Shop Optimization
The most popular use cases of Conversion Rate Optimization for Online Shops
- Why Shop Optimization?
- Which actions can be summarised as Shop Optimization?
- How is it possible to attract more users to my shop?
- How do I start optimizing my shop?
- What do I need for a Shop Optimization based on facts?
- Which tools are available for Shop Optimization?
- What psychological levers are available?
- How can I measure the success of certain actions?
Why Shop Optimization?
The answer is simple, more purchases results in higher turnover and that usually means more profit. However, not only the increased sales speaks for shop optimization. Very often, this also results in increased customer satisfaction, as the usability of the shop usually provides a great lever for improvement.
Which actions can be summarised as Shop Optimization?
There are several actions that can be taken to increase sales. Among the most frequently mentioned are SEA (Search Engine Advertising), SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization). While the first two measures are designed to attract more customers to the store or your offer, a good conversion rate ensures that visitors make the purchase and convert to customers.
How is it possible to attract more users to my shop?
There are several ways to generate more traffic on your website. These include SEA (Search Engine Advertisement) and SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEA will run ads on the search engine as everyone probably knows. The classic example is a Google ad. Most often, the first and last results on a search results page are filled with ads. The price of individual search words varies, depending on how much the respective word (keyword) is in demand. It is always worth doing a keyword analysis (eg. with Searchmetrics) to find out which terms and pairs of words in the context in question are even searched. Another option is SEO. Here, the content of the shop is optimized so the page can be found directly through the search results of a search engine. You get a good rating if you provide valuable and relevant content for the user.
How do I start optimizing my shop?
Some optimization can be done already by the shop owners themselves. For example, taking care if the product descriptions provide sufficient information or if the visual presentation is extensive enough. If the customer is well informed, he feels comfortable with the purchase and the return rate drops. Furthermore, clear communication is important, so the user always knows what he is getting into. This includes, for example, the clear presentation of shipping costs.
What do I need for a Shop Optimization based on facts?
In order to optimize your shop in a good way, it is important to understand the customer / user. On one hand, quantitative analysis data (through an analytics tool) helps in order to identify bounce rates and locate the weak spots of the website. Once the biggest levers have been identified, qualitative data (such as usability tests) can be an additional source in order to find out why customers bounce or exit at a certain step and identify potential points for optimization. In addition, qualitative data helps to better understand the users and the context of use in order to adress their needs more precisely. It is recommended to use both data sources in order to achieve the best result and to obtain a holistic picture of the user.
Which tools are available for Shop Optimization?
There are several tools on the market that offer approaches for shop optimization. On one hand, analytics implementation helps immensely to have an overview of relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). On the other one, there are tools (eg Hotjar or Crazyegg) that record user behaviour in addition to the analysis data and visualise usage and interaction data as heatmaps. This makes it easier to identify which areas of the shop are really relevant to the user and which may need to be reworked, are not recognizable or simply not relevant to the user. It should be noted that the recording of individual sessions can certainly be a big effort in the evaluation. Therefore, one should consider whether such tools are useful for the particular situation.
What psychological levers are available?
In order to sell well, it is important to show the product from the right point of view. In the buying process, people usually react emotionally and this can be very well influenced by the correct presentation of the products. An exact product description paired with emotional images and the right tonality adapted to the target group plays a major role here. Another approach focuses on existing customers. For example, personalised e-mails with a voucher are often used as triggers for customers who are in a long shopping break.
How can I measure the success of certain actions?
One step could be to analyse the success regarding the measures, taken from the analytics figures. If conversion rate changes after an action, it can be assumed that this action is responsible (unless it is seasonal or other temporary influences) for the changes. With the help of a goal based tracking it is easier to analyse the reasons for the improvements. An A / B test can be carried out even before the implementation of a measure in order to test in advance whether the action has an effect on the user or usage.
