Designing your eCommerce site for CONVERSIONS
Chris Lema
@chrislema
CAN WE BE HONEST ABOUT ECOMMERCE?
This stuff is hard. It’s not just about coding. It’s not just about design. It’s also about psychology and it’s about iterative tweaking. Everything about a conversation related to conversions in eCommerce is a work in progress.
@chrislema
WHAT DO WE KNOW?
The single biggest reason stores don’t convert - leaving every other aspect in the dust - is speed.
You can’t convince someone to make a purchase on a site they’ve already left.
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SOME QUICK FACTS (Akamai 2017 study)
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WHAT MAKES ALL OF THIS HARDER...
Everyone is shopping, all the time, at Amazon. So every shopper (and every store owner) has increased expectations about the features and performance of online stores.
@chrislema
A FEW MORE FACTS (Radware 2015 study of top 100 stores)
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SPEED IS A DESIGN PROBLEM
Designing your online store for conversions is an exercise in designing with constraints. Stores need to load quickly to give you the best chance of lifting conversions.
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IF YOU ONLY TAKE ONE ACTION, THIS IS IT: COMPRESS YOUR IMAGES
IF WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IMAGES...
Remember that once you have people visiting your store, your job is to help them connect. Show them what their life would be like using your products. Don’t just push them specs & details.
@chrislema
It’s much easier to emotionally connect with the concept of Bose in my car with this photo, rather than a shot �of my car’s speakers.
@chrislema
Harry’s pushes details low on the page, to help�us connect with the product, via photos.
ALSO, USE MORE IMAGES (& ZOOM)
People evaluating a product have their own set of questions, that can often be answered by looking closely at a product in more than one perspective.
@chrislema
Multiple photos and a 360 degree view help me answer my own questions.
LASTLY - USE IMAGES CREATIVELY
This next example is maybe my most favorite use of an image ever, when it comes to eCommerce and that’s because it solves a key problem I face all the time when buying clothes.
@chrislema
Bustedtees does more than write text about their sizing. They show several real people that I can pick from. Then I can see how things fit.
DON’T STOP THERE - USE VIDEOS
Short videos (<90 seconds) help users see products in real context.
Can I tell you a story about a recent purchase I made? The videos did the trick.
@chrislema
This isn’t your ordinary wood. It’s wood you can put on your walls. With stickers.
VIDEOS ALSO HELP YOU TELL YOUR STORY
LET’S TALK MORE ABOUT BACKCOUNTRY
Backcountry shows what it takes to get free shipping, which is one of the largest reasons (56%) people abandon �carts. But they also offer first time visitors 10% off.
Kind Snacks offers discounts too - but on all visits...
TEST YOUR OFFERS
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COLLECT REVIEWS & PRESENT THEM
PEOPLE TRUST (OTHER) PEOPLE
Create ways for people to engage each other
IMAGES, VIDEOS, DISCOUNTS, REVIEWS...
If I could convince you to do one more thing to help you improve conversions, it would be this.
Learn to tell stories better.
@chrislema
THIS IS HOW AMAZON SELLS A $600 WATCH
3 TAKEAWAYS FROM THE COMPARISON
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Before we declare Shinola the winner, try and find that exact watch again…
Amazon recognizes the need to create visual and content hierarchies to help people find what they’re looking for.
On Amazon, I can often find products again, even without remembering their names
CHRIS LEMA
@chrislema
VP Products, Liquid Web
MANAGED WOOCOMMERCE HOSTING PRODUCT DISCOUNT CODE
EMAIL ME - CHRIS@LIQUIDWEB.COM