Ways To Boost And Improve Conversion Rates

For any eCommerce website having enough conversions is vital the success and growth of the company. But simply creating a website and placing products to buy may be too optimistic in creating an overnight success.

So what's this conversion rate optimisation rate (CRO) all about? To help explain the importance and significance on conversion rates for eCommerce site and any online retailer is best to begin with the basics. Every website through the use of analytic tools can track the amount and frequency of visitors viewing their website. For each visitor that buys a product will now become a conversion. The conversion rate can now be simply calculated by dividing the amount of customers into the number of visitors. Therefore giving a success rate for every visitor to the website. The higher the conversions the more successful the website and company will be. But beware that a conversion rate of 2-3% can be considered successful when selling products online. Higher percentages can be achieved when conversion are being tracked against other actions, such as tracking the amount of people signing up for the newsletter.

There are many ways to help measure and make changes to a website that can help increase the conversion rates. These are called A/B Testing and Multivariate Testing, and involve many simple techniques that can help not only increase conversion rates but also help increase a usability within a website.

A/B Testing

A/B testing also known as split testing involves the concentration on a single part of the site. The focus can be on altering an image, header, content, layout and the call to actions. With the change made the testing will use the original page along with the new and alternate between whilst displaying both to a desired amount of visitors to the same amount of visitors. At the end of the test each page will have a conversion rate and the higher conversion rate will mean it has been successful. If not another test can then be carried out with another change.

A major benefit of using A/B testing is that it's cheap and relatively simple to carry out. When there is any kind of measurable goal using this kind of testing can help increase conversions in a simple and easy to understand method.

Multivariate Testing

Multivariate testing will allow for multiple variations of the same elements to be made on a webpage. Allowing each variation to be shown to a different random set of visitors allowing for the results to be measured. Ensuring that there is a goal set initially to help create a structure and defined strategy.

If any on their own are not producing enough results in terms of conversion rate optimisation (CRO), try combining the two to create an effective testing strategy. But many warnings must be stated. If there is low traffic the results may not be accurate or clearly show if there is in fact an improvement or not.