers, it’s crucial to step back and analyze your incoming traffic first.
In their rush to drive maximum traffic, your SEO team might overlook the importance of attracting the right audience. Therefore, before implementing any tactics to convert visitors, you have to audit your website and determine the accuracy of the targeting. Here’s what you can do:
- Audit your Shopify website using tools like Semrush or SE Ranking and gather data from the Google Search Console to determine what keywords bring traffic.
- Cross-reference those keywords with your Shopify store analytics from G4’s traffic source in the acquisition report.
- Check to see if there’s a correlation between keyword volume and conversions.
Ideally, your best keywords translate into people taking action on your website. If this is not the case, you need to adjust your targeting strategy.
Follow these best practices to improve Shopify conversion rate by targeting the right audience:
- Use one tool for all your SEO plans and SEO tips to maintain consistency.
- Use low-difficulty, long-tail keywords; these are easier to rank for.
- Target keywords with commercial and local intent. People using those keywords are more likely to buy instantly. Avoid informational keywords initially, as they can be challenging to convert.
- Filter your keyword research based on the country where your audience exists.
- Insert the relevant keywords strategically in your product description and titles.
Figure 5: Keyword research results from SE Ranking
Now that you are targeting the right traffic, let’s see how to approach Shopify conversion rate optimization.
Build UX for conversion, not aesthetics
Optimizing the user experience on your website is the number one priority for improving conversion rates. It’s simple logic: Visitors are more likely to convert if they can navigate your store smoothly without friction. Follow best practices while choosing a stylish Shopify design for your Shopify store or building one independently.
After analyzing countless best-performing online stores on different platforms, we compiled a checklist for the top most essential pages on an e-commerce website.
Conversion rate optimization tips for your home page
With only 1% of visitors saying e-commerce stores meet their needs, it seems evident that most CRO tactics need to focus on the website itself.
Your store’s home page must immaculately present your brand to new visitors. The following checklist is a must-have to improve Shopify’s conversion rate:
- Include a user-centric value proposition, ideally summarizing your ICP’s (ideal customer profile) need and your solution.
- Display your ICP in your hero section image, preferably a product-related use case picture.
- Add a distinctive CTA in the Hero section.
- Include a top-of-page banner displaying your most cherished ongoing offers.
- A simple Navigation bar contains a search bar, major categories, and second-level navigation for sub-categories. It’s best to keep it at 5.
- Add a dropdown for filters with options like best sellers, most viewed, etc.
- A divided main section with clear product images (categorize with products under or above X $, seasonal, or whatever best describes your items.
- A refund policy link.
- FAQs to answer potential user questions (based on keyword research).
- Add a live chat or WhatsApp widget for instant customer support.
- Contact information: customers only trust stores that offer a way to get ahold of them.
Conversion rate optimization tips for product pages
Your product pages are landing pages from Google and social media ads. If they are fraught with friction, they won’t result in the conversions you expect, and your ROI will suffer.
Figure 6: Number of reviews online shoppers read before making a purchasing decision
Ensure using the following conversion rate optimization tips on your product pages:
- Add high-resolution images from different angles and zoom-in function. Use the Shopify 3D scanner to produce high-quality 3D images.
- Baymard’s research reveals that 10% of eCommerce sites fail to meet users’ needs in their product descriptions. So, add a focused, bullet-pointed description highlighting pain points and how the product solves them, aka benefits.
- The price must be clear and include all potential costs (like shipping).
- Add a highlighted clear CTA (Add to cart, Buy Now).
- Offer multiple payment options, including cash on delivery. You might be surprised how many people still prefer this old-fashioned method.
- Add trust badges (For payments, shipping, and refund) to win over new visitors.
- Ensure product customization by incorporating variant selections, such as color, size, and flavor.
- Add a wishlist button to engage and retain casual and window shoppers.
- Customer reviews. More than 30% of potential shoppers read at least one customer review before purchasing.
- Place relevant incentives to encourage conversion.
Figure 7: Shopify store examples: WaterBoy’s product page
Pro tip: display the main elements above the fold.
Extra tip: if your product is distinctive from a competitor, add a comparison chart highlighting your unique value.
Conversion rate optimization tips for the checkout
The Shopify checkout is the final touchpoint of the funnel. Simplifying it goes a long way in converting shoppers. Follow these best practices to improve Shopify conversion rate:
- Display the order summary.
- Add a progress bar for multi-step checkout and minimize friction by eliminating useless fields.
- Offer guest checkout option.
- Add a delivery section with minimum fields to get your customer’s address.
- Add a link to your refund policy.
- Add offers like discounts, coupon codes, and free shipping to entice hesitant shoppers.
- Add a quantity dropdown allowing customers to adjust their order.
- Display size measurements that can be edited.
- Display clear payment options and invoice fields.
- Add a CTA (Buy Now). No matter how obvious it is, shoppers might get confused about what to do next.
Figure 8: Water Boy checkout page
Following industry best practices for your Shopify website design and UX will help you provide a frictionless experience. This will significantly improve your visitors’ conversion rate to customers. But what if visitors are hesitant to try your brand?
Deploy Shopify popup to convert visitors
While you don’t need to worry about returning customers often, you have to worry about new visitors. Their lack of knowledge of your brand might be a hindrance. Those visitors need a gentle nudge to take action.
Using a Shopify pop-up is a prominent tactic to improve the Shopify conversion rate. BusinessChat clients using this feature are witnessing a 10% conversion rate from the welcome series popup.
Figure 9: An example of a welcome popup
Use different popups to address the entire customer journey:
- Welcome popups: use these to greet visitors with special offers when they click on your store for the first time. This popup effectively engages new visitors and encourages them to take action instead of just browsing. Use WhatsApp API to customize a welcome series.
- Exit popups: this type targets a specific segment of visitors. This popup allows you to focus on visitors about to leave a particular product page or the shopping cart page, increasing customization options. Offers attached to these campaigns must be attractive enough to change the visitor’s mind or, at the very least, collect their contact information before they leave.
- Browsing popups: these are activated when a visitor is browsing and reaches a specific point on the page. By doing so, we assume they are sufficiently interested in a product. We advise that you time them appropriately and decide on the trigger based on an analysis of visitor behavior on your site.
- Behavior-based popup: this is activated after the visitor has visited a specific page or product or when a customer abandons the checkout. You can offer customized deals for the types of products they are currently browsing.
Having attracted visitors to add items to their carts, let’s now explore how to turn those carts into completed orders.
WhatsApp cart notifications for Shopify conversion rate optimization
If your carts-to-order conversion rate is below benchmarks, your customers must face obstacles preventing them from completing their purchases. The reasons for cart abandonment might differ, but the following strategy will help you convert more carts.
Use WhatsApp API conversion rate optimization software, like BusinessChat to send automatic cart abandonment notifications. WhatsApp has the highest open rate among automation channels. Our recent data shows that WhatsApp messages still get around a 98% open rate and 60 % click rate.
- Set up Shopify cart abandonment notifications based on the cart value. Customers with high-volume carts need to be treated as VIP customers. You can brainstorm creative ways to bring them back to their carts or call them to identify and address their concerns.
- Set up notifications based on the number of abandoned carts. Recurrent cart abandonment would indicate that customers are expecting the usual discount code. Diversify your offers so that customers don’t become dependent on discounts.
Figure 10: abandoned cart notifications customized based on behavior
Dleel.com, a UAE-based electronics company, witnessed an incredible boost in conversion rates and ROI as soon as it shifted from email to WhatsApp API automation software, BusinessChat. They recorded 136 SAR in ROI for each dollar spent.
In conclusion, optimizing your Shopify store’s conversion rate requires a strategic approach that goes beyond surface-level changes. By analyzing your data against industry standards, you can pinpoint areas of improvement. Choosing the right conversion rate optimization tips will depend on your Shopify store analytics.
Author Bio:
Fathia Dridi is a digital marketing professional with 4 years of experience, including 2 years specializing in B2B marketing. She has a proven track record of driving traffic and producing nurturing content that drives long-term engagement and business growth.
